Neal Schon Engaged to Michaele Salahi: Journey Guitarist Proposes on Stage to 'Faithfully'
Journey guitarist Neal Schon has become engaged to his girlfriend and long time friend Michaele Salahi.
The couple began dating in 2011 although they had previously dated in the 1990s according to reports. Schon, 58, proposed to Salahi, 47, onstage during a concert in Baltimore Sunday night, according to The Washington Post.
The "Don't Stop Believing" band was performing at a fundraiser for Johns Hopkins Hospital's Kimmel Cancer Center when mid-performance, the guitar riff switched to "Here Comes the Bride." Schon made his move and Salahi was quick to say yes.
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"Salahi broke down in tears and jumped up and down as the band played their song 'Faithfully,'" according to TMZ, which also confirmed that "the proposal was a complete surprise to Salahi."
"I'm the happiest I've ever been," she said in a June interview with The Washington Post. "I learned that I'm resilient and that I am with the person who is worthy of my love."
The crowd also appeared to approve of the engagement, erupting in a loud applause.
The former "Real Housewives" reality star was previously married to Tareq Salahi. In 2009, the couple crashed a state dinner party at the White House, leading both to be forever banned. The couple recently just reached an out of court settlement after Tareq attempted to sue his ex-wife for over $50 million.
Schon admitted that he did not expect the relationship to happen, but was glad that it did.
"The craziness still goes on, but we're just not paying any attention to it anymore," Schon said during the same interview with The Post. Finding a romance after years of friendship "isn't surprising to me but it wasn't planned. It's kind of beautiful when things just kind of unfold and people meet at the right time."
