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Neal Schon Finally Speaks Up About Replacing Arnel Pineda

via Music Mad / Youtube

The future of Journey has been clouded by uncertainty ever since Arnel Pineda, the band’s Filipino vocalist, spoke out against racist remarks and pledged to keep singing, even if it meant parting ways with the iconic group.

Now, guitarist and founding member Neal Schon has stepped into the spotlight, aiming to silence the deafening rumor mill surrounding Pineda’s potential exit. 

Schon’s intervention comes at a crucial juncture, following Pineda’s heartfelt address that resonated deeply with fans and ignited discussions about inclusivity and respect within the music industry.

With tensions simmering and fans eagerly awaiting answers, Schon’s voice holds the potential to either soothe anxieties or exacerbate the drama. 

Arnel Pineda (left) and Neal Schon of Journey – the Classic West concert; Dodger Stadium; Los Angeles, CA (7-16-17). @NealSchonMusic @arnelpineda @JourneyOfficial Photo: Jeff Bliss https://t.co/XkblC3Lvm9 pic.twitter.com/yQrL7uYGQt — JCBliss (@JCBliss) July 31, 2020

“We are better than ever!”

Journey’s guitarist and founding member, Neal Schon, has shut down rumors circulating online about Arnel Pineda’s potential departure from the band. In a fiery Facebook post, he denounced “idiotic, relentless rag mag bulls**t articles” and emphasized that the band “are better than ever!”

Schon’s message serves as a much-needed dose of clarity for fans concerned about the band’s future. He reaffirmed their commitment to each other and expressed excitement for their upcoming tour, starting February 9th. This news comes after Pineda’s recent statement about facing racism and his dedication to continuing his music journey, regardless of the band.

Journey’s 2024 promises to be packed with action. Not only will they embark on their own tour, but they’ll also reunite with rock legends Def Leppard for a summer stadium tour, building on their successful collaborations from the past.

With Schon’s statement and the upcoming shows, it’s clear that Journey is ready to rock on, silencing doubts and fueling anticipation for their next chapter.

Neal Schon on Journey’s ‘New Strut,’ Possible Arnel Pineda Biopic, and His New Solo LP https://t.co/Lt39dAPgTe #Music #MusicFeatures pic.twitter.com/HNbgbJal27 — Siglov Freudivan (@DerangedRadio) January 7, 2021

“I won’t stop singing with or without Journey”

Pineda has faced a barrage of negativity since joining the band in 2007. His Asian heritage, coupled with the iconic band’s predominantly white lineup, sparked a wave of racism and doubt from some fans. However, Pineda refuses to be silenced.

In a recent Instagram post, Pineda addressed his critics head-on, calling out “bashers, foes, racists, bigots, haters,” and declaring: “No matter what or how you will name me, I won’t stop singing with or without Journey… It’s in my blood…”

His message resonated with many, highlighting his unwavering passion for music and his determination to overcome prejudice. He acknowledges his desire for a better life and recognition but emphasizes that being part of Journey was never a calculated move, but rather a dream come true.

Pineda’s defiant stance speaks volumes about his character and talent. Whether it’s “fate, destiny, divine intervention, or pure luck,” his journey with Journey is an inspiration to anyone facing discrimination or doubt. 

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by arnel c. pineda (@arnelpineda2007)

The Filipino vocalist remained humble and forgiving

Against the backdrop of John Lennon’s “Love”, Pineda continued addressing his detractors, offering an apology for any perceived pain while emphasizing his unwavering belief in unity and forgiveness. His poignant message, echoing Lennon’s call for peace and love, highlighted his resilience in the face of prejudice.

This spirit of acceptance wasn’t confined to Pineda’s own words. The band members themselves, along with their legendary former vocalist, Steve Perry, had extended a warm welcome to the Filipino singer.

Perry’s public acknowledgment of Pineda during the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony symbolized the band’s embrace of their new frontman. Even Pineda’s predecessor, describing their first encounter, spoke of it as a “glorious moment”.

This chorus of acceptance stands in stark contrast to the negativity Pineda faced. It serves as a powerful reminder that even in the face of adversity, true talent and genuine connection can find a welcoming haven.

