Few musicians can trace their careers from playing alongside legends as teenagers to helping build one of the most successful rock bands in American history. In this edition of Tales From the History of Rock & Roll, we look at the remarkable journey of guitarist Neal Schon and the events that helped shape the rise of Journey.
Next up on “Tales,” is Journey’s guitar virtuoso, Neal Schon, who began his professional career at just 15 years old under the guidance of Carlos Santana, appearing on the iconic Santana III album in 1971 and contributing to other classic Santana recordings.
Not long after, Eric Clapton invited Schon to join Derek & The Dominos, but the young guitarist chose to remain in the Bay Area and continue working with Santana. Soon afterward, Schon and keyboardist Gregg Rolie left Santana to form a new band called Journey.
After only modest success with the band’s original lineup featuring lead singer Robert Fleischman, Journey manager Herbie Herbert envisioned a more commercial rock direction. After hearing a cassette tape of Steve Perry’s voice, Herbert quietly arranged an audition. When Fleischman was away, Perry stepped up to the microphone, sang a song, and immediately impressed the band. In October 1977, Perry officially became Journey’s new lead singer.
With Steve Perry’s distinctive voice and songwriting talents, Journey quickly found its footing. As a writer or co-writer of many of the band’s biggest hits, Perry helped propel Journey from a promising Bay Area rock group into one of America’s most successful and enduring rock bands.
