Jonathan Cain has responded to Neal Schon’s cease-and-desist order against him performing Journey songs at political events.
As previously reported, Schon’s legal reps sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cain’s legal reps taking issue with the keyboardist recently performing “Don’t Stop Believin’” at a gala event hosted at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. Schon said, in part, in his cease-and-desist order, “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 … 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.”
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In his response per Variety, Cain said, “Schon is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming the song has been used at political rallies. Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the Journey brand. I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his — and his wife’s — bizarre behavior.” (Neal’s wife, Michaele Salahi Schon, is a former cast member of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of D.C. She and her then-husband, Tareq Salahi, infamously breached security and crashed a 2009 White House state dinner, but they claimed they received tickets to the event.)
Cain added, “Neal sued Live Nation twice, losing both times, and damaging our ability to ever work with them again; Neal outrageously tried to take away trademarks from Steve Perry; Neal and his wife continually insult the professionalism of numerous accountants, road managers, and management firms with endless legal threats and their bullying, toxic, and incoherent emails; Neal argues online with fans who don’t see eye to eye with him; and Neal and his wife recklessly spend Journey’s money until there is none left for operating costs. If anyone is destroying the Journey brand, it is Neal — and Neal alone.”