On February 27, NealSchon was born in Oklahoma in 1954. His parents were Matthew and Barbara Schon, and he has German and Italian roots. Music was essential to his rising up, as his dad taught reed instruments, and his mom sang in a big band. Schon commenced playing guitar at age ten and visited Aragon High School in California.
NealSchon can be heard on various albums, including Michael Bolton’s The Hunger and Betty Davis’ work. He also collaborated with Journey manager Herbie Herbert on Lenny White’s album Big City, specifically contributing to the instrumental jam “And We Meet Again.”
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On February 9, 2018,Schon held a charity show in San Francisco to help with North Bay Fire Relief. The band featured former Journey members and released the concert as an album and DVD on May 19, 2023. In 2019, NealSchon announced a tour called Neal Schon’s Journey Through Time featuring Castronovo, Rolie, and Mendoza. In 2022, he played “The Star-Spangled Banner” on an electric guitar for the opening game of the NBA Finals.
Neal Schon: Relationships and More
NealSchon has been married multiple times. His first marriage was to Tena Austin in 1976, followed by Beth Buckley in 1987 and Dina Gioeli in 1993. He then married Amber Kozan in 2001 before divorcing in 2008. In September 2011, he demonstrated a connection with Michaele Salahi, whom he had formerly dated in the 1990s. They got committed during a show in October 2012 and were wedded on December 15, 2013, in San Francisco.