Marilyn Stowe Blog

Wife of Journey guitarist fails in her bid to increase child support

The ex-wife of US guitarist Neil Schon has failed in her bid to increase his child support payments.

Schon is the only remaining original member of multimillion-selling rock band Journey.

According to a report on celebrity site TMZ, Schon’s fourth wife Amber had sought to increase his monthly child support payments from $3,000 to $5,758.90 per month, citing various expenses, including clothing, birthday parties and postage.

However a judge has denied the request, the report states, saying the increase was “intended primarily to upgrade her own standard of living.”

The family court judge in Minnesota also urged Amber to complete her teaching degree, claiming she could earn $36,000 a year if she did so. Schon was not responsible for her failing to “obtain any kind of employment”.

The couple separated in 2007. They have two children together – Aja and Sophia. Schon has another three children by previous wives.

Journey are best known for their hit single Don’t Stop Believin’. Originally released in 1981, it became the single most downloaded track on the iTunes Music Store in 2009.

Meanwhile, legendary funk musician George Clinton has filed for divorce from his wife of 22 years.

The singer, now 71, has been estranged his wife Stephanie Lynn for some time.

Documents filed in Florida and seen by TMZ suggest the pair were married in Toledo, Ohio in 1990 but haves since undergone “long term separation”. The marriage is described as “irretrievably broken”. The couple had no children together.

Clinton is best known for his work in 1970s band Parliament and Funkadelic. He later formed the P-Funk All-Stars. Stephanie was his second wife and originally worked as a his assistant and manager.

 Photo of Neil Schon by DixieHwy via Flickr under a Creative Commons licence