Report says Arnel Pineda tried to leave Journey twice due to ‘personal problems’

Bandmates didn’t reply to his pleas—and their farewell tour contractually requires his presence.

Journey frontman Arnel Pineda tried to quit the band twice due to “personal problems,” but contractual obligations to a massive tour—and his bandmates ignoring him—made it impossible, a new magazine feature revealed.

In Rolling Stone’s March 31 piece “Power Ballads, Bad Blood, and Sold-out Shows: Inside Journey’s Massive Farewell Tour,” writer Andy Greene talked to Arnel, lead guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon, and keyboardist Jonathan Cain about their band’s last hurrah before retirement: the “Final Frontier” tour that kicked off on February 28.

Arnel recalled telling his bandmates in 2024, “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… I said, ‘I want you to discuss the schedule with me.’”

(Arnel is in a legal battle against his estranged wife. In 2023, he filed two counts of adultery against her. In turn, she filed a case against him in violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, citing marital infidelity and psychological abuse. She has repeatedly accused him of being a serial cheater even before getting married in 2008.)

The golden cage

However, Arnel claimed that without consulting him, the band booked a 60-date US tour for 2026—with at least another 40 shows slated for 2027. “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,” he said.

And when he told them via email that he’s “unhappy” with it, he claimed that they didn’t respond. He added, “As they say, silence can be louder than explaining.”

That’s when Arnel expressed his desire to leave the band: “No answer. Obviously, they don’t want to find another singer.” Arnel and Neal noted that their contract with concert promoter AEG Presents stipulates that the tour “cannot go forward” without Arnel. A representative for AEG didn’t respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.

He noted that he wanted to prioritize his family: “It’s not that I hate touring with [Journey]. It’s like the same thing that happened with Steve Perry,” he said about the band’s iconic voice. “He has a hip problem. Me, I have a personal problem that’s taking a toll on me. It’s getting in my head, emotionally. I told them that I was a wreck and needed a little more time so that I could fix my family.”

“But I still have to do this,” Arnel added, referring to the tour.

Still, Arnel expressed immense gratitude to the band: “I love the guys. I respect them so much. And I will remain until the last days of my life grateful, and really feeling blessed, for what they’ve done for me.”

Arnel has been with Journey since 2007 following its longtime search for a new vocalist.

 

 

I love the guys. I respect them so much. And I will remain until the last days of my life grateful, and really feeling blessed, for what they’ve done for me.

Arnel Pineda

 

 

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