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Steve Perry Gives His Honest Opinion on New JOURNEY Singer Arnel Pineda

• August 20, 2021
• 1 minute read

During a recent conversation with SiriusXM, classic Journey vocalist Steve Perry talked about the band’s new singer Arnel Pineda , who’s been a member of the fold since 2007.

Steve reached the topic while discussing Journey ‘s 2017 Rock Hall induction, saying (via Blabbermouth ):

“When I walked out there, that was a real thrill. They had a whole worked-up thing – they had a big teleprompter, and I said, ‘F that.’ I pulled out my piece of paper. I said, ‘I got some things to talk about here,’ and I just sort of did my thing. The fans, they were so wonderful.”

Asked on why he didn’t perform at the ceremony, Steve replied:

“I’m not in the band. I haven’t been in the band for quite some time. Arnel’s been in the band for almost 10 years, I think. He’s a sweet kid – he’s a wonderful kid. He sings his heart out every night. It’s his gig.

“There was a gentleman who we recently lost named Harry, part of the management team. Harry was there with me and he said, ‘Steve, listen, I don’t know if you know, but Arnel’s running up and down the halls. He heard you’re here, backstage.’

“I said, ‘Well, where is he?’ He said, ‘I think he’s outside.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll come out.’ I walked out and he was there, and he comes up to me… there was something endearing about the way he looked at me. He was meeting, like, a grandfather. [Laughs] He’s got the gig. It’s his gig. He’s doing great.”

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49 comments

Bring Steve back, ideots

the idiot is the one who can’t spell idiot

Why couldn’t Paul Rogers be a man like Steve Perry. Paul treated Brian Howe like sh*t.

Maybe he is not as good as Arnel’s voice almost copied almost same voice of Steve Perry that’s all I can say

Savage!!!!!😂😂😂

Both ” Arnel and Steve, and add, ” Taka” the lead singer from,” One O.K. Rock” all three would put on the show of shows!

He really is an edyot…

You’re damn right😁🤪.

You re very right!

Hey Andy, Speaking of IDIOTS!!

Bring back Steve Perry to the group so that Arnel may have substitute for vocal …just like john lennon paul mc cartney combination 🙏🥰💥

Steve doesn’t want to come back. He walked and was done with band. Why don’t you go back to an old job? Idiot

Steve can’t sing anymore. How he can do the things you want?

FUNNY HE JUST CAME OUT WITH A NEW AULBUM . HE CAN’T SING. LMFAO

welll idiot steve does not want back if he did he would be sooooo your the idiot idiot

Steve knew he can’t bring back the voice where the Journey was once before..Great that he recognize Arnel as the new lead singer of the band

Lmafol, how you spell Capital I•D•I•O•T🤣🤣🤣

Before I die, I would love to see the original Steve Perry and Journey together performing we need to do

Are you kidding me? Steve Perry- what grace and dignity you bring with this. Well done. Clearly your spirit, your conscience, is every bit as beautiful as your voice. ???

Got to love a class act like Steve Perry much love and respect ?

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND i JUST MET SOMEBODY WHO MET Steve Perry AND SAID HE WAS GREAT AND HUMBLE GUY AND VERY HUMOROUS.

Well done, Steve.

Awe yes, but he’ll never ever be you❤️

Steve Perry can never be replaced!

And can never sing his song exactly the same as what he did when he was at his prime with the band… that’s why he will never want to come back because he can’t do the same thing as what he did before like what arnel do at the present.

I sew him in concert 3 years ago and he was amazing Steve you will allways be number 1 but agree with Arnel is amazing Think journey is in good hands with him I would of like to seen you perform at the rock roll hall fame cearmoney but I think you were varry kind to say this is arnel crow dosin,t want to over well him I think you made a great choice but thir will allways be 1 Steve parry and that’s you. I’m going see them again next month with billy idol I can’t wait.

No one’s trying to replace Steve. He is Steve Perry. He is Arnel Pineda. Immature ppl don’t get it.

