gregg rolie joins journey

Watch: JOURNEY Co-Founder GREGG ROLIE Joins Band On Stage In Austin During 50th-Anniversary Tour

JOURNEY co-founder Gregg Rolie rejoined the band on stage last night (Wednesday, February 22) in Austin, Texas.

Rolie came up during JOURNEY 's encore at Moody Center ATX to play several cuts from his time with the band: "Just the Same Way" from 1979's "Evolution" album, "Of A Lifetime" from 1975's "Journey" and "Feeling That Way" and "Anytime" from 1978's "Infinity" . Rolie , who was also the original lead singer of SANTANA , and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon , who also played with SANTANA during the latter band's early days, then covered SANTANA 's "Black Magic Woman" with help from guitarist Steve Lukather of TOTO , which is the support act on JOURNEY 's 50th-anniversary tour. The JOURNEY performance ended with a rendition of "Any Way You Want It" .

During his time on stage, Rolie told the crowd: "I just wanna say: Fifty years? Fifty years of one band going through changes, but it's like a runaway freight train that just keeps going with no brakes."

Rolie was JOURNEY 's first singer, though his role quickly diminished when Steve Perry arrived in 1977. Gregg left JOURNEY in 1980, just before the band achieved its commercial heights.

Back in 2019, Rolie told Rolling Stone magazine that he left JOURNEY "because I didn't like my life anymore. I've said this a million times and I know there's people that say, 'That's not the reason.' But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life. I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn't happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it.”"

He continued: "Everyone thinks it was because Perry came in and started singing all the leads. My God! Again, I was spread so thin with all these keyboards parts and singing leads, he was a welcome sight to me. And he could sing like a bird! It wasn't too hard to figure out. I was never against it."

Rolie went on to say that he was drinking too much and that he wanted to start a family. He also said that he was happy about the fact that JOURNEY became a household name after he moved on. "I felt very proud that I helped to build something that went to that extreme," he said. "I've always felt that way. Yeah, without me doing this, that might never have happened. But it's not about me. It's about all of it. It's a misconception in this business of, ‘Who does what?' We all did something."

JOURNEY 's tour with TOTO officially kicked off on February 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Presented by AEG Presents , the "Freedom Tour 2023" is making stops in Austin, Montreal and Memphis before wrapping April 25 at the brand-new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.

The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington, D.C., plus Hartford, Toronto and Quebec, which were postponed last year due to the coronavirus.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gregg Rolie (@greggrolie)

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Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour

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The post Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour appeared first on Consequence .

Journey will hit the road next month on a North American tour, and you can expect a familiar face to be among them: according to guitarist Neal Schon , original keyboardist Gregg Rolie will perform with the band for the first time in over four decades.

Rolie helped found Journey back in 1973 and left the band in 1980. This past November, Schon teased the idea of a reunion, tweeting a photo of himself and Rolie with the caption, “2 original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from.” Now, Schon has confirmed that Rollie will appear on the “Freedom Tour 2023” in some capacity, replying to a fan on Facebook that “you’ll be seeing him” at the shows.

It’s unclear whether Rolie will perform a full set with Journey on the upcoming trek or if he’ll act as more of a special guest, particularly because Jonathan Cain , who’s held the keyboardist position in the band since 1980, will be on the tour as well. However, the relationship between Cain and Schon has been less than idyllic in recent months; the artists are in the midst of a legal battle pertaining to the band’s finances, and last month, Schon hit Cain with a cease and desist order after he performed “Don’t Stop Believin” at Mar-A-Lago. So it should be an eventful tour!

Journey’s upcoming tour coincides with Freedom , their first new album in 11 years. Grab tickets to one of their shows here , and see Schon’s statements regarding Rolie’s return below.

2 original founding members ???? I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from. What would you like to hear for the 50th anniversary tour ? A pic.twitter.com/kausFAsdtD — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) November 27, 2022

Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour Carys Anderson

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Journey’s Original Keyboardist to Join Band on 50th Anniversary Tour

Photo via Gregg Rolie’s Official Facebook

According to Neal Schon, Journey will welcome co-founder and keyboardist Gregg Rolie on the band’s upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, which is scheduled to begin later this winter.

The band’s frontman addressed his collaborator’s inclusion on the road via social media after a fan commented, in part, “I am SO looking forward to this. Please tell me Gregg Rolie is coming along for the ride!” Schon responded directly, writing: “You’ll be seeing him.”

In 1973, Rolie assisted in the formation of the ensemble. He departed the group in 1980 and continued his career by delivering several solo albums, including 1985’s self-titled release, which included contributions from Schon, Carlos Santana, Peter Wolf and more.

Of late, Rolie’s replacement in the ensemble since 1980, Jonathan Cain, has been at odds with Schon after Cain performed the group’s hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which resulted in a cease and desist order.

Schon alluded to Rolie’s inclusion on tour back in November via Twitter, posting: “2 original found members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spicer it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from.”

See Schon’s comment below and the artist’s original post here .

2 original founding members 🙌🏽🙌🏽 I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from. What would you like to hear for the 50th anniversary tour ? A pic.twitter.com/kausFAsdtD — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) November 27, 2022

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Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour

The "Freedom Tour 2023" kicks off next month

Journey will hit the road next month on a North American tour, and you can expect a familiar face to be among them: according to guitarist Neal Schon, original keyboardist Gregg Rolie will perform with the band for the first time in over four decades.

It’s unclear whether Rolie will perform a full set with Journey on the upcoming trek or if he’ll act as more of a special guest, particularly because Jonathan Cain, who’s held the keyboardist position in the band since 1980, will be on the tour as well. However, the relationship between Cain and Schon has been less than idyllic in recent months; the artists are in the midst of a legal battle pertaining to the band’s finances, and last month, Schon hit Cain with a cease and desist order after he performed “Don’t Stop Believin” at Mar-A-Lago. So it should be an eventful tour!

Journey’s upcoming tour coincides with Freedom , their first new album in 11 years. Grab tickets to one of their shows here , and see Schon’s statements regarding Rolie’s return below.

2 original founding members ???? I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from. What would you like to hear for the 50th anniversary tour ? A pic.twitter.com/kausFAsdtD — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) November 27, 2022

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Journey's original keyboardist gregg rolie to join band on upcoming tour.

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Journey Co-Founder Gregg Rolie Joins Band On Stage In Austin (VIDEOS)

Journey celebrated its 50th anniversary with the return of a founding member this week.

Original keyboardist Gregg Rolie joined the band on stage during Wednesday night's show in Austin, TX.

Rolie helped out on tracks like "Just The Same Way" and "Feeling That Way", as well as a cover of "Black Magic Woman" by Santana - another band Rolie was a part of.

Check out some fan videos below & we love how you can hear the fans go crazy when Rolie hits the stage!

For more info on Journey's 50th-anniversary tour CLICK HERE !

Photo Credit: GETTY

Co-Founding Journey Keyboardist to Join Band’s 50th Anniversary Tour, Says Neal Schon

When Journey hit the road for their 50th anniversary tour, co-founding member Gregg Rolie will be on board, according to guitarist Neal Schon . Schon first tease the idea that Rolie might return in late November, with the not-so-veiled clue coming as a legal battle between Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain heated up over the band's finances.

At the time, Schon shared a photo of himself with Rollie on Twitter , commenting, "[Two] original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for [the] 2023 tour. What do you think, friends? He will spice it up, and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from."

Then, on Wednesday (Jan. 4), Schon posted to his Facebook a new graphic signaling Journey's 50th anniversary trek that is scheduled to kick off in early February. The band announced the run last October , once again pairing up with 2022 tourmates Toto , for North American dates that will carry over into late April.

