Neal's wedding on pay-per-view...

[tater1977]

White House party crasher Michaele Salahi is marrying the guitarist from Journey on Pay-Per-View. No, for real.

http://happyplace.someecards.com/27861/ ... se-crasher

Cash bar, meet cash wedding.

When I heard that Journey guitarist Neal Schon was getting married live on pay-per-view, I assumed that Steve Perry had not only rejoined the band but had decided to finally make an honest man of his old guitar player. No such luck. Turns out Neal has decided that marriage number five will be with Michaele Salahi, infamous White House party crasher and one of the Real Housewives of Washington, D.C.

What is it about this woman that seems to make guys lose their minds? I don't want to speculate about Neal and Michaele's sex life, because I'm pretty sure no one wants to read or hear about it any more than I want to think about it, but for some reason men get around her and start saying things like, "Crash the White House? Great idea!"

Probably the only other person happy about this is Steve Perry, who must be convinced he made the right decision to quit Journey when he did, because no doubt this news would have resulted in a couple of band meetings. Even the new singer, plucked from homelessness and obscurity in the Philippines, might be trying to wiggle out of this gig.

The couple is registered with all major credit cards.

(by Jonathan Corbett)

[Peartree12249]

Oh dear God no!

[annie89509]

There's supposed to be a very special surprise guest who will perform with Journey. As soon as they said it, I thought Steve Perry, and then the interviewers asked if it's Steve Perry. Neal and Michaele's response, to me, indicated that there might be a 50/50 chance that it's Steve Perry.

Video interview

Good God.... everybody is used to the "Steve might show up" answers while promoting concert shows over the years....but this is an all-time low.

[slucero]

this is getting pretty pathetic..

[annie89509]

Just watched the video interview.. the TMZ guys were goading them on and Neal said he invited SP, but they didn't actually say anything about 50-50 chance. But, this thing about "it's a good cause for the Typhoon victims" is pretty self-serving, I think. You donate with your own money, one of your concerts.... sell tickets to watch your wedding?!? , c'mon...

[The Sushi Hunter]

Well, I've been talking to friends of mine over in the U.S. who are from the Philippines and there is a lot of "crazy/weird" buzz going on in the Philippines in regards to this topic. Probably nothing more than rumors though and for the reason of generating interest so more people will pay to watch it. I'd say if SP sings an old classic Journey tune, it will be so detuned that anymore detuned they'd be playing the song in reverse.

[Majestic]

Although I think the idea of a pay per view wedding is as tacky as chewing gum on hot asphalt, I kind of want to see this thing now. Not for the wedding, and not even for Journey, but for Neal jamming with the orchestra. That could be very good. I'm thinking the special guest might be John Waite or Sammy Hagar, not Perry.

Will this thing be available on YouTube eventually? I live in Malaysia right now and don't know how to watch this.

[Archetype]

Just watched the video interview.. the TMZ guys were goading them on and Neal said he invited SP, but they didn't actually say anything about 50-50 chance. But, this thing about "it's a good cause for the Typhoon victims" is pretty self-serving, I think. You donate with your own money, one of your concerts.... sell tickets to watch your wedding?!? , c'mon...

I didn't say that said there's a 50/50 chance. Just their response gave me that impression. But, as you and others have pointed out, it's probably a ploy to sell more views.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Just watched the video interview.. the TMZ guys were goading them on and Neal said he invited SP, but they didn't actually say anything about 50-50 chance. But, this thing about "it's a good cause for the Typhoon victims" is pretty self-serving, I think. You donate with your own money, one of your concerts.... sell tickets to watch your wedding?!? , c'mon...

I didn't say that said there's a 50/50 chance. Just their response gave me that impression. But, as you and others have pointed out, it's probably a ploy to sell more views.

Yeah, most likely what your saying, a ploy to sell more views. That was the first thing that came to mind when I first read this. Interestingly though is the Filipinos that I know in the U.S. who connect with their friends in the Philippines have been talking about SP being there. Again, 99.9999% chance it's just a ploy, because common sense and logical thinking tell me that if it were SP, they wouldn't have to keep it wrapped up in secrecy in order to sell more. If in fact it was SP, if more pay per views they wanted to sell, all they would have to do is officially announce that he's going to be there and the sales would most likely be through the roof. If he's not going to be there but they want to make a lot of sales, they'll keep whatever it is wrapped up in secrecy. But again I may be wrong.

