Journey guitarist Neal Schon fired back at a fan’s criticism over his past legal dispute with former bandmates Ross Valory and Steve Smith.
Schon had posted a photo of himself performing live at a Journey show alongside Jonathan Cain, with whom he has been engaged in a separate legal dispute. He captioned the post simply: “Back to it!” A fan responded with a pointed remark referencing the legal battle Valory and Smith had with Schon and Cain over the band’s name and corporate trademarks.
“After what was done to Ross Valory and Steve Smith, I’ll never go see those guys again,” the fan wrote.
Schon did not hold back in his reply, directly dismissing the comment.
“BS. You have no clue what you’re talking about,” Schon responded. “Off base completely. Don’t speak about things you don’t have any education on.”
The dispute that prompted the fan’s comment has its roots in a corporate power struggle that fractured one of rock’s most enduring lineups. Schon has long maintained that his actions were not a personal attack on his former bandmates. He describes them as a necessary response to years of unaddressed corruption within the band’s business dealings.
On March 3, 2020, Schon and Cain filed a $10 million lawsuit accusing Valory and Smith of orchestrating an unlawful scheme to seize control of Nightmare Productions, the corporation that manages Journey’s trademark and branding. The pair alleged that Valory and Smith had held improper board meetings on February 13, 2020, in an attempt to regain control of the Journey mark. If successful, the move would have entitled them to receive touring revenue and royalties in perpetuity without actively performing with the band.
Central to the dispute was the question of who legally owned the Journey name. Schon and Cain argued that all rights to the trademark were held through Elmo Partners, an entity they controlled. They maintained that Valory and Smith had never possessed any legal claim to the Journey name or mark. On the same day the lawsuit was filed, both Valory and Smith received written notice that they were no longer members of Journey. The lawsuit was ultimately settled amicably in April 2021, with both parties agreeing to go their separate ways. Schon and Cain retained full control of the band’s name and trademarks.
Schon has been vocal about what he believes drove the 2020 rift. He has stated that years of investigating Journey’s trademark situation was the catalyst for the confrontation. During that process, he and his wife discovered that the band’s merchandise had never been properly trademarked. “We had been getting ripped off since the beginning until I shut it down,” Schon wrote on Facebook at the time. He added that he found “nothing had ever been trademarked besides our music.” He has also claimed that former singer Steve Perry and late manager Herbie Herbert sided with Valory and Smith in the corporate vote, further deepening the divide.
The legal turbulence did not end with the 2021 settlement. Perry later filed a separate lawsuit seeking to cancel trademark registrations for 20 Journey songs that Schon and Cain had filed through their company Freedom JN LLC. He argued that a prior agreement required unanimous consent from all partners for such decisions. Perry ultimately withdrew the lawsuit. Schon confirmed the development and stated, “Now we can talk as we were.” Journey has since continued touring with Schon, Cain, and original keyboardist Gregg Rolie. Schon has made his intentions clear: “As long as I’m here, there will always be Journey.”