Though he didn't directly comment on Rollie upon his initial posting of the tour graphic, one fan stated in the comments, "I am SO looking forward to this. Please tell me Gregg Rolie is coming along for the ride! He’s the better keyboard player and a co-founder it only seems right. Timing couldn’t be better either!!!!" That comment earned a response from Schon, stating, "You'll be seeing him." The guitarist did not elaborate on what Rollie's participation means for Cain's spot in the band.

As stated, the talk of Rolie's participation in the band's upcoming tour comes as Schon has been at odds with keyboardist Jonathan Cain over access to the group's finances. News of the inner band squabble broke in November, with Schon filing legal action against Cain claiming that he had not been granted access to the band's financial records and that Cain had set up a band American Express card without telling him.

Cain then countered publicly that Schon's " reckless spending " was at the heart of their squabble, with Cain stating that Schon always had access to the credit card statements, but what he was seeking was the ability to increase his spending limits." The case between the two Journey members is set for a preliminary hearing on March 3.

Things took another turn last month when Schon issued a cease-and-desist order against Cain pertaining to Cain's performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" at an event at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The order cited Cain joining politicians in a sing-along of the track as being "harmful use of the Journey brand."

Rolie was a member of Journey between 1973-1980 and was one of the band's members that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Cain joined the band in 1980 following Rolie's exit and has been a member through all the active periods of the group in the time since.

As for that 50th Anniversary Journey tour, you can get your tickets here .

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Gregg Rolie on Santana, Woodstock and Journey

Gregg Rolie (photo from his Facebook page)

Gregg Rolie was coming off the stage after a gig on 2019’s Journey Through Time tour when a couple of fans approached him with a question: “What did you do in Journey?”

“Well, I was the original keyboardist and singer,” he explained to the fans, too young to remember the band’s early years first-hand. Rolie wasn’t angry with them; in fact, he chuckles as he tells the story. “There’s a history to the band. Look it up,” he suggested to them before heading backstage.

Indeed, there is, but Rolie had heard that question many times before, and he’s fielded similar ones regarding his stint in the original Santana. A co-founder of that band as well, Rolie sang some of their best-known material: “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways,” “Oye Como Va” and more.

Gregg Rolie fully understands why, despite the accolades he’s received, some fans still don’t know all that he’s done over his half-century-plus career. The band led by Carlos Santana was not, after all, named Rolie, so many fans assume Santana’s hits were sung by the guitarist who has piloted the outfit through dozens of personnel changes since its inception in 1966. And although Rolie was a core member of Journey for several years starting with its 1973 formation, the band’s commercial peak didn’t take place until the early ’80s, by which time Steve Perry had been handed the lead vocals gig and Rolie had moved on.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame knows all of this. Rolie’s role in those two classic-rock cornerstone bands has earned the musician a rare distinction: he is now a two-time Hall inductee, having first earned the honor in 1998 with Santana and then being called back in 2017 to accept a second time for his part in getting Journey off the ground.

Another who is well aware of Rolie’s place in rock history is Ringo Starr, who employed him in his All-Starr Band for several years. Sometimes, he says, he still shakes his head in disbelief when he considers that he has been in a band with one of the Beatles. “It took me two years to get used to it!” he says. “I’d turn around and say, ‘I’m playing with this guy?’ My first reaction when I was asked was, ‘You want me to do this? Are you sure you got the right guy?’”

“It was put together over a period of time,” Rolie says about the album. “For instance, Steve Lukather is playing on the track ‘Give Me Tomorrow,’ and I had just met him through Ringo. This was like 2012 or ’13 and I said, ‘I’ve got this song that has been sitting there. Would you play a solo on it?’ He said sure. Neal, who I’ve known forever, I asked him the same thing and he was recording something so I sent it to him. He put a solo on it. My drummer, Ron Wikso, was with me for years through the Gregg Rolie Band. So every one of these things is from people that I knew or had just met and I asked them if they wanted to do it and they did. All these guys that I played with are fantastic.”

Related: Our review of the reunion album, Santana IV

Of the new songs, Rolie cites “What About Love” as a favorite. It was inspired, he says, by Ringo, specifically “his method of spreading peace and love. After playing with him, it just kind of came out. My approach to it was a little more forceful, but it’s the same message: You’ve tried everything else and it’s not working. How about this?”

The notion to record the Elvis hit, Rolie says, came to him when he heard a cover by singer Billy Swan. “He did ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ slowly. I went, ‘Well, that’s a great idea,’ so I took it a little farther and made it a little more gospel. I connected to it right away and sat down at the piano and it was pretty much a no-brainer.”

And as for “Look Into the Future,” the title track of Journey’s 1976 sophomore album was just always a personal favorite of Rolie’s.

William Penn and His Pals

Gregg Rolie already had nearly a decade behind him in the Bay Area music scene when Journey came into being. Born in Seattle in 1947, he’d moved with his family to Palo Alto, south of San Francisco, during his childhood. There he joined a garage band called William Penn and His Pals in 1965, which made some local waves. Dressed in costumes not unlike those worn by Paul Revere and the Raiders, they were playing a gig at the Longshoremen’s Hall in San Francisco when Carlos Santana heard them and invited Rolie to join him in a new band he was putting together. Originally called the Santana Blues Band, they quickly dropped the blues part of the name and were soon playing at the city’s Fillmore Auditorium, where promoter Bill Graham, who enjoyed their innovative mix of rock and Latin percussion, took a liking to the band and helped give them a push. By 1969 they’d signed with Columbia Records.

Listen to “Swami” by the William Penn Fyve (aka William Penn and His Pals), Rolie’s pre-Santana band

Santana’s colossal international breakthrough at the 1969 Woodstock festival has been well documented, and their performance of “Soul Sacrifice” in the documentary film of the event has been viewed millions of times. Their self-titled debut album, which featured Rolie on Hammond B3 organ, piano and lead vocals, was still two weeks away from release when they arrived in Bethel, N.Y.

“I remember flying in on the helicopter,” Rolie says about Woodstock, “and looking down. I said, ‘I can’t relate. It looks like ants on a hill.’” After the band’s game-changing set, they stuck around long enough to watch Sly and the Family Stone, then tried to leave the site. “It was only then that I realized how massive this really was, seeing them face to face.” Rolie says. “It took a while to get out.”

Watch Santana perform “Evil Ways” at Woodstock

Related: Our interview with Santana drummer Michael Shrieve

Rolie continued with Santana through the albums Abraxas and Santana III , but although he contributed to the fourth, Caravanserai , he was already thinking of his next move. “It was starting to fall apart,” he says. “We’d built a whole following of people on the first three records. I think it’s great exploring different styles, but if you’re going from the field we were in, which was basically popular music, to jazz, you’re going from the poker table to the nickel slots, unless you’re just the most enormous jazz player in the world. It was nearly all instrumental and I thought that was a mistake.”

Related: Journey is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Journey’s first several albums fared only moderately well on the charts, with 1978’s Infinity and the following year’s Evolution reaching #21 and #20, respectively. None of their singles approached hit status until ’79’s “Lovin’ Touchin’, Squeezin’,” by which time Perry had largely supplanted Rolie as the main lead vocalist.

Journey in 1977 (l. to r.): Gregg Rolie, Ross Valory, Aynsley Dunbar, Neal Schon and Robert Fleischman

From the start, Journey made its way without the support of the rock press—to put it bluntly, many critics truly despised them. Punk-rockers cited them as an example of what was wrong with mainstream rock. That shunning likely kept Journey out of the Rock Hall until they could no longer be ignored. Rolie shrugs off the disdain. “They called it corporate rock,” he says. “I never understood it. We became a business, like everybody else, but all of a sudden it became this evil thing. If it was that simple to get to the top of the charts and write singles that people love and want to sing along with, wouldn’t everybody do it?”

Still, by the time Journey released the Escape album in 1981, Rolie had already made his. He wanted to take time off to raise a family and chart his future musical direction. Since then he’s heard many rumors about why he left the band on the brink of its major successes with songs like “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Open Arms.” The most popular one was that he didn’t appreciate being pushed aside by Perry.

