The son of a woodwind player, Neal himself played the oboe for many years b… Read Full Bio ↴The son of a woodwind player, Neal himself played the oboe for many years beginning in high school. Schon first picked up the guitar at the age of 10. He joined Santana as a teenage prodigy at the age of 15. Schon had famously been asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos, but decided instead to join Santana for the album Santana III. Schon also played in Azteca before moving on to form Journey, a group he continues to lead.
The late-1970s arrival of Eddie Van Halen quickly eclipsed Schon's bravado, giving rise to a new era of the technically facile rock guitar virtuoso. Nonetheless, Schon has secured a place as a respected and influential blues rock guitarist.
Besides numerous albums with Journey, his work also includes a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (which also featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon is immersed in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and most recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.
Neal Schon can be heard on three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". Schon's style can best be characterized as aggressively soulful, taking obvious inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending them with blindingly fast bluesy runs similar to Johnny Winter and Alvin Lee.
Schon currently endorses Gibson guitars, and has a signature Les Paul model, but also uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured and played his own line of guitars.
The late-1970s arrival of Eddie Van Halen quickly eclipsed Schon's bravado, giving rise to a new era of the technically facile rock guitar virtuoso. Nonetheless, Schon has secured a place as a respected and influential blues rock guitarist.
Besides numerous albums with Journey, his work also includes a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (which also featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon is immersed in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and "Black Soup Cracker" a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and most recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.
Neal Schon can be heard on three tracks on Michael Bolton's The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". Schon's style can best be characterized as aggressively soulful, taking obvious inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending them with blindingly fast bluesy runs similar to Johnny Winter and Alvin Lee.
Schon currently endorses Gibson guitars, and has a signature Les Paul model, but also uses Paul Reed Smith guitars. In the late 1980s, Schon manufactured and played his own line of guitars.
Don't Stop Believin'
Neal Schon Lyrics
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some'll win, some will lose
Some are born to sing the blues
Whoa, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some'll win, some will lose
Some are born to sing the blues
Whoa, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jonathan Cain, Stephen Ray Perry, Neal Joseph Schon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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dcool2u2
Neal Schon's solos are like a song within a song. They are SO melodic that anyone hearing one for the first time can hum or even sing it. I'm a guitar player who can really respect the chops of Eddie VH or Joe Satriani and Neal also has those chops, but chooses to use them when its called for in the song. His tasteful playing and memorable solos will always be inspiration for me and how I aspire to play.
DuaLeaD
EXACTLY!! Knowing when NOT to play fancy is a trait few rock musicians possess....
Dennis B -Trains 989
Right on brother !
daisy may
Paul Kossof invented the art.
Doug Wittrock
Neil Schon is one of the great guitarists.
Joel Hargrave
One thing I love about him is he is always wide open about showing people how he plays his signature parts. I think that is really cool.
Probus Excogitatoris
Why wouldn't he be?
McCracken216
@Probus Excogitatoris Who knows, but many aren't. I recall John Frusciante saying for a certain RHCP album he wanted to use a bunch of chords that nobody would ever figure out. That's not a knock on John either, btw.
Probus Excogitatoris
@McCracken216 I see. Yeah, I guess that would be funny to some musicians.
Joel Hargrave
@Probus Excogitatoris A lot of them won’t show anything, protective of it for some reason.