Neal Schon

The teenage prodigy who became Journey's soaring melodic voice

Neal Schon was born on an Oklahoma air base and raised largely in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he picked up the guitar at ten. He devoured the blues of B.B. King, Albert King and Muddy Waters alongside the British players who had reinvented it, and he progressed so quickly that he left high school to pursue music. By his mid-teens he was known around the Bay Area scene, and the story goes that he was even invited to join Eric Clapton's circle before choosing a different path.

At seventeen he joined Santana, trading leads with Carlos Santana on Santana III and the jazz-leaning Caravanserai. When that band shifted direction, Schon and keyboardist Gregg Rolie co-founded a new group in 1973 that began as the Golden Gate Rhythm Section and soon became Journey. The early records were adventurous jazz-rock showcases for his playing, but commercial success arrived only after singer Steve Perry joined and Infinity appeared in 1978, reshaping the band around big melodies.

With Jonathan Cain on keyboards, Journey released Escape in 1981, which topped the US album chart and produced a string of radio staples, followed by Frontiers in 1983. Schon's solos became as memorable as the choruses. He also found time for side projects, including HSAS with Sammy Hagar and a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer. When Journey went quiet in the late 1980s, he formed Bad English with John Waite and Cain, scoring a number-one ballad.

Journey reunited for Trial by Fire in 1996 and, after Perry's departure, carried on with new singers; Schon famously discovered Arnel Pineda through online videos in 2007. As the last remaining original member, he has steered the band through decades of touring and releases, while issuing a long run of solo albums from Late Nite in 1989 to Journey Through Time in 2023. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Journey in 2017.

The 10 greatest Neal Schon solos

1. 1
   Stone in Love

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1981
2. 2
   Who's Crying Now

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1981
3. 3
   Mother, Father

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1981
4. 4
   Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1983
5. 5
   Song of the Wind

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana, Neal Schon · 1972
6. 6
   Wheel in the Sky

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1978
7. 7
   Lights

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1978
8. 8
   Faithfully

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1983
9. 9
   Don't Stop Believin'

   Journey · solo by Neal Schon · 1981
10. 10
    When I See You Smile

    Bad English · solo by Neal Schon · 1989

The sound

Schon combines blues-based bending and vibrato with the long, lyrical lines of a jazz-rock player, which is why his solos can be sung back like melodies. He favors singing sustain, carefully shaped note choices and dramatic climbing runs that peak at exactly the right moment in a song. His Santana years left a Latin-tinged sense of rhythm and a love of trading phrases, while his Journey work showcases fast legato bursts framed by memorable, composed themes. His tone is thick and vocal, usually a humbucker-loaded guitar pushed into smooth overdrive with plenty of sustain.

• Gibson Les Paul (1956 Goldtop reissue) (guitar) A long-time main guitar for his warm, sustaining lead tone.
• Gibson ES-335 (guitar) One of his early serious instruments during the Santana and early Journey years.
• Gibson Neal Schon Signature Les Paul (guitar) A limited-run custom model built to his specifications.
• Jackson / Schon signature line (guitar) Custom guitars produced under his name in the 1980s.
• Paul Reed Smith (guitar) A frequent choice in his more recent live and studio work.
• Xotic pedals (effect) Boutique drive and effect pedals he has favored for shaping his modern tone.
• Dunlop Buddy Guy Cry Baby wah (effect) Used occasionally for vocal, expressive lead passages.

Covers

• Jungle Strut, originally by Gene Ammons A fiery, teenage Schon trades Latin-rock leads on this jazz saxophone tune.
• Black Magic Woman, originally by Fleetwood Mac In his Santana stint he played this set staple night after night alongside Carlos.
• It's All Too Much, originally by The Beatles Journey turned the psychedelic George Harrison song into a heavy, guitar-driven jam.
• A Whiter Shade of Pale, originally by Procol Harum A beefed-up hard-rock reading with Sammy Hagar on vocals and Schon adding lush lead lines.
• The Star-Spangled Banner, originally by Traditional US anthem A solo electric rendition delivered before a national TV audience.

Timeline

• 1954 Born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma
• 1971 Joins Santana at 17
• 1973 Co-founds Journey with Gregg Rolie
• 1978 Infinity, with Steve Perry, launches Journey's commercial rise
• 1981 Escape tops the US album chart
• 1984 Records Through the Fire with the supergroup HSAS
• 1989 Bad English releases its debut; solo album Late Nite appears
• 1996 Classic Journey lineup reunites for Trial by Fire
• 2007 Finds singer Arnel Pineda via online videos
• 2017 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Journey

Facts

1. Schon joined Santana when he was only 17 years old.
2. He reportedly turned down an invitation from Eric Clapton in favor of joining Santana.
3. Journey originally operated under the name Golden Gate Rhythm Section.
4. He is the last original member remaining in Journey.
5. He discovered Filipino singer Arnel Pineda by watching videos online.
6. HSAS was named for the initials of Sammy Hagar, Schon, Kenny Aaronson and Michael Shrieve.
7. He recorded two collaborative albums with Miami Vice composer Jan Hammer.
8. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
9. Schon has spoken publicly about living with tinnitus after decades of touring.
10. His 2013 wedding was broadcast as a pay-per-view event from San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Neal Schon