Journey’s Neal Schon has responded to claims made by Arnel Pineda that he and the rest of the band pressured the singer into performing on the band’s Final Frontier farewell tour.
Pineda recently told Rolling Stone that his aging body and voice, along with a difficult divorce and very public allegations of domestic abuse – which made headlines in his native Philippines – led him to conclude that it would be best to withdraw from touring, at least for the time being.
“Back in 2024, I said to them, ‘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,’” Pineda said.
“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 alleged that the band and their team went ahead with booking a 60-date U.S. tour for this year, and at least another 40 shows for 2027. He went on to to claim that although he emailed them and expressed how unhappy he was with the situation, he was met with silence.
Frustrated with the situation, Pineda claimed that he had told them on two occasions that he wanted to leave the band. Now, both the singer and Schon have alleged that the contract with the live entertainment behemoth AEG states the tour cannot proceed without Pineda.
Schon is also setting the record straight on social media. “Over the years, Journey has always been about the music and the fans first,” he writes.
“There’s been some recent press and speculation that doesn’t reflect the full picture. Touring at this level involves many moving parts, and decisions are made collectively with our team, including management, agents, and promoters.
“Like any long-running band, there are moments where people feel the pressure differently. I respect that, and I have nothing but appreciation for what everyone brings to the stage.”
He continues, “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.
“My focus has always been – and remains – delivering the best possible experience for our fans and keeping the music alive.”
In a separate interview with Fox News, Schon admits that this tour has been a bumpy ride, amid Pineda's claim and being at odds with rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain.
“I feel like I get one [lawsuit] served every week from his camp,” Schon said.
“It’s like, ‘Jesus Christ!’ And learned to defend myself, really… I remember every aspect of everything that’s gone down.
“I’ve been sober for 18 years completely, and my memory is sharp. I know everything about every Journey contract, every LLC, every corporation. So I feel very confident about being able to stand up to anything that I need to,” he concludes.
The band has since postponed at least two stops of the tour, citing “illness within the Journey band camp.”
In more recent news, the guitar used to record arguably Journey’s best-known song, Don’t Stop Believin’, has been sold for over a quarter of a million dollars.
