With more plot twists than an afternoon soap opera, now Journey guitarist Neal Schon says keyboardist Gregg Rolie WILL NOT be back with the band. Schon had previously teased that Rolie, the band's original keyboardist, would be joining them on their 50th anniversary tour, starting next month.

To bring you up to speed on the high drama surrounding the Journey keyboardist sitch, let's backtrack a couple months to the start of the friction with the current keyboardist, Jonathan Cain. Buckle up.

Schon took legal action against Cain, accusing him of using shutting him out of using a band credit card that had been set up to pay for Journey expenses. Cain responded to the suit, saying that Schon's "reckless spending" was what was really going on. This battle is still ongoing, with the latest being that Schon is claiming Cain's wife was wrongly accessing Journey's funds. This whole thing is still going through the attorneys and what not.

Then, adding to the tension, Schon went ballistic after he learned Cain played “Don’t Stop Believin’” at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in late November. Loudwire reported that Cain contributed to a sing-along of the 1981 hit alongside politicians such as Kari Lake, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr. girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle. Schon filed a cease-and-desist order against Cain to quit using the karaoke favorite in a political setting.

Gregg Rolie, who helped found the band but left before Journey really hit the big time, enters the picture in late November. Schon hinted on Twitter that Rolie was coming back, saying, "[Two] original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for [the] 2023 tour. What do you think, friends? He will spice it up, and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from." Then a couple weeks ago, Rolie was hyped on Schon's Facebook feed when Schon was pumping up the 50th anniversary tour. "You'll be seeing him," wrote Schon.

This reunion was apparently hammered internally, as it leaked from Schon's wife Michaele that "two band members of the Journey current lineup are 'adamant no' against Gregg Rolie to return." This brings us to the current moment.

After a New York City radio station insta'd a story three days ago (Jan. 14) that Rolie would be returning to the band, Schon wavered. "Not at this moment," Schon tweeted. "Both Gregg and I intend to shed some real light on the subject matter very soon."

Schon, it seems, is still lobbying fan support for Rolie. Yesterday, he retweeted a music journalist who polled Journey fans on a yay for Rolie coming back to the fold.

Jonathan Cain, the band's current keyboardist, is holding firm that he will be on Journey's 50th anniversary run, at least as of a week ago. Cain said he was going to take in some skiing before "hitting the road with Journey."

Will Cain and Journey go their "Separate Ways?" Will the band eventually welcome Rolie back with "Open Arms?" This story keeps on turning. More to come, surely. Journey's tour starts Feb. 4 with Toto.

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