Trump stirs up the world of American music: Members of the rock band Journey clashed after bandmate Jonathan Cain performed their hit Don’t Stop Believing for Donald Trump and other Republicans at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last month.
Kaine, 71, is a member of Trump’s inner circle because his wife, TV personality Paula White-Kane, is the former US president’s spiritual adviser. In November, Kaine performed the hit with Republicans Marjorie Taylor Green, Kimberly Guilfoy and Carrie Lake for Trump at his resort in Florida.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kari Lake sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” along with Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain at a recent event with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/dvSp1z62BX
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Yesterday it was revealed that another member of the band, guitarist Neil Schon, filed a permanent restraining order against Kane, claiming that the Trump performance was “harmful” to the band.
In the letter, Sean’s lawyer stated: “While Mr. Keane is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when doing so on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely damaging to the Journey brand because it polarizes the band’s fans. And Advocacy. Journey It is not, and cannot be, political.”
“Kane is causing unauthorized identification of the band with the politics of Donald Trump. This has caused, and continues to cause, irreparable damage to the Journey brand, its fan base and its earning potential, especially in light of the upcoming tour.”
“Mr. Kane has no right to use the band for politics… He should not exploit Journey’s brand to advance his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band,” the letter stated, calling the performance “a harmful use of the brand.”
The letter also states that Shawn’s move does not intend to “add more to the animosity currently afflicting the band and the relationship between Mr. Shawn and Mr. Keen.”
Keyboardist Jonathan Keane, guitarist Neil Shawn and singer Steve Perry co-wrote the 1981 song, which returned to the public consciousness 30 years later when it was used in the final episode of The Sopranos.
The two men are now fighting over access to the band’s finances, with Sean’s lawyers claiming last month that he was denied access to the band’s financial records and the use of its American Express card. Cain’s lawyers responded by claiming that Sean was denied access to the card after he used it for “improper personal expenses” worth more than $1 million.
Shawn did not respond to Keane’s counterclaim, writing that he would “follow my attorney’s advice and not talk until we’re in court where I won’t have a problem at all. It is what it is.”
The Guardian contacted Keane about the break. In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Keane told Variety on Wednesday: “Sean is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming that the song was used at political rallies.”
Sean and Perry have previously expressed dismay that Don’t Stop Believin’ was played at Trump campaign rallies, joining a long list of people and bands who have spoken out against Trump’s use of their music, including Neil Young, REM, Queen, Earth, Spirit & Fire, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Luciano Pavarotti’s widow,
In 2017, Sean posted several angry tweets after three members of the group visited the White House and posed for pictures with the then-President. “I stated how I felt about mixing religion and politics and how our music is not of one religion – Democrat or Republican. This was and was a problem with myself, Mr. Kane and his wife,” Sean wrote in a message that was later deleted.