[Andrew]

Well, I've been talking to friends of mine over in the U.S. who are from the Philippines and there is a lot of "crazy/weird" buzz going on in the Philippines in regards to this topic. Probably nothing more than rumors though and for the reason of generating interest so more people will pay to watch it. I'd say if SP sings an old classic Journey tune, it will be so detuned that anymore detuned they'd be playing the song in reverse.

Steve will not be part of this.

[JH'sTXfan]

Well, I've been talking to friends of mine over in the U.S. who are from the Philippines and there is a lot of "crazy/weird" buzz going on in the Philippines in regards to this topic. Probably nothing more than rumors though and for the reason of generating interest so more people will pay to watch it. I'd say if SP sings an old classic Journey tune, it will be so detuned that anymore detuned they'd be playing the song in reverse.

Steve will not be part of this.

It's complete stupidity.

[steveo777]

Well, I've been talking to friends of mine over in the U.S. who are from the Philippines and there is a lot of "crazy/weird" buzz going on in the Philippines in regards to this topic. Probably nothing more than rumors though and for the reason of generating interest so more people will pay to watch it. I'd say if SP sings an old classic Journey tune, it will be so detuned that anymore detuned they'd be playing the song in reverse.

Steve will not be part of this.

Duh! Who'd have ever thought otherwise?

[artist4perry]

Well, give them one thing, it gives the fans something to talk about. I don't wish them any ill will. I don't know this gal and I am just not that into wedding videos. I am sure in a week or two someone will post it on Youtube. Money is tight in December due to holiday expenses, and I give to other charities. It is fun reading all the banter between the fans. It will set a precedence on expensive posh weddings. I guess when I see all that money spent, I sometimes wonder if people realize there are so many who do without. I am an odd person, if I won millions of dollars I would not buy the biggest house, the most expensive car, or throw lavish parties. I would buy a modest home, a modest car, pay off my bills, and find ways to invest money to help others who are less fortunate. I cannot see why people who are so blessed financially can spend money on things that can be looked upon as pure vanity. I am not knocking people who have nice things, I just hate to see people who sometimes let things define who they are. Maybe they are not like that in person, I don't know them so it is not mine to say. I am just saying I would not feel comfortable. Miss you guys. I have had computer trouble that has kept me from being able to visit for quite some time. Sorry to have dropped off the page for a while.

[Voyager]

[Enigma869]

Shocking that Perry hasn't RSVP'd to Schon's invitation!

[Arkansas]

What's the difference between this and Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, episode #142. The Tweed-Simmons wedding in Beverly Hills was elaborate, decadent, oppulent, etc...and all for TV. I think Bill Maher said at the reception that it was "the best made-for-tv wedding ever!" I mean, whether or not it's pay-per-view, or A&E is paying for it, isn't all this celebrity self-serving egotistcal crap all the same?


later~

[tater1977]

Neal Schon and Michaele Salahi Are Tying the Knot and You Can Pay to Watch

By Lloyd Grove
December 7th 2013

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... watch.html

Journey’s Neal Schon is marrying reality show princess Michaele Salahi, and you can pay to watch a ceremony that Schon swears ‘won’t be cheesy in the least.’

When an 80s rock star and a reality show princess decide to solemnize their feelings with a wedding ceremony, it stands to reason that they will do it on pay-per-view and charge each customer $14.95.

“It’s a musical event of love, laughter and music,” says the future groom, Neal Schon, the longtime lead guitarist and songwriter of the venerable pop-rock band Journey, best remembered for such hits as “Wheel in the Sky” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.” “It won’t be cheesy in the least.”

“It’s exciting,” says bride-to-be Michaele Salahi, best remembered as the breakout star (or villainess, take your pick) of Bravo’s Real Housewives of D.C., who somehow, with her then-husband, litigation-prone polo enthusiast Tareq Salahi, insinuated her way into a White House state dinner for the Indian prime minister.

