Longtime Journey drummer Deen Castronovo is stepping away from the band to focus on personal health matters, the group said. The move comes two weeks before Journey wraps its Final Frontier tour.
Castronovo had to leave the stage midway through two recent shows, with drum tech Steve Toomey taking over. Steve Murphy will finish the tour. He joined the road lineup in Cleveland on November 12 and will stay through the final date.
In a group statement, Journey said Castronovo had its full support and thanked fans for the love and kindness they had shown him. Murphy, a native New Yorker, has worked with Alan Parsons Project, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christopher Cross and Jack Bruce.
Castronovo joined Journey in 1998. He left in 2015 after being arrested on domestic violence and sexual assault charges. He ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree assault constituting domestic violence, two counts of menacing constituting domestic violence, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion. Several more serious charges, including sexual assault, were dropped as part of a plea deal. He received a suspended sentence and four years of probation.
Journey brought Castronovo back in 2021. During an October 8 show in Tulsa, he suffered a medical emergency and was rushed to a hospital. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain told the audience the situation was unfortunate and asked them to pray for the drummer.
The band had originally described the tour as its last, but later changed its plans. Earlier this month, founder Neal Schon wrote that what began as «The Final Frontier» now felt more like «The Long Goodbye».
