Separate Ways: “Journey” Songwriter Files Cease-and-Desist Against Bandmate Who Played at Mar-a-Lago

After Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain performed the band’s iconic hit “Don’t Stop Believin” for former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in November with Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kari Lake, he was served with a cease-and-desist order from an attorney on behalf of bandmate Neal Schon.

Cain and Schon, the band’s lead guitarist. wrote the song along with singer Steve Perry in 1981.

According to Variety, Cain, 71, “has long been a member of the former president’s inner circle. His wife of eight years, Paula White, is a televangelist and Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor.”

The letter, obtained by the outlet, said, “Although Mr. Cain is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when he does that on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach. Journey is not, and should not be, political.”

“Mr. Cain has no right to use Journey for politics. His politics should be his own personal business. He should not be capitalizing on Journey’s brand to promote his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band,” and called it a “harmful use of the brand.”

The letter noted that it does not intend to “further add to the animosity that is currently plaguing the band and the relationship between Mr. Schon and Mr. Cain.”

Earlier this year the pair battled over the group’s credit card following allegations by Cain that Schon allegedly put more than $1 million in “improper personal expenses” on the account and wanted a limit placed on it.

Schon and Perry are part of a long line of artists including Aerosmith, Tom Petty, and the Rolling Stones who have previously expressed their resentment over Trump using the song during campaign rallies.

A spokesman for Cain told Variety, “Schon is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming the song has been used at political rallies.”

According to the outlet, Schon said in 2020, “I’ve stated how I felt about mixing religion and politics and how our music is not of one religion — Democratic or Republican. This is and has been an issue with myself, Mr. Cain and his wife. I’ve had to fight this whole time to protect the brand I built with Steve Perry, way before Gregg [Rolie] and I picked Cain to replace himself when he wanted to retire from the road back then. Well frankly, I’m tired of having to defend all by myself.”
 

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