Filipino singer-songwriter and Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda has spoken up about a very intimate period in his life as a worldwide rock star, stating that he tried to quit the band due to difficulties in his personal life.
Pineda revealed in a late March interview with Rolling Stone that the burden of his personal issues made him think about leaving the band to put his family first. The singer disclosed that he contacted bandmates Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain about his concerns and asked to talk about their touring itinerary, but he never heard back.
He remarked, “As they say, silence can be louder than explanation. I told [Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain] that I wanted to retire because of my personal problems, but there was no response.” “They obviously don’t want to look for another vocalist.”
The band is currently in the midst of their Final Frontier tour, which started in November 2025 and has taken them to several American and Canadian locations. Although no formal announcement has been made, Neal claims that the trip may continue until 2027.
The singer-songwriter admitted that he has been having emotional and physical difficulties due to his hectic schedule, stating that he is finding it more and more difficult to handle the “unhappy” situation.
Despite these challenges, Arnel clarified that his sentiments were not rooted in resentment toward the band. Rather, he continued to require distance and time to find steadiness.
He expressed his profound appreciation for Journey and the transformative opportunity it provided, even as he talked candidly about his challenges.
Since Neal found Arnel’s rendition of “Faithfully” on YouTube in 2007, Arnel has been the voice of Journey. He later joined the group to take Steve Perry’s position after he quit for the second and last time in 1998.
Since then, fans from all around the world have followed Arnel’s incredible journey, frequently complimenting him on his extraordinary vocal similarity to Steve and his capacity to pass on the band’s history to a new generation.
