Jonathan Cain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jonathan Cain (born Jonathan Leonard Friga, 26 February 1950, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American musician, most known for his keyboards and songwriting roles in the rock band, Journey.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
At the age of eight Cain began accordion lessons, and by the time he was in his teens he was playing accordion and piano at parties and in clubs. He also plays guitar and the harmonica. Cain was a survivor of the Our Lady of the Angels school fire in 1958, of which he escaped unharmed, but saw many of his classmates die.[1]. He later attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music before moving to Nashville for a time and then eventually to Los Angeles.[2]
[edit] Career
By the mid-70s Cain released his first record as the Jonathan Cain Band, Windy City Breakdown, in 1976 on Bearsville Records. In 1979, he joined The Babys, appearing on their albums Union Jacks and On the Edge. In 1980 Cain left The Babys to join the rock band Journey, taking Gregg Rolie's place on keyboards. Cain helped Journey's rise to the top of the charts with his first collaborations on the album Escape, composing and playing the piano on songs such as "Don't Stop Believin'", described by All Music Guide as "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock." [3]. Perhaps his most notable contribution was as sole author of the classic Journey ballad "Faithfully", a song about life on the road while in a band. Cain would go on to appear on at least 13 other Journey albums and compilations. When singer Steve Perry left Journey in 1987, all of the band's members went their "separate ways". Cain would reunite with his former Babys bandmate, John Waite, to form the band Bad English, which would release two albums before that band's breakup.
In 1995 the Journey line up from the album Escape was reunited. Steve Perry, Neil Schon, Steve Smith, Jonathan Cain, and Ross Valory reformed and recorded the album Trial by Fire. Perry then left the band again in 1998. Journey has continued on with two subsequent lead singers while Cain remains a primary contributor, still recording and touring in 2007.
In addition to his notable work in Journey, Cain has released eight solo albums and contributed to solo albums by fellow Journey member Neal Schon.
[edit] Solo discography
- Windy City Breakdown (1977) Bearsville/Wounded Bird Records.
- Back to the Innocence (1995) Intersound Records.
- Piano with a View (1995) Higher Octave Records.
- Body Language (1997) Higher Octave Records.
- For a Lifetime (1998) Higher Octave Records.
- Namaste (2001) Wildhorse Records.
- Anthology (2001) One Way Records.
- Animated Movie Love Songs (2002) One Way Records.
- Bare Bones (2004) AAO Records.
- Where I Live (2006) AAO Records.
[edit] Awards
He has received two BMI songwriter awards, both for songs co-written with Steve Perry, "Open Arms" and "Who's Cryin' Now". The Journey song "When You Love a Woman", which he co-wrote with Perry and Schon, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997.
[edit] External links
| Journey |
| Jeff Scott Soto | Neal Schon | Jonathan Cain | Ross Valory | Deen Castronovo |
| Steve Augeri | Steve Perry | Steve Smith | Gregg Rolie | Aynsley Dunbar | George Tickner | Robert Fleischman | Prairie Prince | Randy Jackson | Larrie Londin | Bob Glaub | Mike Baird |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Journey | Look into the Future | Next | Infinity | Evolution | Departure | Dream After Dream | Escape | Frontiers | Raised on Radio | Trial by Fire | Arrival | Red 13 | Generations |
| Live albums: Captured | Greatest Hits Live |
| Compilations: In the Beginning | Greatest Hits | The Ballade | Time 3 | The Essential Journey | Open Arms~Greatest Hits |
