Jonathan Cain (born Jonathan Leonard Friga, February 26, 1950, Chicago, Illinois) is an American musician, best known for his work with The Babys, Journey and Bad English.

Early life

At the age of eight Cain began accordion lessons, and by the time he was in his teens he was playing accordion and piano at parties and in clubs. He also plays guitar, bass and harmonica. Cain attended East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Illinois. He was a survivor of the Our Lady of the Angels School Fire of 1958, in which 95 students and nuns died.The Jonathan Cain Picture Pages He later attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music before moving to Nashville, Tennessee for a time and then eventually to Los Angeles, California.JonathanCain.com

Career

In 1976, Cain released his first record as the Jonathan Cain Band, Windy City Breakdown, on Bearsville Records. In 1979, he joined The Babys, appearing on their albums Union Jacks and On the Edge. In 1980 Cain left The Babys to join the rock band Journey, taking Gregg Rolie's place on keyboards. Cain aided Journey's rise to the top of the charts with his first collaborations on the album Escape, composing and playing the piano on songs such as "Don't Stop Believin'", described by Allmusic as "one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock".[ Allmusic] Perhaps his most notable contribution was as sole author of the classic Journey ballad "Faithfully", a song about life on the road while in a band. Cain would go on to appear on at least 13 other Journey albums and compilations. When singer Steve Perry left Journey in 1987, all of the band's members went their separate ways.