Home / Arts and Entertainment / Journey Drummer Departs Amid Final Frontier Tour
Journey Drummer Departs Amid Final Frontier Tour
15 Nov
Summary
- Drummer Deen Castronovo has left Journey's Final Frontier Tour.
- Castronovo cited personal health matters requiring his attention.
- Steve Murphy will fill in on drums for remaining tour dates.
Journey's Final Frontier Tour will continue without longtime drummer Deen Castronovo. The band announced on November 13, 2026, that Castronovo is stepping away to address personal health matters. He expressed gratitude to the fans for their support.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have brought in Steve Murphy to serve as the fill-in drummer for the rest of their current tour dates. Murphy has prior experience working with notable artists and projects.
Castronovo's departure comes after multiple instances during recent performances where he exited the stage mid-show. These incidents led to rearranged setlists, with drum tech Steve Toomey stepping in on those occasions.
Earlier in October 2026, Castronovo experienced a medical emergency at the BOK Center in Tulsa, requiring immediate hospitalization after just two songs. While Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain expressed concern, frontman Arnel Pineda assured fans Castronovo would be fine. The drummer later returned on stage for a San Antonio show but was again removed during a Boston performance on November 10, 2026.
Journey has not specified the exact nature of Castronovo's health issues. He originally joined Journey in 1998 and had a prior history with bandmates Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain in the supergroup Bad English.
