A member of the iconic rock band Journey was ready to call it quits just ahead of the group’s highly anticipated farewell tour.
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During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, vocalist Arnel Pineda admitted he wanted to back out of the final shows multiple times, citing vocal issues, cold environment, and personal life struggles.
“Back in 2024, I said to [the band], ‘If you’re planning to do a farewell tour, you better tell me, because my issues and my personal problems are getting more intense, and I don’t know if I want to go with you,'” he explained. “I said, ‘I want you to discuss the schedule with me.’ It is what it is now… But then, I was really not happy with how they scheduled this tour. My body has changed. I can’t take the cold weather anymore.”
Pineda further admitted that he grew upset over the lack of response from his bandmates when he emailed them about his touring concerns.
“As they say, silence can be louder than explaining,” he continued. “I said to them I wanted to retire because of my personal problems. No answer. Obviously, they don’t want to find another singer.”
Pineda then pointed out that he does not dislike touring with the group. However, he wanted to spend more time focusing on his personal life.
Despite his concerns, Pineda said he is committed to Journey’s farewell tour.
The Journey Bandmate Opened up About His Vocal Struggles
While continuing to speak about his Journey experience, Pineda, who first joined the group in 2007, said his vocal struggles have been happening for nearly a decade.
“Jonathan [Cain] was really worried about me about eight or nine years ago,” he recalled. “He said, ‘We should use a ghost voice so that you can relax.’ I said, ‘No.'”
He then addressed the rumors that he was using Auto-Tune for the group’s recent shows.
“I don’t [use Auto-Tune],” Pineda stated. “I swear to God. If you hear me being flat out there, that’s just me being human.”
The singer further spoke about the online criticism he has endured over recent years.
“I actually agree with them, to tell you honestly,” he shared. “You’d be surprised. I agree with them. Steve Perry’s voice is really far superior to mine. But I’m almost 60 now. What can I do?”
He went on to add, “And the band wants to move on with me, and they like the voice that I produce out there with them … They can fire me any time they want, but they’re not
Journey member Neal Schon pushed back on Pineda’s characterization of the dispute, writing: “For clarity, no one was ever prevented by me from making their own personal decisions. At the same time, we were all advised by our representatives that there are contractual obligations tied to touring that need to be honored.”