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