But the answer is a lot simpler than all that. “I was pretty well stressed,” Rolie says. “I’d welcomed [Perry]. It was totally different, and different is good. When we used to have band meetings, our manager Herbie Herbert had a vision and an idea of where he wanted to take it. When Steve Perry entered the picture, I said, ‘I don’t know. This guy’s crooning.’ [Herbert] said, ‘You’ll get used to it. This is your new singer.’ So we went OK, and he was right. Santana was a phenomenon—boom!—but Journey was built.”

Watch Rolie sing “Feeling That Way” with Journey

Going out on his own was the obvious next step for Rolie, and he released his self-titled solo debut in 1985 (with contributions from Carlos Santana, Schon and others), but the change in his status took some getting used to. “It was difficult, because I’d always relied upon a band,” Rolie says. “Here’s a song: the bass player would play his part, the guitar does this. Now, I have to come up with these ideas. It was a little more of a chore. But it was good for me.”

Watch Rolie perform Journey’s “Look Into the Future” in 2013

Over the following years, Rolie took part in a couple of bands featuring former bandmates—the Storm (with Journey’s Ross Valory and Steve Smith) and Abraxas Pool (with most of the early Santana lineup, minus Carlos Santana). Each of these projects allowed Rolie to explore different sides of his artistry. He has released several other solo albums and also fronted his own Gregg Rolie Band. Finally, he says about the latter, “Nobody could argue with me about who it is, or try to take the name.” In his live shows, Rolie played songs associated with both Santana and Journey, as well as new material.

Rolie and Ringo (photo from Rolie’s website)

Then came Ringo. Rolie contributes organ and vocals to the ensemble shows, singing the Santana hits “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways” and “Everybody’s Everything,” while playing not only on Ringo’s songs (most of which did not have B3 organ in their original versions) but those by the other members. Working with Starr, Rolie says, has taught him so much. “I can’t say enough good things about Ringo Starr, just the way he handles everything. He runs a band very much like I ran my own, except it’s on steroids. The travel is wonderful and he allows the band to be the band—let’s try it and see how it goes. It’s a joy to work for. I was, first of all, honored to be asked, and a little bit scared,” he admits. “But it’s worked out really well.”

Watch Rolie sing Santana’s “Oye Como Va” with Ringo and the All-Starr Band

Rolie has remained with the All-Starr Band lineup since 2012, but then, out of nowhere, in 2016 he received a call from Carlos Santana, looking to reunite the surviving members of the late ’60s/early ’70s Santana lineup for an album. The idea was initiated by Schon, and the three were joined in the studio by Michael Shrieve and percussionist Michael Carabello. Santana IV (picking up from the title of 1971’s Santana III ) was released in April 2016. The album debuted at #5 in Billboard. A planned tour fell apart when, as Rolie puts it, “Carlos or his manager pulled the plug,” but there were a handful of gigs, including one that found the classic Santana lineup opening for none other than Journey at Madison Square Garden. “It was a cool thing to do,” says Rolie. “I wanted to do 30 dates and go play for the people that were supporting us, but that didn’t happen, for whatever reason.”

Santana IV (l-r) Benny Rietveld, Michael Shrieve, Gregg Rolie, Carlos Santana, Michael Carabello, Neal Schon, Karl Perrazo

Rolie, born June 17, 1947, finds himself busier than ever. The Journey Through Time tour saw Rolie, Schon and other musicians reprising music from Journey’s catalog. Rolie has also been involved for some time with the educational program Little Kids Rock, which aims to bring music back to schools that no longer have music programs. Now, between promoting Sonic Ranch and gearing up for the next All-Starrs outing, he’s going nonstop.

Rolie credits his own instincts for his longevity in the music business. “I’ve said yes to almost every right thing I should do, and I’ve said no to the things I don’t think I should. I’m proud of everything I’ve done. When I was 33, I said, ‘I’m getting too old for this.’ But now I just keeping going, taking my inspiration from Ringo, who is 79. When I can’t play with the same fervor, then I’ll quit.”

Listen to “What About Love” from Rolie’s solo album Sonic Ranch

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4 Comments so far

Gregg Rolie will always be the sound of Santana ..guy’s a legend

A great story about a great man. Thanks, Jeff!

Thanks for the tip on that William Penn Fyve 45 featuring Gregg. I’ve added that (and an early Michael Shrieve 45) to my Santana page.

Well he did have the occasional lead vocal in Journey as well. He was there when their career was starting to take off

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Greg Rolie photo by Mike Coppola and Getty Images

Journey reunited with long-term frontman Steve Perry at their recent induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but their original lead vocalist, Gregg Rolie, has also revealed that he and lead guitarist Neal Schon have been discussing working together again.

The two Journey co-founders previously worked together on Santana’s 2016 album, Santana IV , while Schon is due to appear on Rolie’s forthcoming solo album. During an interview with Radio.com ahead of the induction ceremony, Rolie hinted at the possibility of them working together in the context of Journey.

The topic initially came up when Rolie was asked why he didn’t jam with Journey when they played a show with Santana last year. “Well, I’m not quite sure, other than there’s a couple of guys; I’m not in the band,” he said in response. “Neal wanted me to do that, and I wanted to do it, and I think it would be tremendous for fans, but there was a couple guys that voted no.”

He elaborated further, saying, “And so that’s the way it went. I think it’s a shame. People would’ve loved to have seen everybody on the stage gelling together. That’s what I got into doing this for, and having it be otherwise is kind of silly. I don’t know the reasoning. I don’t care about it. If that’s what it is, that’s what it is. Neal and I will do more stuff, and that’s really where it’s at. Remember, between [former Santana manager] Herbie Herbert and Neal Schon, that’s who started this band. It’s always been Neal’s band.”

Rolie concluded the interview by saying, “I love playing with him [Schon], I always have. I’ve known him since he was 15. I got him into Santana, for God sakes. So he and I have crossed paths so many times, and we’re older and kinder, so we’ll see what happens.”

26 Comments

Chris Hammond

April 29, 2017 at 6:46 am

Totally awesome for Gregg Rolie to hook up with Journey, Neal AND the other members. I know that each member has a vote, everybody should be mature enough to let this happen. Seems like the only threat would be to Jonathan Cain??? The only other would be If Steve Smith has a beef w/Gregg???

Josephine R

July 6, 2019 at 3:20 am

Mr. Rollie I loved what you did in Journey I do love your singing. However you are no Steve Perry. I loved what Steve brought to Journey and were he took Journey. I Love were Arinal is taking Journey. All of you are are so Bless with a gift that only God could have given. During that time you all needed one another. You all still do. No one is greater than another.. Look where you all have been! Steve Perry as well; his path was for time and for always. He well always remain in time. He is timeless. He was meant to do what he did for a season. Now his return will be timeless as I said . He only needs to come out on stage not even sing. He was born for this. God had other plans for him. Mr. Rolie he still has wonderful plans for you listen for it. If you think where you’ve been is all that. You have see nothing yet. Even at this of your life God has his hand on you your music and everything you do in it. I will be listening for Journey, Steve Perry and many others from our time period. I just love music form those that put their heart into music. I want to repeat this so you’ll hear me; because you need to. There are not many Steve Perry’s is this world. Why God choses send them into the world only He knows. Steve Perry is one of a kind. He was sent to Journey for a season. Has you God put it upon his heart to stop. I want you to know I have been praying for Journey for a very long time. Also many other Artist I make it my business to keep you all in prayer. I know that being in TV business over a decade I see a lot. Sometimes more than I care to. Being a Producer it’s no easy when I see who had a gift and who thinks they do and doesn’t. I see it all the time. Some times while I’m recording. I have do what I got to do.Well on I pray you receive this. I email this with a lot of respect. Josephine

synthonaplinth

July 27, 2019 at 5:16 pm

First you say ‘However, you are no Steve Perry’, then you go on to say that ‘No one is greater than another’.

