Neal Joseph Schon (born February 27, 1954)[1] is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist for the rock band Journey. He is the last original member to remain throughout the group's history. He was a member of the rock band Santana before forming Journey. He was also a member of the group Bad English during Journey's hiatus from 1987 to 1995, as well as an original member of Hardline.
Neal Joseph Schon was born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the son of Matthew and Barbara Schon.[4] He is of German and Italian ancestry.[5][6] His father was a big band musician, arranger, and composer, and played and taught all reed instruments with emphasis on jazz tenor saxophone; his mother was a big band singer.[7] Schon started playing guitar at age 10.[8] He attended Aragon High School in San Mateo, California,[8] later dropping out to pursue his music career.[4]
In 1973, he, Gregg Rolie and manager Herbie Herbert co-founded the Golden Gate Rhythm Section, which had later been re-named to Journey after a suggestion by roadie John Villaneuva.[12][13]
Schon's guitar style is influenced by guitarists such as B.B. King, Albert King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page and Jimmy Green.[10]
Schon can be heard on other albums including three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". He also joined Larry Graham to play in an all-star band for cult funk artist and ex-wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. In addition, Schon (along with then Journey manager Herbie Herbert) also contributed to Lenny White's 1977 album Big City, specifically the instrumental jam "And We Meet Again".
On February 9, 2018, Schon played a charity show at San Francisco's The Independent, benefiting North Bay Fire Relief. The group recruited featured former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo (who also sang some of the vocals), former Journey keyboardist Gregg Rolie, and bassist Marco Mendoza of The Dead Daisies.[18] The concert was released as a live album and DVD on May 19, 2023.[19]
In 2019, Schon announced a tour to be called Neal Schon's Journey Through Time. The tour was stated to feature Castronovo, Rolie and Mendoza.[20]
Schon's first guitar was an acoustic Stella, followed two years later by a Gibson ES-335. When the 335 was stolen, he replaced it with a '56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue that he used for many years.[22][23] Schon has used Gibson guitars over the years, having also used Fender and Ovation guitars during Journey's Departure tour.[24] He had a limited edition signature Les Paul model called the Neal Schon Signature Model Custom Les Paul, of which Gibson made only 35, according to the Gibson Custom website (80 according to Neal Schon's website).[22] He has previously employed Godin guitars on his 1995 solo album Beyond the Thunder, and more recently uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured (through Jackson Guitars and later Larrivee) and played his own line of guitars. Simply named Schon, about 200 of the Jackson-produced models were made.[25]
In December 2013, Schon married Michaele Salahi at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. A white tent (photo) had been erected in the rotunda for the occasion.[27]
Schon's first marriage was to Tena Austin in 1976. After divorcing Austin in 1986, Schon married Beth Buckley a year later. They were together for approximately five years and had two children together. In 1993 he married Dina Gioeli, divorcing in 1999. In 2001, he married Amber Kozan, with whom he had two more children. They divorced in 2008.[28] In September 2011, Schon publicly confirmed he was in a relationship with Michaele Salahi. The two said they had dated years previously in the 1990s.[29][30] On October 14, 2012, Schon proposed to Salahi onstage during a charity concert at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, offering her an oval 11.42 carat diamond engagement ring.[31] The couple married on December 15, 2013, in a live broadcast wedding that was held in the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California.[27][32]
Schon has confirmed that he has tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears, common in musicians who have toured extensively.[33]
Pete Prown; HP Newquist (1997). Legends of Rock Guitar. Hal Leonard. p. 1947. ISBN9781476850931.
Daniels, Neil (2011). The Untold Story of Journey. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN978-1-84938-657-9.
Daniels, Neil (2014). Electric World: A Casual Guide to the Music of Journey's Neal Schon (Paperback ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN9781494710644.
External links
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