JOURNEY's NEAL SCHON: 'I Have Been Fortunate To Create Songs With Musicians That Became The Soundtrack To People's Lives'

JOURNEY's founding guitarist Neal Schon has shared a 2026 New Year's Day message in which he paid tribute to the people who "helped shape" the band from its inception more than 50 years ago.

Two months ago, the 71-year-old musician and his bandmates announced plans for their "Final Frontier" tour, a 60-date North American trek that will kick off February 28 at Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and run through July 2 in Laredo, Texas.

Billed as "A Special Evening With Journey", the tour will feature a new stage production and a career-spanning setlist packed with the band's biggest hits, along with a handful of deeper cuts for longtime fans. All dates are being promoted by AEG Presents. The trek will feature Schon alongside keyboardist Jonathan Cain, lead vocalist Arnel Pineda, keyboardist and vocalist Jason Derlatka, drummer and vocalist Deen Castronovo and bassist Todd Jensen.

On Thursday (January 1),Schon took to his social media to write: "Dear friends, as we move into 2026, I want to take a moment to honor the voices, the believers, and the people who helped shape the heart and soul of JOURNEY from the very beginning.

"JOURNEY's original voice was forged with Gregg Rolie, whose vocals, musicianship, and spirit helped define who we were in those earliest days. That foundation mattered — it gave journey its first identity and set the stage for everything that followed. As the band evolved, longtime manager Herbie Herbert played a pivotal role in encouraging us to expand that sound. It was Herbie who inspired the idea of bringing in a new voice — someone who could take the songs to another level. Years earlier, I had already met Steve Perry a few times, even giving him a ride back to his car after an AZTECA show in the city. Life has a funny way of circling back, and that connection ultimately helped lead to one of the most defining chapters in JOURNEY's history. Steve's vocals and songwriting helped create a body of work that continues to resonate across generations and remains a cornerstone of our legacy.

"JOURNEY's story continued to move forward through the talents of all of us — myself, Jon, Ross Valory, Aynsley Dunbar, Robert Fleischman, Steve Smith, Randy Jackson and Deen — with Steve Augeri singing, helping the band move into a new and successful chapter in 1998 during an important period of transition. Later, Jeff Scott Soto stepped in and helped carry us through a tour when it was needed. I'm grateful to both Steve and Jeff for their contributions and professionalism during those moments.

"For the past 17 years, Arnel Pineda has carried these songs forward with passion, respect, and heart. Arnel remains very much a part of JOURNEY, and we're all looking forward to being back on the road together for the upcoming tour.

"Long before JOURNEY, there were people who believed in me when I was just a kid finding my way. I owe deep gratitude to my brother Jackie Villanueva, who took me under his wing, brought me into the city before I even had a driver's license, and introduced me to the club owners who opened doors for me. Jackie helped connect me with Elvin Bishop, who played a huge role in getting me started and believing in me. After I won a blues guitar shoot-off contest that Elvin was holding, he took me to the Fillmore West in San Francisco — where I had the honor of meeting B.B. King and sharing the stage with him. Jackie is in heaven now, but his influence has never left me. I carry that gratitude with me every day, along with my thanks to Elvin for believing in a young guitarist and helping change the course of my life. Jackie also introduced me to Herbie Herbert, who at the time was Carlos Santana's guitar tech. Jackie brought me to the studio where SANTANA was recording, and I am forever thankful for that moment in time — it opened the door to my career, ultimately leading to 'Santana III' after I was asked to join the band.

"JOURNEY has always been a collective effort—musicians, managers, crew, and fans — coming together to create something lasting. As has been shared publicly, Jonathan Cain has expressed that this tour represents his farewell chapter, and we respect that. What remains constant is the music we have created for you.

"For more than five decades, I have been fortunate to create songs with musicians that became the soundtrack to people's lives. That is something I'm profoundly grateful for — and something we're excited to celebrate together on this upcoming tour."

During an appearance on a December 2025 episode of "700 Club", the flagship television program of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Cain stated about the "Final Frontier" tour: "Yeah, it's actually gonna be two years. It's time for me, at my age. I wanna live my life, and the road just is so consuming and it just seems like a good time to get off, for me. And I just love our fans, and I wanna do it in a proper farewell, to say goodbye. So it should be a lot of fun. We're starting up in Pennsylvania, going to Canada and around. And, of course, we have another year. So it'll be spread out over two years. I think they added Japan; we're going to Japan. And there's a Hawaii run. But we'll get to see the fans one more time and I'll get to say thank you and I'm grateful."

Last October, Cain shot down reports that he was leaving JOURNEY, telling "Nashville's Morning News": "Well, that was kind of misinformation. What [I] really said … was that I was gonna do these next two tours [with JOURNEY] and just kind of wrap it up. 'Cause I felt like I didn't wanna die on the road in my sleep at 80 years old, like John Lodge did, of THE MOODY BLUES. I was very, very disturbed when I saw that [John had recently died]. But it just feels like a good time to enjoy my grandkids and my family. I've given a lot. I've given enough."

He added: "I would never, ever duck out on my fans without saying goodbye, because I'm grateful for them and I always, always planned on doing one last hurrah. So this is gonna be it for me."

Asked if that means that his next run of shows with JOURNEY will be his last, Cain said: "Well, it'll be two years... So two different tours will be [my last run with JOURNEY], yeah. I don't know what Neal is planning. I think Neal said he wants to go on and go on. And that's not me."