Deen Castronovo was fired by Journey in the weeks following his arrest for assault, he’s revealed.
And he’s admitted he found the move “heartbreaking” – although he accepts the band did the right thing.
The drummer this week vowed to stay clean after being sentenced to four years’ probation on six charges relating to a violent incident with his then-fiance in July.
In the statement he didn’t discuss his status with the band, although he suggested that a return to work was some time away – while admitting he’d probably be dead if the situation hadn’t become a police matter.
Now Castronovo tells UCR: “I was fired on August 10. I was terminated. I was in treatment at the time and I’m grateful I was, because that was heartbreaking.”
He adds: “Journey has a stellar legacy and I’ve tarnished that. They did the right thing. They did what they needed to do.”
He reveals that he had to call the band’s manager to ask about his status, and that’s when he was told: “Well, we’ve decided to terminate you.”
He says: “It wasn’t about punishing me or wrecking my life – they didn’t do anything of the sort. They did this because they loved me and they wanted to see me alive.”
Castronovo, who remains in contact with ex-colleagues Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, accepts that he wouldn’t have been able to deal with his issues if he’d returned to the road.
“They knew I needed a lot more than just a few months or six months or three months or whatever it was to get this stuff right. This is not a quick fix,” he says.
“I’ve been on and off the wagon for years. The band has given a bajillion chances and I kept screwing those chances up. It’s something I’m going to have to fight the rest of my life.”
Journey have been working with Omar Hakim since Castronovo’s arrest.