You might want to change one of those comments.

April 29, 2017 at 9:21 am

No doubt Cain. He always looks like he is irritated about something. Maybe he should leave the band and go do his Christian Misic.

April 29, 2017 at 9:24 am

No doubt Cain. He always looks irritated about something.

ElectricFrank

April 29, 2017 at 1:05 pm

Bring the guy back that was replaced by Steve Perry on vocals . Great move

Ed Olsiewicz

April 29, 2017 at 4:00 pm

Honestly I love Journey, but the first three albums are Progressive Rock Classics. I still listen to them at least once a week.

April 29, 2017 at 6:55 pm

That would be Great!Greg and Neal… the icing on the cake would be to get Steve to join you guys.. and to see the MAGIC again… Give us some Blue’s and Soul Again.. Congratulations again to All you guys… thanks for the MAGIC music!

April 29, 2017 at 7:23 pm

Original four piece journey reuniting playing material off of the first three albums would be a dream gig. I would travel thousands of miles to see this.

February 10, 2018 at 11:46 pm

That show happened last night (2/9/18) in SF. Neal Schon, Greg Rolie, Dean Castronovo, and Marco Medoza played for 3+ hours, covering tons of material from the first three Journey albums and the first three Journey with Steve Perry albums when Rolie was still in the band. Amazing show. Check out some of the vids on YouTube.

April 30, 2017 at 1:09 am

I’d love to see that reincarnation of Journey…Schon, Rollie, Dunbar and Valory…wondering who said no…me thinks it was probably Cain…

April 30, 2017 at 4:16 am

I would love to see all the originals back together for a reunion tour.Its time guys!

April 30, 2017 at 7:20 am

How come Steve Perry didn’t perform tonight?

Journey Fan

April 30, 2017 at 9:25 am

Jonathan Cain likes to portray himself as being a good Christian. He even recently released a Christian rock cd. But the guy is all about the almighty dollar these days. He no doubt does not want to share band profits with a sixth member, and his ego is too fragile to be willing to share the stage with another keyboardist of high reputation. Pretty un-Christian-like traits if you ask me. Cain needs to either dedicate himself to continuing to move Journey foreword, or step aside. No more halfheartedly being in Journey. Work on new Journey music or step aside for someone who wants to work.

Roman Picco

April 30, 2017 at 12:59 pm

both keyboardist bring entirely different skills and sounds, plus being that Perry can’t sing like he used to any assistance from Rolie in the vocal department could only help. How awesome would it be to have both Cain and Rolie in the band, Cain also can double up on guitar where needed. The sum of all these attributes could only make Journey even better and truely a super group!

August 25, 2017 at 6:29 am

Here comes the bullshit about the fact that Steve Perry can not sing the way he use to sing! This is not true! He is older now,but his voice still beautiful and perfect like always! He is a great singer and he does not need any help from anybody to sing! Stop making stupid comments like that! Love to see how you can sing any of his songs! Try to do what he does with his voice! If you do well you can perhaps pass this kinda judment!

July 6, 2019 at 1:05 pm

Roman Steve Perry is one of a kind, I repeat one of a kind. This man has something most Artist donor have. He still has his voice class, one thing he doesn’t care what people think. Amen to that he real like you & me. He knows he human. He will always be timeless because of his voice & because of the way he relates to his fans people in central. God not only gave him a voice; He gave him a very special gift to know when to stop . Move on where I want you to go. We’ll revisit music shy. God is not done with Steve Perry Roman not by far. All he has to do is walk on stage not sing the crowd will go wild. This is another gift God has given this man. If he chooses to tour I for one will go see him. If he chooses not to; that’s alright by me. Don’t say he can’t sing with out assistance. Everyone has been judging this man enough already. Let him live has God intents him to. He don’t have that right. May peace be with you. Josephine

Mr P's R&R Riot

April 30, 2017 at 6:59 pm

And the crap continues to fly . They’re not getting any younger . Better get while the gettin’s good .

May 1, 2017 at 2:29 am

That’s probably why Steve Perry is out of all this. Congrats to Steve Perry and Journey for the RRH of F induction!

May 1, 2017 at 3:01 am

The irony is that Rolie recommend Cain to replace him since Journey was going in a more pop direction and Cain had co-written a bunch of hits for the Babys. Now Cain has turned into a big baby…

June 9, 2017 at 12:14 am

Arnel pineda has given 10 years to journey and I for one dont want to see him replaced by Steve or Greg they are the ones that left and Arnel has given his all! As long as he is included Im all for it yes Neal you’ve made it clear its your band but dont forget the ones that have stood beside you thru the years your fans and their fans have been loyal!

July 27, 2017 at 4:50 pm

I BELIEVE CAIN IS THE ONE WHO GOT RID OF STEVE BY GOING THERE AND TELLING STEVE TO COME BACK NOW OR ELSE. DO IT NOW OR WE WILL REPLACE YOU. HOW DARE HE THE LITTLE HYPOCRITE. AND NEAL WENT ALONG WITH IT..THIS IS A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT TO ME FROM NEAL WHO PERRY WAS GREAT FRIENDS WITH. STEVE HAD A MEDICAL PROBLEM. I KNOW OF THE BITCH’IN PAIN HIP SURGERY IS. BITCH’EN I TELL YOU. AT THAT TIME I HAD MINE I WONDERED HOW OUR TROOPS COULD BE SO TERRIBLE WOUNDED IN THE FIELD AND SURVIVE THE PAIN BEFORE GETTING MEDICAL HELP. I BELIEVE THE PAIN ALONE COULD KILL A MAN.. THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH A MAN CAN TAKE. I’M TALKIN ANYONE WOULD AND THERE WOUNDS ARE HUGE! I LOVE STEVE SO MUCH FOR DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR HIM. HE GAVE UP SO MUCH BUT THE EYES TRULY ARE THE MIRROR TO THE SOUL AND I COULD SEE LONELINESS, HURT, SORROW MANY TIMES IN HIS EYES FROM HIS PICTURES AND HIS MUSIC. BUT WHEN HE LAUGHS ….THE SUN IS IN THAT LAUGH AND I JUST WANT TO HUG HIM. HIS BEST LOOK, WHEN HE’S AT GIANTS GAME IN HIS CAP AND HIS LUMBER JACK SHIRTS. HE LOOKS LIKE A KID. I LOVE THIS MAN. HE TRULY IS A NICE MAN. I JUST FEEL IT! GO STEVE!

August 25, 2017 at 6:39 am

PJ i really respect and love your comment! This is what I really think about Steve Perry! I first heard him singing when I was 8 years old and my brother kept listen to his music throughout the years and I just felt in love with his voice and the lyrics on each song that he did sing! He really can show his feeling with his voice and with his eyes! His smile is just like a child smiling! I really admire his work and as well his beautiful personality! Big hug to you B

January 24, 2018 at 3:13 am

If Ross was the other holdout, I know an easy to get along with 53-year-old bass player who is clean, straight, and healthy, can play Journey’s stuff and sing some backings.

Alan Arnold

June 10, 2018 at 10:44 pm

I just hope they include Aynsley Dunbar in the reunion. His drumming is what gave the original Journey the progressive sound that was so awesome. One of the best rock drummers of our time…. amazing track record and helped elevate Journey as well. http://Www.aynsleydunbar.com

December 5, 2018 at 11:17 am

No matter how hard you try You and the rest will never be the Greatest rock band again (without Steve) yourjust another retro band that old and done!! Steve Perry is was always will be Journey and his awesome Solo albums prove it they stand on they’re own! Texas

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The Real Reason Gregg Rolie Left Journey

While Keyboardist Gregg Rolie gained fame the first time via Carlos Santana 's titular musical group, the musician found even more recognition in the mid-1970s via Journey , a new hard rock group that paved the way to 19 Top 40 singles in the U.S. The keyboardist also took on lead vocalist duties, for the albums Journey and Look into the Future , as well as backing vocal duties on I nfinity, Evolution , and Departure.

