Members of rock band Journey are feuding over a live music performance for former President Donald Trump.
Last month keyboardist Jonathan Cain appeared at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where he delivered a performance of the band's hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" featuring a backing chorus including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kari Lake. The performance prompted Journey guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon to serve Cain with a cease-and-desist order.
The letter, obtained by Variety, 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.
"Mr. Cain has no right to use Journey for politics. His politics should be his own personal business. He should not be capitalizing on Journey's brand to promote his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band."
Schon and estranged singer Steve Perry, who co-wrote "Don't Stop Believin'" with Cain, have been vocal about their displeasure with Trump using the song at campaign rallies. There also has been tension around Cain's relationship with Trump. Cain is a member of the former president's inner circle and his televangelist wife, Paula White, is a spiritual adviser to Trump.
In 2020, Schon said it had been an ongoing issue between band members.
"I've stated how I felt about mixing religion and politics and how our music is not of one religion — Democratic or Republican," he said, according to Variety. "This is and has been an issue with myself, Mr. Cain and his wife. I've had to fight this whole time to protect the brand I built with Steve Perry, way before Gregg [Rolie] and I picked Cain to replace himself when he wanted to retire from the road back then. Well, frankly, I'm tired of having to defend all by myself."