Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, 62, is stepping away from the band’s ongoing farewell tour to deal with what the group calls “personal health matters.”
Castronovo had to leave the stage during Journey’s show at Boston’s TD Garden on Tuesday, roughly a month after he suffered a medical emergency mid-concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Oct. 8. He was helped offstage at the BOK Center that night after playing just two songs.
“Dear Friends, After careful consideration and an extensive year of touring, our talented, longtime drummer Deen Castronovo has decided to step away to focus on personal health matters that require his attention,” the band said in a statement Friday. “He has our full support during this time and extends his heartfelt thanks to the fans for the love, encouragement, and kindness he has received.”
Castronovo had returned to the stage two days after the Tulsa episode when the tour resumed in San Antonio, but he again had to leave partway through Tuesday’s Boston performance, according to fan reports on Setlist.fm. Drum tech Steve Toomey filled in for the rest of that show, and the band trimmed several songs from the set.
Journey has brought in drummer Steve Murphy, who has previously worked with the Alan Parsons Project, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christopher Cross and Jack Bruce, to finish out the Final Frontier tour. Murphy made his debut with the band Thursday night in Cleveland.
Castronovo first joined Journey as drummer and vocalist in 1998, staying through 2015 before rejoining the band in July 2021. His résumé also includes work with Bad English and Hardline, along with performances backing Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Vai, Paul Rodgers and Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler.
The current lineup touring as Journey includes guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain and singer Arnel Pineda, who took over lead vocals in 2007 following original frontman Steve Perry.
The tour continues Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina, before wrapping up its U.S. run in San Francisco on Nov. 28.
Although billed from the start as a farewell run, the band has recently hinted it may not be done after this tour. Schon wrote on Facebook on Nov. 2: “Your love, energy and passion for this music have reminded us how much we still share and how much this journey means to all of us. What began as ‘The Final Frontier’ now feels more like ‘The Long Goodbye.’ We’re letting our hearts — and the connection we feel with you every night — help guide what comes next.”
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