There have been times when cult rock acts disintegrated into thin air due to personal conflicts and feuds between bandmates. The Beatles’ infamous breakup in the early 70s is a rather famous example of that, as the relationships between Fab Four deteriorated so much that it reached a point where it was almost impossible to get into the studio and work together.
Another example of a similar situation is when Sex Pistols dissolved after landing in the punk scene too quickly, shocking the entire establishment and burning too bright before the fire was put off by John Lydon, who, during the band’s infamous U.S. tour, famously grabbed the mic and asked the audience if they ever felt like being cheated on, marking the end of the punk icons.
Journey, however, isn’t the typical rock band to dissolute only after ‘a few’ personal conflicts; on the contrary, the remark ‘a few’ is a sarcastic expression against all of the disputes the act faced over the years. And to no one’s surprise, there had been numerous lineup changes throughout the band’s fifty-year-old history, but nothing seemed to stop them from performing.
At least, all the hardship didn’t stop Neal Schon, as the guitarist had been the only fixture of the act, being with the band since day one. He also seems to thrive in this fact, casually throwing in that he co-founded Journey and was determined to carry on the band’s legacy.
On another interesting note, it might be fair to say that most of the band’s conflicts also involved Schon. To give you an example, the rocker feuded with iconic frontman Steve Perry numerous times, even being involved in a legal battle. During the legal battle with Perry, Neal’s bandmate Jon Cain had been by his side against the singer, who claimed to have been betrayed by both.
However, although Jon and Neal seemed like model friends with having each other’s backs, that didn’t last long either. It was recently reported that Schon and Cain were involved in a legal battle of their own, having sued one another due to reckless spending habits and much more.
Things heated up again between the bandmates when allegedly Jon vetoed Neal’s wish to bring founding member Gregg Rolie back for their fiftieth-anniversary tour, but this time, Jon wasn’t the only one in the Schon’s crosshairs. The singer, Arnel Pineda, reportedly didn’t want Gregg back in the band, ultimately founding himself in the middle of the feud.
Arnel didn’t comment much on the matter, however, preferring to stay away from the conflict. That didn’t last long, though, as he had to get involved when Schon’s wife, Michaele, commented on a Facebook post and referred to the singer as the ‘other guy,’ while reminding him how her husband recruited him into Journey and encouraged him to know ‘his place.’
The vocalist couldn’t help but tweet a few words, indirectly firing back at Michaele’s not-so-friendly bits of advice, saying he had paid his dues and had never forgotten where he had come from. He then gave an ultimatum to Schon, inviting him to fire him if he dared so.
These recent statements ultimately led to the division of Journey fans as some stood by Neal while others preferred to stand by Arnel and defend him against Neal and Michaele’s comments. One fan, who seemed to side with Schon, pointed out how Pineda’s fans defended the singer by accusing the Schons of racism and disrespect.
For the guitarist’s fans, however, these were all cheap smear campaigns to bring Schon down; all the while, Pineda’s fans seemed determined to stand by the singer against any criticism from Neal’s front.
So, Journey’s history is filled with numerous feuds and legal battles, and to be fair, it’s normal for bands to have these types of arguments occasionally. However, the band is surely peculiar regarding the frequency of having conflicts, and this recent feud between Schon and Pienda divided their fans into polar groups, and one might only hope that things will improve and everyone will make amends.