The feat prompted all manner of official embarrassment, not to mention a congressional hearing, and thus appended her name forever to the early history of Barack Obama’s presidency. Subsequent publicity portrayed the Salahis as narcissistic grifters who constantly sought the limelight and the high life while dodging creditors and lawsuits—retreating into their vast (or in this case petty) carelessness like a cut-rate Tom and Daisy Buchanan.

“I think it’s brilliant. Genius!” Michaele (pronounced “mikhail”) says about her latest exploit. Her voice is low and smoky. “It’s about watching our lives for real instead of tuning in and watching a network edit us down to a moment.”

Michaele had bitterly complained about the editing in Real Housewives, which tended to reveal her in an unflattering light. “That was probably the plan,” Neal says. “Bravo,” he adds scornfully, practically spitting the word. “I can’t stand Bravo. I watch it and I think I would never go on there or allow her to do it again. I look at that and I think, they just set her up. She’s the nice girl on the program and the others aren’t. This is the nice one that everybody picks on! That’s what makes all these shows. Because all they want to see is the drama. We’re not interested in any drama.”

“No drama,” Michaele echoes.

“That’s why we haven’t gone into the reality thing,” Neal presses on. “This is real. This is my vision.”

“Big vision,” Michaele murmurs.


‘I saw her walking in as I was playing. It was a big place and usually nobody catches my eye like that. I actually had someone go find her.’

The “Winter Wonderland Wedding and Music Event,” as they are billing it, will be viewable live in 90 million households on Dec. 15 from the Palace of Fine Arts in Schon’s hometown of San Francisco. Executive-produced by Schon (pronounced “shawn”), with the nuptials staged by celebrity wedding planner Sharon Sacks (whose clients include Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian, hardly paragons of marital longevity), the three-hour show will feature performances by Journey, Tower of Power, and an unnamed “surprise musical guest.”

A “portion” of the proceeds—Schon is vague about how much—will be set aside for survivors of the recent killer typhoon in the Philippines, the native land of Journey’s current lead singer, Arnel Pineda. The band has already announced a $350,000 donation for Typhoon Haiyan relief, and Schon says he’s paid upfront for the wedding celebration out of his own pocket. Schon is equally unwilling to put a number on the hoped-for audience, which could range anywhere from a stratospheric high of 1.5 million paying customers to the half-dozen friends and relatives who couldn't make the trip; his publicist says "80,000 buyers is a good conservative benchmark."

“It’s the talk of the industry, is what I’m hearing, because it’s brand-new,” says Schon, noting that nobody until now has ever tried to sell a wedding on pay-per-view television, better known as a venue for ritualized violence. “I like to do things that people have not done. Thinking out of the box.”

“It’s going to be beautiful,” Michaele predicts. “I welcome everyone. I love the whole world.”

President Obama, alas, will not be among the 400-odd invited guests at the Palace of Fine Arts. “He can buy it, too,” Schon says.

The blindingly blonde Salahi—who continues to use her ex-husband’s surname despite their epically nasty divorce, which involved accusations of kidnapping, a phone call from the FBI, a $50 million lawsuit, and allegations that her paramour emailed a photo of his privates to taunt her cuckolded spouse—looks wonderfully smooth and youthful for a woman of 47.

“She’s healthier than she’s ever been,” says Schon, who is 59 and boasts five children from four previous marriages.

It’s happy hour when they show up in the noisy bar of their midtown Manhattan hotel—though they drink only water: Schon, who is recovering from some of the occupational hazards of rock‘n’roll, notes that “I’ve been sober going on seven years.” They’ve just landed at Teterboro airport in a chartered Gulfstream IV. “We just flew in,” Michaele confides. “They told us tonight is the Christmas tree lighting—so we brought light to New York!” Journey had performed at a corporate event in Cincinnatti, and was booked for another private show in New York. “It keeps the kitty going,” Schon says with a grin.

He’s a compact man, tricked out head to toe in black raiment—a black leather steampunk hat in docking position over his curly brown coif. She, slightly taller, is arrayed all in white—creamy slacks and a virgin wool sweater. Throughout the conversation in an out-of-the-way banquette, she continually kisses and caresses her inamorato, possessively throwing her arms around him, occasionally gesturing in a way that fails to conceal her 11.42 carat diamond engagement ring, which reportedly cost more than a million dollars and was delivered in an armored truck.

