JOURNEY is one of the most popular American rock bands of all time, creating some of the best-known songs in modern music. They have continued to tour and record into the 21st century, firing on all cylinders and making sure their fans will never stop believin'. Since the group's formation in 1973, the band has earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 Gold and Platinum albums. The Greatest Hits album is certified 15 times-Platinum, bringing Journey into the elite club of Diamond-certified holders.

Co-founder Neal Schon (lead guitarist) and original member Ross Valory (bass), and longtime members Jonathan Cain (keyboardist) and Arnel Pineda (lead singer) are welcoming virtuoso drummer Steve Smith back into JOURNEY for the "San Francisco Fest 2016" tour, marking the first time Smith will tour with the band since 1998. With JOURNEY, Smith toured around the world and recorded numerous successful albums including the immensely popular Escape and Frontiers, both of which garnered the band many Top 40 hits. In 1985 Smith left Journey to pursue his original passion, jazz, and to continue his developing career as a session player, and rejoined the band in 1996 to record the reunion album Trial By Fire.

Schon exclaimed, "I'm so looking forward to the very exciting 2016 we have planned, including our major summer tour with The Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason!" Schon, Valory and Cain have always remained close friends with Smith, who has lent his incredible talent to several of Schon's solo albums, including critically acclaimed The Calling, and this year's Vortex, as well as Cain's 1997 Body Language. They were thrilled when Smith accepted their invitation to rejoin JOURNEY.

"Excited to be back playing with one of most truly gifted and versatile musicians in the world- Steve Smith. He has remained a friend and a brother through the years," said Jonathan Cain.

"I am extremely happy to have Smitty back in the fold. We're coming around full circle and ready to ride the big wave together, once again," said Ross Valory.

JOURNEY's rock 'n' roll saga started more than 35 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area. Neal Schon's musical career began at the age of 15, when he debuted with Santana as a guitar prodigy on the No. 1 album, Santana III. Ross Valory has been a grounding force in JOURNEY since the band's formation (other than a brief hiatus in the late 80's and early 90's) and Jonathan Cain was brought on board in 1980, rounding out the songwriting genius behind the defining album, Escape. Since Arnel Pineda joined JOURNEY as its new lead singer in 2007, the band has released two albums and embarked on seven major tours, performing on four continents for more than five million fans, which earned the group Billboard's prestigious "Legend of Live Award."

For more information, visit http://journeymusic.com.