Besides keyboards, Rolie had been lead vocalist on iconic Santana hits like "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va," reports Rolling Stone . As Santana launched its Welcome album in 1973, Rolie and lead guitarist Neal Schon had already broken off to begin what is now known as Journey. But the band that Rolie first signed up for was far from the arena rock megastars that took the world by storm in the mid-1980s with hits such as "Don't Stop Believin": "It was a jam band, based on a lot of soloing and a different kind of music, progressive rock," Rolie later said, per Best Classic Bands . "If it were a new band today, we'd be playing with the Dave Matthews Band and Phish. Then after three albums we got hold of Steve Perry through our manager, and we started writing songs for singing, instead of songs where we're going to jam and take this as high as we can."

Family first

Per Neil Daniels' biography The Untold Story of Journey , Rolie left Journey following the 1980 Departure tour to start a family and undertake various solo projects. It was the second time in his career he had departed from a successful act — he'd also left Santana on a commercial and artistic high. Keyboardist Stevie "Keys" Roseman was brought in to record the single studio track "The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" on the band's live album Captured , with Rolie suggesting that pianist Jonathan Cain of The Babys take over duties as his permanent replacement, according to We Are Classic Rockers.

"I left because I didn't like my life anymore. I've said this a million times and I know there's people that say, 'That's not the reason.' But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life," Rolie told Rolling Stone . "I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn't happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it ... everyone thinks it was because [Steve] Perry came in and started singing all the leads."

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The rock legends of Journey are approaching nearly half a century of hitmaking with a new No. 1 album and a Las Vegas residency, to boot! ET was with the icons in Sin City for an exclusive look at their orchestral show and to get the inside story on their first new music in more than a decade.

"Hearing it when it was finished it was definitely emotional," lead guitarist Neal Schon tells ET's Denny Directo of their new album, Freedom , which marks their first full-length release in 11 years. "We had recorded this album in a way different way because of COVID."

The band recorded Freedom entirely separate from one another, laying down their respective parts individually in different parts of the world.

"You get lemons, you make lemonade," says keyboardist Jonathan Cain, revealing the surprising silver lining they discovered through the process. "We were stuck at home. We were supposed to be on tour with The Pretenders and everything got shut down. So we just thought, 'Why not?' And we also made the record for half the price. ... We spent half the money, so we got a blessing from it."

"It will never be the same," vocalist Arnel Pineda chimes in with a laugh. "So we'll do the same thing again to save money, right?"

Creatively, the band drew on both past and present experiences while striving to stay true to the heart of what fans have come to know and love about them.

"I feel that we encompassed like a lot from Infinity to where we are now in this album," says Schon, referencing Journey's 1978 full-length featuring their first Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Wheel in the Sky."

"It's very diverse, it's very musical," he continues. "I’m happy with that. I think it really represents that band well."

In 2023, Journey will celebrate 50 years in the biz. To commemorate their golden anniversary, the group has planned a slew of upcoming performances into the years ahead, including stadium shows and -- in their words: "More pyro!" and "Firing bombs onstage right, bro!"

With more than 100-million records sold, 19 Top 40 singles and 25 Gold and Platinum albums under their belts, Journey remains one of the best-selling bands of all-time.

Pineda has been a part of that success for 15 years after replacing lead singer Steve Perry in 2007. The 54-year-old says his life went "from black to white" when joining the group. "These guys, I owe so much to them," he says.

As for whether they would bring back former band members Perry and Gregg Rolie for the anniversary shows, Schon is open to the possibility.

"I think that those two guys were a big part of the band," he says, "and I think that, you know, if the city permits, I think the fans would overall love it."

Just last week, Journey rocked two of four planned performances from July 15-23 at Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas alongside Violution Orchestra. Only ET was with them for the soundcheck.

"So much came to life with that orchestra," gushes drummer Deen Castronovo. "I mean, they were already beautiful songs and they have such a life of their own. But when you get that orchestra, it's so lush, man. I mean, it's amazing sounding. It really is."

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Gregg Rolie Looks Back on His Days With Santana, Journey, and Ringo Starr

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

You might not know the name Gregg Rolie, but you definitely know his music. Not only did he sing “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways,” “Oye Como Va,” and all the other early Santana classics as the group’s original lead vocalist, but he went on to form Journey with Santana guitarist Neal Schon. He was their keyboardist and lead singer on the first three albums before Steve Perry took over as frontman in 1978. He then stuck around for the next two years, playing keyboards on massive hits like “Lights,” “Wheel in the Sky,” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.”

Rolie has made it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice for his pivotal roles in the history of Journey and Santana, and for the past six years he’s toured with Ringo Starr in his All Starr Band. He’s also just released the new solo disc Sonic Ranch, and he called into Rolling Stone to talk about his long career, the real reason he parted ways with Santana and Journey, and what’s coming next.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first meet Carlos Santana? Carlos and I met in a tomato patch. He played at the Fillmore on a Tuesday night, when Bill Graham just let locals on. And a friend of mine, Tom Frasier, saw him and said, “I’m going to go find this guy.” He came to my house and told me that, and I was like, “All right, cool.” He found him working at a hamburger stand called Tick Tock, on Columbia Street in San Francisco, and said, “Do you want to come jam with this guy?”

He came and we played, and of course we were smoking marijuana and stuff. When the cops came, I said, “We have to get out of here.” And all I saw was his ass and his elbows. He was way ahead of us. I was like, “Great idea.” I ran into a tomato patch and waited until the cops left. And that’s how it started with me. I think it was 1968.

How long after that did the band form? 1968 and a half. It just happened. We had this high school buddy Danny Haro and Gus Rodriguez on drums and bass, and [Michael] Carabello was there. Then it grew. We just kept getting new people in. The music that everyone knows has Mike Shrieve on it and Chepito and David Brown and all the rest of us. That’s it.

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How many times in your life do you think you’ve been asked about playing Woodstock? Do you think it’s in the thousands by now? [ Laughs ] I can talk about it. It’s the same old story. The fact of the matter is, it started my career. It started all of us. If you were there at that concert, you had a career. After that, it’s what you do with it. Musically, we connected with a generation of people that need to be connected to. That’s kind of it. And it’s gone on from there.

Did you know when you were playing just how hard Carlos was tripping on mescaline? No. I had no idea. As a matter of fact, all I could think was, “Man, he’s having a really hard time tuning up.” That was my thought. I didn’t find out about that for years later. Then I went, “Oh! OK! Now I get it!”

You were totally straight? Other than a beer or two, yeah.

I think it was really the movie that created the legend of the group that will never die. It won’t. It’s totally amazing. When you look back upon what everyone was going through, each individual, but especially Carlos. . . . He is sitting there holding onto his guitar because he was on mescaline. He was like, “God, let me get through this. I’ll never do this again.” Well, he lied. And I’m just playing as hard as I could. Carlos said, “We were floating like kites and Gregg was on the ground holding onto the strings.” All I could tell him was, “Yeah, but I caught up to you.” Pretty soon we were all floating everywhere.

After Woodstock, Santana had a bunch of big radio hits and you sang lead on all of them. Does it irritate you that a lot of people think that Carlos sang them or, at the very least, they don’t even know your name? Not “irritate,” but it confused me. “You’ve got to be kidding me? Have you watched any of the things we’ve done? Have you ever been to a concert?” It’s always the same thing. But look, we picked “Santana” because it was a cool name. It prints well. It emphasized, at the time, what was going on. It was like “The Paul Butterfield Blues Band” or “Allman Brothers.” All of the names were blues-based. And he was kind of the front and center. So we picked it and that’s it. Everyone said he was the leader of the band and he was the guy.

