{"id":10034,"date":"2026-04-08T01:22:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/journey-neal-schon-arnel-pineda-stopped-from-leaving-band-1236217459\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T01:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:22:12","slug":"journey-neal-schon-arnel-pineda-stopped-from-leaving-band-1236217459","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/journey-neal-schon-arnel-pineda-stopped-from-leaving-band-1236217459\/","title":{"rendered":"Journey\u2019s Neal Schon Responds to Arnel Pineda Claims He Was Stopped From Leaving the\u00a0Band"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tLooks like Journey<\/a> almost went their separate ways two years ago.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a new statement posted to Facebook<\/a> on Monday, Journey co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon<\/a> seemingly replied to frontman Arnel Pineda<\/a>\u2018s claims that he was prohibited from quitting the band twice.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tSteve Perry Shuts Down Rumors About Re-Joining Journey For Final Tour: \u2018Simply Not\u00a0True\u2019\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tJourney Plots Farewell Run With 60-Date Final Frontier Tour: \u2018It\u2019s a Full-Circle Celebration\u2019\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tJourney Singer Arnel Pineda Invites Fans to Vote Him Out of the Band After Rock in Rio\u00a0Criticism\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

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\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s been some recent press and speculation that doesn\u2019t reflect the full picture,\u201d Schon writes.<\/p>\n

\n\tThough he does not specify what recent press he\u2019s referring to, his statement comes days after a March 31 Rolling Stone<\/a> <\/em>feature on his band that quotes Pineda sharing that he almost didn\u2019t join Journey on their current farewell tour<\/a>. Pineda claims that in 2024, he asked his bandmates to confer with him if they decide to do farewell shows and discuss the schedule with him. He cites age and \u201cpersonal problems\u201d as major factors in his decision to tour or not. He then alleges that the band went ahead and scheduled the 60-date tour without consulting him.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt is what it is now\u2026. But then, I was really not happy with how they scheduled this tour,\u201d Pineda says in the article. He then claims that he sent an unhappy email to his bandmates to which they didn\u2019t reply. In response to the silence, Pineda says he told the other Journey members not once but twice that he wanted to leave the group and retire. Again, they did not respond, Pineda alleges.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe article then shares that both Schon and Pineda recognized that quitting the band is not as simple as it seems. They both say that their contract with live entertainment giant AEG prohibits the band from touring without Pineda. It\u2019s a sentiment that is also echoed in Schon\u2019s Facebook statement.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTouring at this level involves many moving parts, and decisions are made collectively with our team, including management, agents, and promoters,\u201d Schon writes before acknowledging that with any band that\u2019s been around for a long time, different members may feel different pressures in different ways. He then says that he personally did not prohibit anyone from leaving the band. \u201cFor clarity, no one was ever prevented by me from making their own personal decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSchon continues by citing the same AEG contract that was brought up in the Rolling Stone <\/em>feature: \u201cAt the same time, we were all advised by our representatives that there are contractual obligations tied to touring that need to be honored.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe guitarist concludes by saying his focus is on providing fans with \u201cthe best possible experience and keeping the music alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJourney\u2019s Final Frontier Tour<\/a> is set to continue into August with dates across the U.S. and a stop in Vancouver.<\/p>\n