Journey singer Arnel Pineda has placed his fate in the band in the hands of the fans.
The 57-year-old singer from Sampaloc, Philippines, suggested on Sunday that his fans vote on whether or not he should stay in the band after a critically-reviewed performance on September 15 at the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pineda, who has been at the helm of the band since 2007, posted a clip on Facebook where an ear monitor appeared to be defective, affecting his performance during the band’s hit, Don’t Stop Believin’.
Pineda said, “Nobody in the world is as devastated by this as I am.”
He continued: ‘It’s really amazing how 1000 good things you’ve done get forgotten, just because of THIS… and of all places it’s Rock In Rio… mentally and emotionally I’ve suffered, and I’m still suffering… but I’m going to be okay…’
Journey singer Arnel Pineda, 57, suggested on Sunday that fans vote on whether or not he should stay in the band after a closely monitored performance on September 15 at the Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pineda posted a clip on Facebook in which an ear monitor appeared to malfunction, affecting his performance during the band’s hit, Don’t Stop Believin’
Pineda then offered to leave the band if the fans voted him out.
“So here’s the deal now…I’m offering you guys a chance (especially those who hated me from the start and never liked me) to just text GO or STAY here,” he said. “And if GO hits 1 million…I’m out for good…you guys in? Let’s get started…”
Pineda concluded his story by saying: ‘May God bless you all and I want to thank again all the fans and friends who believed in me.’
Journey guitarist Neal Schon said in the Facebook comment thread: Ultimate classic rock reported, ‘Arnel don’t listen to these blogs. They’re all bought. You kicked a**!’
Pineda said in a 2014 interview with the AP that he would ‘gladly make way’ for the band’s original singer, Steve Perry, should he wish to return to the musical company.
“As long as they need me, I’ll be there. I’ll never let them down,” he said.
Journey drummer Deen Castronovo told the story Ultimate classic rock in May 2022 that the singer has been working hard to maintain his stage skills and tailor his singing style to what he hears on stage.
“He’s been struggling, and we brought in a fantastic vocal coach,” Castronovo said. “He came in and coached Arnel on how to do something different.
Pineda has been at the helm of the band since 2007
Pineda said in a 2014 interview with the AP that he would “happily make way” for the band’s original singer, Steve Perry, should he wish to return to the musical ensemble.
Journey guitarist Neal Schon left an encouraging message for Pineda in the thread
A number of people joined the discussion with expressions of support for Pineda
“A lot of it was both mental and physical … to think that he’s been struggling with this for 14 years,” he said. “I had no idea. I think it was something that he didn’t know whether he had the freedom to say, ‘Hey, I need to fix this,’ or ‘You guys need to try something different here,’ or a new sound guy or something.”
A number of people joined the discussion with messages of support for Pineda, advising him to “just ignore the haters” and focus on “the people who truly love and support you.”
One user said: ‘All entertainers have their haters. There are a lot of people who like to live in the past. Those people can stay home and you can STAY with Journey.’
Another said, ‘Stay! You’re a great singer! Keep the legacy alive!’
