Jonathan Cain Looks Back On His Journey With The Rock & Roll High School Podcast

By Editorial Staff | Published: May 28, 2026 1:53 PM EDT

Longtime Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is the features guest on the latest episode of the Rock & Roll High School podcast with Pete Ganbarg. We were sent these details about the appearance:

When Jonathan Cain joined Journey in 1980, the band was already successful. But with Cain's arrival, Journey evolved into something even bigger: one of the defining melodic rock bands of all time.

As keyboardist and co-songwriter, Cain helped create some of the most enduring songs in popular music history - including "Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms," "Separate Ways," and "Who's Crying Now" - while also writing Journey's iconic road-life ballad "Faithfully" entirely on his own.

But Jonathan's story stretches far beyond Journey. In this episode, we trace his full creative arc: from surviving a devastating childhood tragedy and discovering music as salvation... to his early years with The Babys alongside John Waite... to Journey's arena-rock peak in the 1980s... to his more recent evolution as a solo artist, author, and faith-driven songwriter.

We also discuss Cain's memoir, Don't Stop Believin': The Man, the Band, and the Song That Inspired Generations; the origin stories behind Journey's biggest hits; the creative chemistry between Cain, Steve Perry, and Neal Schon; Journey's current farewell tour; as well as Jonathan's upcoming faith-based solo projects.

This is a candid and thoughtful conversation with one of the principal architects of arena rock's golden age.

On the farewell tour: I think the only reason I'm still out here is the fans. It's time for me to close the chapter, it's a beautiful time to say goodbye. We are at 45 this year, I'm so honored to celebrate 45. After playing the stadium tour with Def Leppard last year, I just felt like we've done it.

On experiencing tragedy at an early age: I was 8 years old in 3rd grade and there was a fire. December 1st. 98 children and 3 nuns died that day, around 2:30 it began. The roof of the school had started on fire from a drum full of papers down in the basement. There was a cold air intake going up to the roof and someone had started a drum full of homework papers not realizing there was a pipe that was gonna take the hot air and the smoke and the heat up to the roof. And that's exactly what happened. So the school burned from the roof down but it was a slow burn. It took a long time for the roof to build up the smoke and heat and then boom the roof was on fire. There was a tremendous amount of smoke from the tar paper and I was the first one out of that school, I was the first room. I watched in horror for the next hour these children being trapped on the second floor jumping out of the window...My father took the grief that I had and he said God saved you from that fire for music. He was convinced, he had this prophetic message from God, that I should go into music.

On Faithfully: One of the greatest moments in Journey I've ever had was creating Faithfully and then Steve wanted that song for his solo album, I wouldn't let him have it... I wrote a song for all of us to send home like a postcard. I got on the bus that night and started on this napkin, 'highway run until the midnight sun, wheels going round you're on my mind,' thinking I was a member of the crew, member of the band, I could've been anybody...

On the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction with Steve Perry: It was necessary, it was fitting. It was the way it should have been. I wish that he would have sung with us that night. I would have bet money he would've changed his mind and come and sang Lights with us or something but he didn't which was weird. I would have bet money that he was gonna come to soundcheck the day before and show up. I kept looking in the wings and he never came.

On Don't Stop Believin': We were making timeless music and we took our time to make it and we were very careful about what we wrote and how we sang it and we made it sound easy. We made timeless music seem effortless.