In retrospect, it’s not how that happened. The band was really a band. That’s why it worked so well. Let’s put it this way: Without the 10 percent this guy put in and the 20 percent this guy put in — Carlos and I did 40/40 or whatever — without the rest of it, it wouldn’t have been the music that it is.

After the third album, he wanted to go in a different direction musically. Did you have a different opinion about that? I had a totally different opinion about it. If you’re the Beatles and you want to go to putting horns on your music or doing Rubber Soul or whatever, you can, because you’re the Beatles. . . . But we’re Santana, and to change the complete direction of the music and lose the people you already have, going from the music of Santana III to jazz, basically — I thought it was a mistake and I was right.

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But you couldn’t stop it. No. The other point is that personally we were all upside down. Carlos puts it well these days when he says, “We didn’t treat each other too good.” That’s exactly it. It was too much too soon. We had the world by the balls and didn’t realize it. That’s what happened. But talk about having a moment in time? I was so proud of what was created with this. So proud.

Tell me about the day you left. What was your breaking point, where you knew you were done? I don’t like talking about it much, but Carlos made a demand that so-and-so leave the band. But we all did this together. He made demands and, not to say that he was totally wrong, but it was the way he did it. I couldn’t live with it. That’s not what I signed up for. We ended up pretty bad. But the music we created was done by all that fervor. Without it, it probably wouldn’t have happened. I’ve always said, “Hey, you want a good Latin rock band? You better have a Norwegian in it!” [ Laughs ]

What did you do right after leaving the band? I left music completely. I was just like, “I’m done. I want to do something else completely.” So I started a restaurant with my father up in Seattle. Not that it was a bad idea to be in business with my father, but jumping into the restaurant business from the music business is like going from the pan to the fryer. Forget it. It’s horrible. In a nutshell, you need a thousand percent of capacity to make it work because nobody is going to come every night. It was kind of a disaster. At the same time, I learned a ton of stuff. I was really proud to do it with my dad, but it was a bad endeavor. Hey, you win, you lose. That’s how it goes.

How did Journey start? That started right after that. I got a call from Neal [Schon] and Herbie [Herbert]. And Herbie was the mainstay of why that thing worked. They called me up and said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Nothing.” They said they were going to start something called the Golden Gate Rhythm Section. It was basically a band that would play for artists that came to town. That’s what they told me, but within two weeks we were writing songs. It was nonsense. They lied [ laughs ].

Journey toured a lot in those early years and didn’t sell a ton of records. It must have been difficult. Very much so. At the time, when you’re young and you get that gypsy blood and you travel, everything is forgotten. We had a goal. There was a real goal to this of success. We didn’t feel it so much. We did go out for four months at a time, two weeks off, four months at a time, two weeks off. It was just constant and pretty grueling.

How did you hear about them hiring a second singer? I thought that was tremendous because I would no longer have to play four instruments at the same time, harmonica, and sing leads and sing backgrounds. I liked the whole image of what it could become. When [Steve] Perry first came into the fold, Neal and I were like, “I don’t know. This guy is sort of crooning it.” We wanted to rock. But when you look at the end product, we were wrong. At least as far as being successful, he was the guy.

We started writing songs for a singer instead of writing songs for all the solo work and the expertise of playing. By the way, if Journey had come out 10 years ago, we’d be playing the jam circuit. It would be a total different thing because it was energized and cool and different with all the rhythms and soloing and stuff. Then we got into playing it for vocals and it was cool.

A song like “Lights” was a very different kind of thing for you at that point. Did you mind doing softer ballads like that? No. You know what? Let me put it this way. Music is music, and for me, it doesn’t matter. I could go back to Frank Sinatra and go, “Man, that is awesome.” What we did with Journey was the same thing. There was a jam thing with it, but then it got more congruent and more about the vocals and harmonies. I’d never done that. I found it very appealing.

As a matter of fact, to the day, I use those ideas with my own music. It’s maybe not as strong or as many harmonies and triples and all that stuff, but it’s the same attitude. I learned a lot about writing music from Journey and its . . . journey [ laughs ].

So the band takes off. You have huge hits with “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and then you leave. What happened? I left because I didn’t like my life anymore. I’ve said this a million times and I know there’s people that say, “That’s not the reason.” But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life. I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn’t happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it.

Everyone thinks it was because Perry came in and started singing all the leads. My God! Again, I was spread so thin with all these keyboards parts and singing leads, he was a welcome sight to me. And he could sing like a bird! It wasn’t too hard to figure out. I was never against it. I still wanted to sing, but that kind of fell by the wayside [ laughs ]. That’s another story. That’s kind of it, man. I loved the fact we were going to write something different.

I think those misconceptions come because Departure came out in 1980 and you didn’t sing much. It’s totally wrong! The whole thing is wrong! It doesn’t matter how many times I say this. Maybe you’ll get it right. That’ll be really phenomenal. No matter how many times I tell people very simply: “Here is the deal. I was unhappy. I drank too much. Blah, blah, blah. I didn’t feel like it was for me anymore. And most of all, I wanted to start a family.” And by the way, my family was my best work. It truly is. My son and daughter, my wife, it’s extraordinary. I did the right thing, but it just doesn’t play well with the guys on Facebook [ laughs ].

How did you feel when you left and they just got bigger and bigger and had all those hits? Did you ever have a tiny moment of regret? No. I felt very proud that I helped to build something that went to that extreme. I’ve always felt that way. Yeah, without me doing this, that might never have happened. But it’s not about me. It’s about all of it. It’s a misconception in this business of, “Who does what?” We all did something. I gotta tell you, without manager Herbie Herbert, that shit would not have happened.

You were on a few Santana albums in the 1980s. It seems like you guys became friends again. We’ve been on-and-off friends. That’s the best I can say. I love playing music with him, but then some things he does, I go, “No, I disagree.” Then we grow apart.

Tell me about the band you formed in 1997, Abraxas Pool, which was basically Santana minus Santana. We did that at my house in a little tiny cabin with the smallest amount of equipment. We were all crowded in one room like you did when you were a kid. And in two weeks we had written that music.

I’m sure without Carlos it was hard to get much attention. Yeah. That’s always the case because the name is Santana. And so it’s hard to realize there were other players in the band that made that music happen. Carlos did not do that by himself. And I’d equally say that I didn’t either. It was everybody.

How was the Hall of Fame experience when you got in with Santana? I got the call that I was going to get added to that and went, “That’s very cool, but I’m building a hot rod. Just send me whatever.” I was building a ’32 Ford and got a call from my drummer, Ron Wikso, and he said, “You might want to think this over. A lot of people get Grammy Awards and this and that, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? It’s here to stay.” So I went and I loved it. I had a ball doing it.

You played with Peter Green that night. Yes! Michael Shrieve turned me onto Peter Green way before that. He turned me onto “Black Magic Woman.” I was like, “That is so cool. I can really sing this.” It became a Number Five hit or something. To this day, I sing it the same way, expect with more balls. I’m just older now.

How has the experience of being in Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band been? Without the Beatles, I probably would have been an architect. In high school and college at the time, playing in a band became really cool. It was always in my background to do it. So I connected with these guys to play this. Most of all, I always wanted to play the music I wanted to play, not to copy from someone else. That’s because I can’t. I’m horrible at it. “Where does your finger go? Forget this! I don’t know what chord that is, but it sounds better.”

Getting with Ringo, that’s the first time someone said to me, “We’re doing these songs.” I’m going, “Holy crap. You sure you called the right guy? I don’t do this. I don’t do this!” Seven years later, apparently I do!

What were the first few rehearsals like when you found yourself playing all these Beatles classics with a Beatle? I practiced so hard. I told Mark Rivera, the music director, “Send me the stuff right away. If you don’t send it right away, I’m going to be embarrassed. I don’t know what to do with this. You want me to play organ or piano? There’s no piano on this or organ on that. I don’t know what I’m doing!” So they did and I went into the first rehearsal and my first audition and Ringo showed up and I’m like, “Holy fuck! I’m playing with Ringo Starr! Are you kidding me?”

