Journey’s Drummer Exit Reminds Independent Artists: Health Comes First

Health brings a late change to Journey’s farewell run

Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has stepped away from the band’s farewell tour to deal with a health issue that needs his attention. The band announced the decision on Nov. 13 and expressed its support for the drummer, who returned to Journey in 2021 after an earlier stint from 1998 to 2015 that included five albums.

Steve Murphy, a New York-based drummer who has worked with the Alan Parsons Project, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christopher Cross and Jack Bruce, will fill in for the remainder of November. The tour continues through Nov. 28. For Journey, the change is both a personnel decision and a test of continuity: fans will still see the core lineup, but a familiar musical voice behind the kit will change for the final dates.

The timetable changed after a medical scare

Castronovo’s departure follows an onstage emergency in Tulsa on Oct. 8. He was helped offstage and taken to a hospital after two songs, then returned two nights later for a full show in San Antonio. Guitarist Neal Schon said at the time that he appeared to be in rare form. Neither Journey nor Castronovo has shared details about the illness, and the announcement keeps the focus on his need to step away rather than speculation about a diagnosis.

The scale of the run makes the situation more than a local club-date adjustment. The Final Frontier tour began Feb. 28 with 60 North American dates before adding 40 fall dates. Its current leg opened Sept. 12, near the end of a long year on the road. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain has also described the run as a farewell chapter of his own, making this final stretch a transition point for the broader lineup.

What this means for you

For independent artists and small labels, the takeaway is practical: touring health belongs in the production plan. Keep a short list of dependable substitutes, agree on who can make quick decisions, and make sure a temporary replacement understands the set well enough to preserve its character.

Communication matters just as much. Journey gave a direct update, avoided inventing medical details and arranged coverage quickly. Independent acts can do the same by sharing clear information with promoters, bandmates and audiences while keeping an artist’s private health information private. A tour is a promise to the people who bought tickets, but no artist should have to treat a show as more important than recovering. A solid backup plan protects both the performance and the person performing it.

Source: Billboard