“It’s been a big journey,” says Salahi, who presumably uses the word in its generic, non-trademarked sense. “It was March 2009 when I signed on to Real Housewives and from there on my life just kind of …” she trails off. “Like everything NBC and Bravo said—‘Get ready! Buckle up!’ I think what I learned from that whole process is follow your heart. And I learned to be strong. It was a lot. But it brought me the strength to be with the person I love.”

“The past is the past,” Schon chimes in.

“I don’t look back,” Salahi agrees. “Since that night when I came to Neal, I’ve never looked back.”

The nation’s tabloids, and especially the celebrity gossip web site TMZ (whose founder, Harvey Levin, Schon derides as “the King of Cheese”), have meticulously chronicled the couple’s comings and goings since the night of Sept. 13, 2011, when Michaele disappeared from the Salahi homestead in the Virginia horse country and Tareq, her plump husband of eight years, called the cops to report her missing and possibly kidnapped.

“She fled and came to me,” Neal says, “and the FBI was following us and all that. I’m like one day on the phone with the FBI and they’re like, ‘Are you holding her at gunpoint?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not. Would you like to speak to her?’ And it was unbelievable. Surreal.” Michaele starts laughing. “Anyway, she fled to me. I didn’t steal anybody. She fled to me. I want to say that. And we’ve been together every day. She’s been on tour with me every day. And if we’re not on tour, we’re still together every day.”

“Oh yeah,” Michaele chimes in. “And people are wondering how that is. It’s amazing when you love someone like I love Neal. Your home becomes wherever he and I are together.”

They are reported to have met after a Journey concert at Washington’s Constitutional Hall in 1995—though they are mysterious about the precise timing.

“We just say ‘in the 90s,’” Michaele instructs.

Michaele Holt, as she was known then, when she was a model and former Washington Redskins cheerleader, was apparently dressed to kill. “I saw her walking in as I was playing,” Neal recounts. “It was a big place and usually nobody catches my eye like that. I actually had someone go find her and her girlfriend Susan—that I’m still great friends with, and who is her maid of honor.”

“Maid of honor!” Michaele echoes.

“I just wanted to say hello,” Neal continues, “so we met there and went back to the hotel. Just for a second. To have a fast drink of water. Or whatever we were drinking.”

“We did have water. Yep,” Michaele confirms.

“I had to take off,” Neal resumes, “and she had to take off. And that was it. And then we reconnected about a year later.”

“Yeah, and he had never done that,” Michaele says. “A lot of people wonder, ‘Oooh, is that the rock’n’roll thing?’ That’s not his style.”

“It’s the honest-to-God truth. I never had done that.”

If this G-rated version of an encounter between a rock musician and two female fans is to be relied upon, then Schon must surely have been among the most chaste and abstemious rock stars in history.

“You know what? We get the bad rap,” he tells me. “What are you? You’re a journalist.”

I assure him that journalists, for the most part, don’t have groupies trailing them from assignment to assignment.

“I’m sure you do—in your own little funnel,” Schon insists. “Everybody does. I mean, if they’re athletes—anybody that’s professional, you have people that follow you.”

Michaele comes to the rescue. “I think I did that. I stereotyped and it was wrong.” She fixes her limpid baby blues on her amorous bethrothed. “And I said I was sorry to you because you are a rock legend. You are iconic. You are a brilliant genius of music. But you are the kindest, most beautiful man with the biggest heart.” A side comment to me: “And he is, by far, next to my dad, the greatest man.” She turns back to Neal. “I love you.”

Which, inevitably, is the signal for yet another moist shmooch.

Neal, who didn’t stop believin’ in the hallowed institutions of both marriage and divorce, even as Michaele entered into her own entanglements, ultimately proposed on stage in October 2012, in the midst of a Baltimore charity concert in which Journey, along with Michaele, helped raise almost $500,000 for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Even now, he seems surprised that she ended up with him. “She never divulged her feelings to me, you know? She was trying to be too cool.”

“Cool doesn’t work for me,” Michaele says.

“We were just friends, you know?” Neal says.

Michaele: “We were always best of friends.”

Neal: “We had things going on.”

Michaele: “Yeah. Yeah.”

