Journey co-founder and guitarists George Tickner Passed Away At 76

George Tickner, the first rhythm guitarist for Journey and a co-founding member, passed away at the age of 76.

Neal Schon, the only steadfast member of Journey, confirmed the tragic news of Tickner’s demise in a statement that read:

“George Tickner, Journey’s original rhythm guitarist and songwriting contributor on their first three albums, has passed away. He was 76 years old.”

He added:

“Godspeed, George… thank you for the music. We will be paying tribute to you on this page indefinitely. Our condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present band members. So heartbreaking. I think we need to do a group hug, JJ’s.”

Tickner, who was born on September 8th, 1946, in Syracuse, New York, played bass with Ross Valory in the late 1960s psychedelic rock group Frumious Bandersnatch.

In 1973, Tickner, Valory, and manager Herbie Herbert formed Journey with former Santana members Schon and Gregg Rolie. Later that year, on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, they made their debut public concert in front of 10,000 spectators. The group worked with producer Roy Halee in 1974 to create their self-titled first album, which was released in April 1975 and peaked at No. 138 on the charts.

For Journey’s 1975 self-titled first album, Journey, Tickner played rhythm guitar and authored three songs, including the album’s opening track, “Of a Lifetime.” Three of Tickner’s co-written songs appeared on Journey’s following two albums, Look into the Future (1976) and Next (1977), though he quit the band shortly after the release of Journey to attend Stanford Medical School on a full scholarship.

Tickner kept in touch with the band, subsequently co-founding The Hive with Valory, where they produced songs with previous and present Journey members, including Schon, the only original member still in the band.

As Journey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005, Tickner and the band reconnected.