One of Eric Clapton's guests this Saturday and Sunday at his Crossroads Guitar Festival in Los Angeles is Carlos Santana. One of Santana's guests was supposed to be Neal Schon, a former member of his band, but, like many things in Schon's life, it has evolved into a little drama.
Carlos invited Schon come to Las Vegas last week to play with him and his band at his Greatest Hits Live residency at the House of Blues in preparation for the festival. And though the performance went well, the train went off the track the next day.
A quote attributed to Schon but no longer posted on his socials reads:
“It’s too bad that things did not work out. I’ve now bailed on EC Crossroads festival... Carlos’s manager Michael V told me that Eric’s people made a rule that my wife [Michaele Schon] could not be backstage with me and would have to go in audience...
"After she was assaulted by a Live Nation security guard [in 2017 in Fort Wayne, Indiana during a Journey show] and basically targeted I would never subject her to be harmed again ever. She been by my side for every single show for 15 years now so I’m regrettably not going...
“[This is] the second time I’ve been [screwed] to see Eric since last he played in L.A. at my ex-managers place, The Forum. We would have been honored and happy to donate my time as well and an instrument to donate and auction off. Just know I tried Eric.”
We reached out to Clapton's spokeswoman who tells us, "I honestly don’t even know anything about this." We also reached out Santana for further clarification on what his manager might have said to Schon.
Meanwhile, a source close to the situation tells us that while space backstage at the Crypto.com Arena is tight, had organizers been made aware they could have tried to accommodate Schon's request for at least two private spaces, including one for his wife, and numerous guest passes.
But apparently the disconnect can be traced to the Santana camp who felt Schon's demands were not within the spirit of the fundraiser and they decided that they didn't want him or his negative energy around.
Schon was 17 in 1971 when Clapton asked him to join Derek and the Dominos. He declined, opting to join Santana instead.
Schon did perform at the first Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas in 2004.