Neal: “And we talked once in a while. Sometimes a couple of years would go by, and then we’d talk again. ‘How ya doin’?’ But she never told me how she felt until after she ran.”

Michaele: “People should never be cool. You should just say what’s in your heart. I could have saved a lot of time and pain and maybe have been here a lot sooner. Sorry. I love you.”

She goes in for the kiss again.

The Salahi connection has visited upon Schon more negative publicity than he’s used to, and proved a windfall for various lawyers who sued Britain’s Daily Mail (for a story claiming erroneously that Schon had stiffed an ex-wife and three kids out of child support; Schon got damages and a public apology), and settled with Tareq (who received a rumored $12,000 and a year’s worth of mortgage payments despite having his lawsuit against Schon and Journey tossed out of court). But Schon stands ready to do more battle if necessary.

“Because I’ m serious when I’m serious,” he says, recalling his encounter with the Daily Mail. “I said, ‘I will sue you if you do not settle with me.’ And I don’t care if it costs me $2 million. I will win. And when I win, I’m going to win $6 million, okay?”

“We forgive the media,” Michaele says.

I ask her what she thinks now about Tareq, who when not dealing with his own problems, such as a recent local television report on customers who accused him of bilking them on a tour of Virginia vineyards, has surfaced every so often to say something unpleasant.

“I wish him the best,” Michaele answers with a laugh. “I’m thankful where I’m at … We don’t care about any of our exes. They’re exes for a reason.”

“We’re, like, so beyond all that,” Neal agrees.

“I’m so excited,” Michaele blurts out, by way of changing the subject and steering the interview back on message. “Did you know I’m getting married in two weeks?”

[indigo]

I need to take a nap after reading all of that.

[indigo]

Perry isn't the special guest. Straight out of the horse's mouth.
http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_hbqn30px/

[slucero]

“It’s the talk of the industry, is what I’m hearing, because it’s brand-new,” says Schon, noting that nobody until now has ever tried to sell a wedding on pay-per-view television, better known as a venue for ritualized violence. “I like to do things that people have not done. Thinking out of the box.”


Neal is so far out of the box he needs to have his head examined.. this is beyond tacky, Kardashian-esqe...

Perry is out..

I bet Smitty is too..


My money is on Randy Jackson.

[Andrew]

Since when has Schon been pronounced "shawn"????

[Majestic]

Since when has Schon been pronounced "shawn"????

Andrew,

I think that is actually the right pronunciation. I know Hagar and some others seem to think it sounds like "shone" but I've heard Neal pronounce it like "shawn" as well as Perry and Cain.

[The_Noble_Cause]

“It’s the talk of the industry, is what I’m hearing, because it’s brand-new,” says Schon, noting that nobody until now has ever tried to sell a wedding on pay-per-view television, better known as a venue for ritualized violence. “I like to do things that people have not done. Thinking out of the box.”

Lol. This is about as revolutionary and groundbreaking as the Michael Bolton Honda ads on TV right now. Is Neal for real? What a delusional asshole. The Journey website still features the horrible 'Resonate' video starring him and his desperate fame whore. The reason there is no Neal/Michelle reality show is because no network has any interest.

[brywool]

Perry isn't the special guest. Straight out of the horse's mouth.
http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_hbqn30px/

WOW! What a surprise it's not Perry... I mean, he and Neal are always doing stuff together, i.e. picnics, walks on the beach, etc.

I'm thinking that the gang from Jersey Shore or maybe the Kardashians will be the special guests.
Man, Neal's a great musician but this has got to be the tackiest thing I've ever heard of.

[Majestic]

“It’s the talk of the industry, is what I’m hearing, because it’s brand-new,” says Schon, noting that nobody until now has ever tried to sell a wedding on pay-per-view television, better known as a venue for ritualized violence. “I like to do things that people have not done. Thinking out of the box.”

Lol. This is about as revolutionary and groundbreaking as the Michael Bolton Honda ads on TV right now. Is Neal for real? What a delusional asshole. The Journey website still features the horrible 'Resonate' video starring him and his desperate fame whore. The reason there is no Neal/Michelle reality show is because no network has any interest.

Neal might be right, but I wonder which industry he meant? TMZ, OMG...which industry are those?