Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain has apparently filed a new lawsuit against bandmate Neal Schon while on tour.
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This is according to documents hosted by Bloomberg Law, in court dockets filed July 30, a day after the band performed in Cleveland, Ohio. The lawsuit was filed over the grounds of frustrations over Schon’s “expenses related to the tour”, including “budgeting and spending” of the band’s credit card over personal expenses. The band are currently on a co-headlining tour in the US with Def Leppard, along with guests The Steve Miller Band and Cheap Trick.
Schon, who is the band’s lead guitarist and sole original member, owns 50 per cent of the band via entity Freedom 2020, with Cain owning the other half, making it a deadlock when it comes to company decisions, per Bloomberg Law. Cain is the second longest serving member of the band, having joined it in 1980.
The document claims that Schon believes his role as president of Freedom 2020 authorises him to make decisions unilaterally on behalf of the company. The document also alleges that Schon’s actions “pose a severe threat of harm to the Company and to Journey’s storied history of musical greatness”.
Cain claims that Schon exceeded a nightly limit of US$1,500 for hotel accommodation, which was allegedly previously agreed upon, and has spent up to US$10,000 per night for hotel rooms for him and his wife.
Cain also alleges that Schon has allowed Journey’s road crew to fly business class, to book hotel rooms in their home cities, and to travel between cities via private jet – all without authorisation from Cain.
Among other accusations is the apparent “toxic internal environment” during their ongoing tour. “Rather than focusing on the Band’s performances during a major international tour,” it reads, “the Band’s business manager, lead vocalist and crew members now find themselves caught in the middle of the directors’ disputes, afraid of performing their job responsibilities, and pressured to align with one director or another.”
Because of this tension, the document reads, the band has lost “multiple crew members” over the last few months, and have faced a revolving door of business managers. It was reported in March 2023 that, amidst lingering tension, Schon and Cain hired off-duty police officers to guard their respective dressing rooms while on tour.
Cain’s lawsuit document claims that he has repeatedly called for a “third, independent” director to aid effective decisions made by the company.
Per Billboard, back in 2022, Schon sued Cain over allegations that his bandmate had interfered with his access to the company’s Amex account, along with delaying payments to crew members and vendors. Cain sued him back a few months later, claiming that his intervention was necessary in order to stop Schon from “misusing” the company’s credit card.
In December 2022, Schon filed an unrelated cease-and-desist to Cain after the latter was seen performing the band’s signature song ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort alongside Republican politicians.
Also, Steve Perry, who fronted Journey from 1977 to 1998 and sang on many of their most well-known hits, attempted to stop his former bandmates from owning trademarks to the names of some of the band’s biggest songs. He dropped the lawsuit in January 2023.
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