And for two years I’m going, “Holy fuck! I’m playing with Ringo Starr!” Then one day on a plane we’re all sitting there all relaxed. He’s such a cool man, a beautiful man. I was sitting next to him and we were talking about stuff. I said a couple of things and he said, “You’re finally loosening up!”

What’s funny is that All Starr Bands used to last one summer and then it would be different people the next time out. But he’s kept you around year after year after year. Me and Luke [Steve Lukather]. I can’t say enough about Luke by the way. Beyond his talent, he’s a real good human being. The reason he plays so well is because he’s got that in him. He’s a great human being. And Ringo was just like, “This is really jelling. Why would I change this? This is really working.” Between me and Luke, we can pretty much play anything. I didn’t know that at the time.

You can play Toto songs or Men at Work or Todd Rundgren, or whatever. Yeah. It’s not exactly what was played on the records. It’s like, “OK, here’s the changes. But where does this fit?” Same thing with Ringo’s stuff. His attorney, who has been with him for 40 or 50 years, said, “You just filled up the room with that thing. It sounds fantastic.” I’m like, “I know. If you sit in the background, it’ll fill the whole room up. If you sit in front, it’s an organ band and it’s not so good.”

It’s got to be a nice experience since you’re on private planes, staying in nice hotels, and the whole thing isn’t just resting on your shoulders. That’s the whole point. He ran the band the way I run my own, except it’s on steroids. It’s the best travel, the best food, the best everything. Everybody is treated well. There’s no rules beyond take care of your gig. And you get paid. It’s like a boys’ club that travels all over the world to play for people. And they come. It’s the best damn thing I’ve ever done because there’s no in-betweens. The way he runs it, there’s nothing to argue about.

How was the experience of making the Santana reunion record, Santana IV, in 2013? Incredible. The thing I was most reminded of by Michael Shrieve was, “Gregg, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all correct.” Being with those guys and playing with them was like old times. We really wanted to make it work for all of us and it did. I think the recordings are incredible. It’s what I would have done if I was directing things, I would have done Santana IV after [1971’s] Santana III. And the point is, Carlos was the one to call it that. He said, “I want to call it Santana IV because that is when the band ended.” I said, “I’m in.”

You guys played Las Vegas and just a few other shows. Why wasn’t there a tour? I don’t know. Management or Carlos pulled the plug on the whole thing. We did three great shows with Journey. Neal played with us. It was something to see. It went over great. We did three dates: New York, Allentown [Pennsylvania], and Mohegan Sun [in Connecticut]. Big coliseums. And then the whole thing, the plug got pulled. I would have wanted to do 30 dates and paid back the people that wanted to see this.

You have no idea why it ended? Nope. Not to this day.

Did you ask Carlos? Nope. [ Laughs ] I may know, but I’m not going to be the guy to say so. Know what I mean?

Not really, but that’s OK. Earlier this year, you played a few shows with Neal Schon and former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo under the name Journey Through Time. How was that experience ? Also amazing. I had a great time. First of all, I got to play with Deen and Marco [Mendoza] along with Neal. I really connected to them. They are incredible players. We had so much material. I had to cut it back. What Neal wanted to do I was like, “This is impossible. Nobody is going to be able to do this. It’s too much info.” I had to go back and learn the stuff. But I loved playing it and the reaction from the crowd was like, “Wow, this is the Journey I remember.”

Some of those Journey songs, I imagine you hadn’t played in about 40 years. Yeah. I had to go back. There’s a song called “Daydream,” and I asked the keyboard player, “What’s the song ‘Daydream’? Where did it come from?” He goes, “It’s from Evolution .” I went back and listened to it and went, “Oh, I co-wrote it.” [ Laughs ] I didn’t remember I wrote it.

How was it to play songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” that you were never on? I had no problem because Deen was singing the stuff and it sounded the way it’s supposed to sound. We made it a little more earthy because there was no . . . It was just real. Everyone played real. I had no problem with that stuff. As a matter of fact, when Jonathan Cain joined the band, he came with some songs I couldn’t write in a million days — and he did. And the band became successful because of it. My point is that I helped build that and I know I did. If I had been there, he wouldn’t have had a gig.

You did just a few Journey Through Time shows and Neal tweeted that more were coming later in the year, but you haven’t played since. What happened? Basically, he got back with Journey and they’ve been out this year, so the whole thing kind of fell apart. We had a few dates that we played together, but he went on to his next thing. And that’s what happened. And that’s OK.

Do you think in the future it might resume? I don’t know. Right now, I owe Neal a debt of gratitude because I have Deen and Marco in my own band, called New Blood. We’ve already recorded three songs that are totally different from all this stuff. If you heard it you’d go, “Holy crap, this is different.” It’s based upon what Neal started. As I said, I owe him a debt of gratitude. These guys are phenomenal musicians. The kicker here is that my son plays slide guitar on [my new solo album] Sonic Ranch. And he’s all over the DVD and the videos. It’s not all about this nostalgic stuff. I feel like Jack Nicholson. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” That’s really how I feel.

Tell me about Sonic Ranch . I know it was years in the works. I started it about 18 years ago. I started it and then I got busy. I got with Ringo, Santana IV . . . all this stuff took all my time and I couldn’t finish what I started. And all those things took precedent. I’m sure everyone would understand that.

Tell me about “What About Love.” It was inspired by Ringo? The message is inspired by Ringo. I started playing it with Ringo’s band during our soundchecks. It wasn’t completely done and I found the bass line I wanted to have and it became thing. Mainly, it’s about his message of peace and love. I hiked it up a bit. I was like, “Are you people listening? Is anyone hearing this?”

What drew you back to re-record the old Journey song “Look Into the Future?” It’s very simple. I’ve always loved the song, and back then I didn’t really have that much of a vision about what it said. Actually, it says tons. But I loved it lyrically and the whole thing. I decided, “Let’s go do this. I love this tune.”

It was great that you brought on Michael Shrieve to play drums. He plays on the song “Only You.” It’s a song I wrote about my wife. She said, “You have never written a song about me” and I said, “Baby, all the songs are about you.” In her own way she went, “Bullshit.” And I said, “I’m going to write a song about you.” And that’s the one. Shrieve was the perfect guy to play drums on it because he’s a very lyrical drummer. He plays for the song. By the way, so does Deen Castronovo. I’m blown away by it. He plays simple and always in the right places. It’s very hard to find. Shrieve is the same way. It’s about the song. That’s why he was chosen. Plus he’s a great friend. I’ve known him forever.

Tell me about your new band. It’s called New Blood. We’ve already done three songs. I’ve got four that I’ve written. I hope to write some more with these guys. It really does come down to the guys in the band. It’s not about me. If I get some accolades, that’s terrific, but I can’t do it without them. I’ve got players that really play, that are really extraordinary. That’s what we are doing. My son is involved, and also Yayo Sanchez, a 26-year-old guy. He’s the Kiss guy that got 200,000 likes from playing with Dave Grohl . And he’s a friend of my son.

Is the band going to tour next year? Once we get everything together. I’ve been asked if I’m going to tour Sonic Ranch. No. I’m going to tour all of it. I’m going to break all the rules. I’m going to break every rule there is and make a couple of new ones. I’m going to go out there and do the new stuff with Sonic Ranch, Santana, Santana IV, and Journey because I have all the people that can do it.

How was the Journey Hall of Fame experience for you? It was cool. It was the same old thing with those guys. You get up there and do this, take the award. It was cool to get the award. It was really cool to sit next to Neal and go up there and just hang out and do this. We hadn’t been together in years other than Neal and I. It was a cool experience. It was good.

You finally played with Arnel. What I’m going after now is a way cooler experience, I can tell you.

