Journey guitarist Neal Schon filed a cease-and-desist order against his longtime bandmate and recent legal foe Jonathan Cain, demanding that the keyboardist stop playing the group’s songs at political rallies supporting former President Donald Trump.
Schon’s ire was raised when Cain performed the band’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin‘” alongside Republican luminaries such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake during an event at Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago estate. Cain’s wife, televangelist Paula White, served as the chair of the evangelical advisory board under Trump’s administration.
According to Variety, Schon’s cease-and-desist letter reads in part: “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.”
Schon’s letter states that he does not intend to “further add to the animosity that is currently plaguing the band and the relationship between Mr. Schon and Mr. Cain.” A representative for Cain told Variety that “Schon is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming that the song has been used at political rallies.”
Last month Schon sued Cain for allegedly restricting the guitarist’s access to information about a credit card the keyboardist opened in the band’s name. Cain countered by declaring that it was Schon who had run up “enormous personal charges” on the account.
Earlier this month, the duo agreed to give up their co-managerial duties of the band in favor of hiring CMS Management’s Mike Kobayashi, whose company represents artists such as Def Leppard and Stevie Nicks.
Journey is scheduled to kick off their 50th-anniversary tour on Jan. 27 in Durant, Okla. A preliminary hearing for Schon’s lawsuit against Cain is scheduled for March 3. “So, sounds like the 50th-anniversary tour is dead then?” a Twitter fan asked during the duo’s credit card dispute. Schon’s reply: “Not for me.”
Watch Jonathan Cain Perform ‘Don’t Stop Believin” at Mar-a-Lago