Keyboardist Jonathan Cain, still very emotional after three decades, remembers the terminally ill little boy who forever changed the context of Journey’s 1980s hit “Only the Young.”
Members of Journey gave the song, inside a Walkman, to Kenny Sykaluk during a hospital visit set up through the Make a Wish Foundation. Sykaluk died the next day, with the Walkman still in his hand.
“Back in 1983, when Make A Wish first began, one of the boys who was sick wanted to meet Journey,” Cain says in the attached One One 7 video. “He was in a cystic fibrosis clinic in Cleveland, and we went off to see him. We had no idea how bad he was, but he was dying. We got to spend the last day of his life with him. He passed the next day, and it stayed with me for a long time.”
“Only the Young” had been slated for inclusion on Journey’s 1983 album Frontiers, but was pulled in favor of the tune “Back Talk.” Finally released in 1985, as part of the soundtrack to the “Vision Quest” film, “Only the Young” would go to No. 9 on the Billboard charts.
This isn’t the first time Cain has spoken at length about the visit with Sykaluk.
“When we did VH1’s ‘Behind the Music,’ I was asked about the most powerful things that happened to me as a member of Journey, and it had to be with Kenny Sykaluk on that last day,” Cain adds.
Journey opened every concert on its subsequent Raised on Radio tour with “Only the Young.” A 2006 reissue of Frontiers included it as a bonus track.
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If you get a chance, watch VH-1’s Behind the Music: Journey. It is the best story of all the BTM’s. The story of Kenny, the tape and Jonathon talking about it is very moving. I have often thought of it because I have 3 sons. When I saw it, I broke down and cried along with Journey.
It was a con Kenny is still alive
He deals drugs in Toronto
Karianiuk DELANEY
MEMBERS of travelling con group
Freak Show
REGARDING KENNY
TOTAL CON
HE IS ALIVE AND WELL DEALING MAGIC MUSHROOMS WEED COKE IN TORONTO
KNOWN NOW AS “JIM ” DELANEY HIS MOTHER “KERRY LOVE* FACEBOOK BOOKING AS A PHOTOGRAPHER HAS HAD ALOT OF SURGERY SINCE THE DAY
AND HUSBAND BABY FATHER “BABE”
A SPOT LOOK A LIKE
FOR “HAIR POLKA” ON LAWRENCE WELK
THEY
THE THREE PERSON KENNY CON
WERE MEMBERS OF THE TRAVELLING GROUP
“FREAK SHOW”
CONS TO BE EXPECTED AT ALL TIMES HOLD ON TO YOUR PURSE
AT YOUR OWN RISK
THEY ARE LIVING IN CITY HOUSING
IN TORONTO ONTARIO CANADA
DRINK IN KENSINGTON MARKET
JENNY BAR
BLONDE MULLET AND DANCERCIZE SHOES
JIM IN CONCERT JERSEY AND JEANS
MR DELANEY KARIANIUK
WEARS THE FEMALE LOOK BOLD ENGIE ACCENT AND MRS TUDDLE EARINGS
SAD CON AFTER ALL.
I think Kenny Sykaluk would want you to put your differences aside and re-unite. For him, for all your fans….and for you!