Journey Keyboardist Seeks Judge’s Help to Break Stalemate with Lead Guitarist

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Over the last fifty years, the rock band Journey has delivered numerous hits, but it seems that “Separate Ways” might be resonating particularly strongly for some of the band and crew members lately.

In the latest chapter of a series of legal battles involving band founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain has petitioned a Delaware judge to break a deadlock surrounding Freedom 2020, a company they formed three years ago to manage tour-related finances.

According to court documents, while Schon is the president, both he and Cain each hold a 50% stake in Freedom 2020. Cain claims they “fundamentally disagree” on how the company should be managed and is asking for a custodian to be appointed to act as an independent deadlock-breaking director.

Cain’s lawyers are urging the judge to expedite the case amidst Journey’s ongoing 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour, which will wrap up on November 17 in London. During a hearing on Wednesday, Cain’s attorney, Sidney Liebesman, described the current situation as “dysfunctional” and in “crisis.”

“The damage is taking place during the tour,” Liebesman stressed, arguing that Schon believes he can do whatever he wants as the president of Freedom 2020, driven by self-interest. Liebesman further alleged that Schon is wasting company assets.

In a filing submitted on Monday, Schon’s attorneys refuted many of Cain’s claims, particularly rejecting allegations about financial mismanagement and tardiness in paying the tour’s vendors and production company.

“Petitioner’s allegations that the company faces imminent irreparable harm from a purported inability to meet its financial obligations have no basis in fact,” they wrote. Schon’s attorney, Jack Yoskowitz, defended their client, stating that any dysfunction is the result of Cain’s self-interest, including making press statements detrimental to the band.

The judge, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster, has set a final hearing for September 3 to coincide with Labor Day weekend, as requested by Cain’s attorneys. Meanwhile, Schon’s legal team had sought a hearing date in late September or early October, after concluding the North American leg of the tour.

Cain’s attorneys argue for a swift resolution, citing that the deadlock has turned into a “very much public battle,” resulting in a “toxic internal environment” during the tour. They claim that the disputes have left the band’s business manager, lead vocalist, and crew members caught in the middle, impacting their job performance and pressuring them to pick sides.

They stress that the ongoing conflict endangers the band’s reputation and fan base, and has caused increased strain on relationships with vendors and personnel. Multiple crew members have already left, and the company recently hired its seventh business manager in just two months.

A key point of contention is Schon’s wish to take a $1.5 million advance from promoter AEG Presents LLC for tour expenses, while Cain had proposed a more modest $500,000 advance. Cain has accused Schon of “exorbitant and wasteful spending” on hotels and airfare for band and crew members. For instance, Schon reportedly disregarded the company’s limit of $1,500 per night for hotel rooms and has spent as much as $10,000 per night.

Furthermore, Cain alleges that Schon allows crew members to stay in hotels even during stops near their home cities and to fly business class. Additionally, Schon is accused of using the company credit card for personal expenses and incurring substantial costs for private jets for himself, his wife, and various crew members.

The disputes have even seeped into creative decisions, including disagreements over the choice of a substitute drummer for a Toronto performance and whether Cain should play rhythm guitar for the 1978 song “Wheel in the Sky.”

Schon’s attorneys, however, argue that such creative issues don’t typically threaten the company with irreparable harm. The two band members have been at odds for several years. In 2022, for instance, Schon sent Cain a cease-and-desist letter for performing the hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate without permission.

This ongoing legal drama between two of Journey’s main members underscores significant tensions within the band, threatening both their professional and creative collaborations.

Source: Associated Press