Did you talk to Steve Perry that night? No. Nobody talked to him! He does everything behind closed doors and I don’t get it. I don’t understand it and I don’t care. I wouldn’t do it that way. Here I am talking to you. And aren’t I pretty simple to talk to? It’s me. All that nonsense that he goes through, sneaking in the back door. . . . Come on, man! Are you going to do this your whole life? Are you kidding? [ Laughs ]

I spent time with him about a year ago , when he put his album out. He seemed pretty normal and open to me. I’ll tell you what: He always appears to be that. My point is that after knowing this guy for years, he only appears to be that. What I’m telling you, you can print any day you want, any time you want. Everything is absolute gospel. Sure I fucked up here, they fucked up here, and blah, blah, blah. Steve is very protective of who he is and his vocal prowess. It’s fucking nonsense. Sooner or later, everyone is going to go, “He’s kind of a dick, huh?” I know I’m right. That is what is going to happen. The real people will show up, and the ones that aren’t, they will show up too. I’ve been living my life like that.

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Published: 2023/01/05

Journey’s Original Keyboardist to Join Band on 50th Anniversary Tour

Photo via Gregg Rolie’s Official Facebook

According to Neal Schon, Journey will welcome co-founder and keyboardist Gregg Rolie on the band’s upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, which is scheduled to begin later this winter.

See Schon’s comment below and the artist’s original post here .

2 original founding members 🙌🏽🙌🏽 I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from. What would you like to hear for the 50th anniversary tour ? A pic.twitter.com/kausFAsdtD — NEAL SCHON MUSIC (@NealSchonMusic) November 27, 2022

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Gregg Rolie, Co-Founding Journey Keyboardist To Join 50th Anniversary Tour

via win andromeda / Youtube

Journey ‘s upcoming 50th-anniversary tour will include its co-founding member Gregg Rolie , according to guitarist Neal Schon.

Schon first gave this hint last November that Rolie might return. An obvious clue was given in the midst of the legal battle between Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain over the band’s finances. At the time, Schon shared a photo of himself with Rolie on Twitter, saying:

“Two original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for the 2023 tour. What do you think, friends? He will spice it up, and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from.”

Just this last January 4, Schon posted to his Facebook a new graphic teasing Journey’s 50th-anniversary trek that is scheduled to kick off in early February. The band announced the run last October, once again pairing up with 2022 tourmates Toto, for North American dates that will carry over into late April.

Though he didn’t directly comment on Rolie upon his initial posting of the tour graphic, one fan stated in the comments:

“I am SO looking forward to this. Please tell me Gregg Rolie is coming along for the ride! He’s the better keyboard player and a co-founder it only seems right. Timing couldn’t be better either!!!!”

The comment was later on answered by Schon himself saying that “You’ll be seeing him.” However, the guitarist did not elaborate on what Rolie’s participation means for Cain’s spot in the band.

Between 1973 to 1980, Rolie was a member of Journey, and he was one of the band members that was honored with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Following Rolie’s departure, Cain joined the group in 1980 and has remained a part of it throughout all of its active phases since.

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The Real Reason Gregg Rolie Left Journey

Journey co-founder Gregg Rolie is attempting to dispel the myth that he quit the band because he was unhappy about Steve Perry ’s arrival.

Rolie bowed out in 1980, three years after Perry arrived – and just before the band reached their height of fame. Rolie said it has been difficult to share the real story of his departure because the false one is so prevalent on social media.

“I left because I didn’t like my life anymore,” Rolie tells Rolling Stone in a new interview. “I’ve said this a million times and I know there’s people that say, ‘That’s not the reason.’ But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life. I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn’t happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it.”

He continued: “Everyone thinks it was because Perry came in and started singing all the leads. My God! Again, I was spread so thin with all these keyboards parts and singing leads, he was a welcome sight to me. And he could sing like a bird! It wasn’t too hard to figure out. I was never against it.”

Among his reasons for quitting was that he was drinking too much, and that he wanted to start a family, he explained. “And by the way, my family was my best work,” Rolie added. “It truly is. My son and daughter, my wife, it’s extraordinary. I did the right thing, but it just doesn’t play well with the guys on Facebook.”

Rolie also said that he had no problem with the fact that Journey got bigger after he moved on. “I felt very proud that I helped to build something that went to that extreme,” he reported. “I’ve always felt that way. Yeah, without me doing this, that might never have happened. But it’s not about me. It’s about all of it. It’s a misconception in this business of, ‘Who does what?’ We all did something.”

Steve Perry’s arrival heralded a new approach to songwriting for the band, and Rolie said it was a good change of direction. “There was a jam thing with it, but then it got more congruent and more about the vocals and harmonies,” Rolie recalled. “I’d never done that. I found it very appealing. As a matter of fact, to this day, I use those ideas with my own music. It’s maybe not as strong or as many harmonies and triples and all that stuff, but it’s the same attitude. I learned a lot about writing music from Journey and its … journey.”

The Best Song on Every Journey Album

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Journey Reunion Stirs 50 Years of Memories for Gregg Rolie
Journey Co-Founder Greg Rolle Joins Band on Stage in Austin
Gregg Rolie Makes Surprise Appearance, Sings at Journey Show
Gregg Rolie Says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination Is for Journey’s
The Journey lineup with Gregg Rolie & Steve Perry was best Journey
Gregg Rolie Addresses Journey Comeback In Cryptic Post

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Мои ручки добрались до великой игры // Inscryption #1

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Journey on New Album and If Steve Perry or Gregg Rolie Could Return for 50th Anniversary (Exclusive) Miranda Lambert Shocks Stagecoach With Surprise Reba McEntire Appearance!
Gregg Rolie Interview: Santana, Journey, Ringo Starr
Gregg Rolie Looks Back on His Days With Santana, Journey, and Ringo Starr. The voice behind "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," and the first three Journey albums breaks down his five-decade saga in ...
Journey Co-Founder Gregg Rolie Joins Band on Stage in Austin
Original keyboardist Gregg Rolie joined the band on stage during Wednesday night's show in Austin, TX. Rolie helped out on tracks like "Just The Same Way" and "Feeling That Way", as well as a cover "Black Magic Woman" by Santana - another band Rolle was a part of.
Journey's Original Keyboardist to Join Band on 50th ...
According to Neal Schon, Journey will welcome co-founder and keyboardist Gregg Rolie on the band's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour, which is scheduled to begin later this winter. The band's ...
Journey
0:00 Neal's Intro0:55 Gregg's Speech2:34 1. Just the Same Way6:38 2. Of a Lifetime13:44 3. Feeling That Way17:14 4. Anytime21:25 5. Black Magic Woman (w/ Ste...
Gregg Rolie, Co-Founding Journey Keyboardist To Join 50th Anniversary Tour
Journey's upcoming 50th-anniversary tour will include its co-founding member Gregg Rolie, according to guitarist Neal Schon. Schon first gave this hint last November that Rolie might return. An obvious clue was given in the midst of the legal battle between Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain over the band's finances. At the time, Schon shared a […]
Gregg Rolie
Gregg Alan Rolie (born June 17, 1947) is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter. Rolie served as lead singer of the bands Santana and Journey - both of which he co-founded. He also helmed rock group The Storm, performed in Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band until 2021, and since 2001 with his Gregg Rolie Band. Rolie is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having been ...
The Real Reason Gregg Rolie Left Journey
Ethan Miller, Getty Images. Journey co-founder Gregg Rolie is attempting to dispel the myth that he quit the band because he was unhappy about Steve Perry 's arrival. Rolie bowed out in 1980 ...

Watch: JOURNEY Co-Founder GREGG ROLIE Joins Band On Stage In Austin During 50th-Anniversary Tour

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Journey’s Original Keyboardist to Join Band on 50th Anniversary Tour

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Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour

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Journey Co-Founder Gregg Rolie Joins Band On Stage In Austin (VIDEOS)

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