Watch Steve Vai and Generation Axe Congratulate Neal Schon on Rock Hall Induction

On April 7, Journey were among the honorees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 32nd annual induction ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The event brought Journey—including longtime guitarist Neal Schon—together with their former singer, Steve Perry, who hasn't been a Journey man since 1998.

"There were so many emotions, and I was first to speak, so It was actually a bit surreal for me," Schon told Guitar Playerabout his induction speech.

"I choked up seeing everyone. I had seen Steve backstage, and I got a great feeling from him that our friendship, respect and love was still there. So when we walked up to be inducted, he came up to me and we exchanged a hug. Then I was trying to get my composure back, and I decided I couldn't read my speech—even though I did like what I had written."

As you can see in the bottom video, the guitarist found himself overwhelmed by emotion and wasn't able to deliver his speech. If you're interested in what he wrote, you can see the full text here.

Anyway, a few of Schon's famous guitar-playing friends—Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi, collectively known as Generation Axe—recently got together during their ongoing Asian tour to shoot a quick video. Their goal? To congratulate Schon and the rest of Journey on their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

You can watch their brief video message below (top video).

For more about Schon, visit schonmusic.com. For more about Generation Axe (and to see where they'll turn up next), visit generationaxe.com.

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

More about guitarists

Cory Wong plays an Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II electric guitar

“I look up the tracks, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s him.’ It’s the tone, the touch, the feel, the voicing choices”: Rhythm guitarists are harder to identify on recordings than lead players. But there’s one rhythm king that Cory Wong can pick out without fail

Orianthi performs in concert with Carlos Santana at Dos Equis Pavilion on May 06, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.

“I called Alice and said, ‘I'm in a lot of pain. I’m not too sure what's going on’”: Orianthi reveals her agony over the injury that forced her to pull out of her Alice Cooper tour return – and play Back in Black sitting down at PRS’ epic anniversary show

Don Felder performs onstage during the Eighth Annual LOVE ROCKS NYC Benefit Concert For God's Love We Deliver at Beacon Theatre on March 07, 2024 in New York City

“I started the introduction for Tequila Sunrise, and was like, ‘Wait a minute. This feels like acid.’ I just felt like I'm leaving my body”: Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder speaks out after mid-performance medical emergency

See more latest

“Malcolm said, ‘I've got this riff, it's driving me nuts.’ It's three o'clock in the morning and I'm trying to sleep. I said, ‘It sounds fine to me.’ That was Back in Black”: Through 50 years of triumph and tragedy, they remain hard rock's greatest titans

“That move from F to Ab is either a clever allusion… or it’s an accident!” He’s one of the most influential bassists of all time, but did Motown’s James Jamerson make a mistake on this 1969 hit record?

“I sold all my stuff. I even left my car out on the street!” When asked by Miles Davis to move to New York and play some shows, bass great Dave Holland didn’t blink

“They told Gibson four days before the performance. I know they were working on the guitar nonstop”: Chappell Roan’s guitarist reveals the story behind the Grammys’ show-stopping – and last-minute – mirrorball Gibson Les Paul

“I have two sources of sound: the guitar pickups and the one in my hand. The less effects there are, the better I feel”: Thurston Moore hailed Nina Garcia as noise guitar’s secret weapon – and an unusual pickup is key to her otherworldly explorations

“I’ve brought that chef mentality to whatever I do. There’s not a lot of standing around and admiring my work. It’s, ‘Right, this needs to get done’”: Meet JWJ’s Rich Jones, the chef who turned luthier – and is serving up some mighty fine acoustics

“Metal suffers without dynamics. DADGAD can help without having to think about it. You can play chords that aren’t possible in standard tuning”: John Browne hasn’t played in standard tuning for 20 years. He explains why DADGAD is perfect for modern metal

“I’ve worked on pop sessions with artists who have a squeaky-clean image, but what’s behind the scenes is a lot darker than people’s perception of the hip-hop world”: How bassist Mike Elizondo brought low-end and soul to Dr. Dre’s superstar productions

“Technically, it’s for sale – I’ve priced it at a point where I hope nobody will ever buy it because I know I’ll never see another”: Why the 1960s Fender Bass VI is a tone machine that (almost) defies categorization

“Someone once gave me an old Danelectro guitar they bought at a garage sale for $10. I still have it and used it on a bunch of my records”: Shred hero Vinnie Moore reveals his greatest gear hits and misses – and why the best guitars are free

“My ethos is, ‘Choose any guitar you want.’ It doesn’t matter at the end of the day. I’d rather spend the money on pedals”: Introducing Ditz, the UK post-punks who don’t mind fighting their equipment to achieve their vicious six-string bite

Get The Pick Newsletter

Most Popular