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, DID YOU SEE ARNEL PINEDA FACE OF APPRECIATION WHEN THEY MET BACKSTAGE AT THE AWARDS. ARNEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN ON THE STAGE DURING THE AWARDS SHOW TOO, BUT HE THOUGHT BECAUSE IT WAS FOR THE ORIGINAL GROUP ONLY. HONESTLY IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MATTER, ARNEL IS THE MAN FOR JOURNEY NOW. THERE IS ROOM FOR A NEW HISTORY MAKING MOMENT FOR TWO FRONT MEN FOR JOURNEY AND THIS WILL BRING ON TOGETHER LEGIONS OF NEW FANS FOR JOURNEY OF BOTH MEN AND EVEN THE UNDECIDED UNDER ONE UMBRELLA TO SQUASH THE DEBATE ON WHOSE BETTER.

DID YOU SEE THE REACTION OF ADMIRATION FOR STEVE PERRY FROM ARNEL PINEDA WHO COVERS STEVE PERRY MUSIC DURING HIS YOUTH AND NOBODY HAS DONE IT BETTER THAN HIM AND i HAVE TRIED MYSELF AS MY VOCALS JUST DON’T MAKE THE GRADE TO COME CLOSE TO THE LIVING LEGEND. IF JOURNEY DON’T JUMP ON A HISTORY MAKING MOMENT TO HAVE TWO GREATIST FRONTMEN TO HAVE LED JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE SOMETHINING IS WRONG IF YOU CAN’T GET THESE TWO TO WORK TOGETHER. SEAL THE LEGACY WITH AN ENTIRE DUET OF THESE TWO ON ANOTHER REBIRTH OF JOURNEY…WE ALL NEED A NEW FRONTEIR. WE HAVE TWO SUPERHEROES FOR JOURNEY. MAKE BOTH OF THEM A LEGEND BY HAVING THE ONLY GROUP TO EVER HAVE TWO FRONTMEN ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER. UNLIKE THE FAILURE OF VAN HALEN WITH SAMMY HAGAR AND DAVID LEE ROTH. THAT WAS OIL AND WATER MIX.

Perry isn’t coming back. Isn’t that obvious? He felt he was screwed/betrayed. Schon mentions trying to communicate with Perry, just to say hi. Perry won’t answer. Does that sound like someone who would want to return even if the offer was made?

Every time someone says “Bring back Perry!” I just shake my head.

STEVE WOULD COMEBACK IF IT WAS WORTH SAVING JOURNEY, BUT AS HE SAID IT IS ARNEL TIME TO SHINE TO CARRY JOURNEY. ARNEL HAS PROVEN HIMSELF AS THE FAN HAS APPROVED HIM MUCH BETTER THAN THE PAST REPLACEMENT WHO DID A DECENT JOB BUT NOT THE POINT WHERE THEY MATCHED OR EVEN CAME CLOSE TO STEVE VOCALS THE WAY ARNEL VOCALS SOUNDS SO ORIGINALLY CLOSE. WHY WOULD STEVE WANT TO COMEBACK UNLESS THEY INVITE HIM BACK TO PERFORM WHICH JOURNEY MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM LETTING STEVE PERFORM LIVE WHENEVER HE WANTS TO PERFORM AGAIN. IF THIS IS SO TO HAVE TWO OF THE GREATEST FRONTMEN TO REVIVE A GROUP FOR AN EVEN LONGER LONGEVITY FOR FUTURE FANS.

Journey is a great group band but who run the group is stupid. ..we filipinos dont need journey for ARNEL PINEDA..we LOVE ARNEL PINEDA with his GREAT TALENT and his GREAT VOICE n SKILL…if there is no stupidity @ journey why steve perry left the group …🤨🤔

I WANT TO SAY THAT I LOVED HIS STREET TALK SOLO MUSIC AND HIS NEWEST ONE HE RELEASING TO WHAT i HEAR STILL CLASSIC STEVE PERRY. YOU CAN RELATE TO THE WORDS HE WRITE OR SING WHAT WAS WRITTEN FOR HIM. EITHER WAY HIS MUSIC IS ALWAYS GREAT.

Why didnt axl join journey during the nevermind days?

Steve Perry is a real gentleman. I salute him for speaking his heart out.

Schon Lechon is a devil in disguise. He must change his contaminated heart and mind before the Journey becomes NOBODY LIKE HIM.

you are the only ones who think that someone will replace steve even arnel doesn’t think like that infact arnel’s favorite singer is steve perry and he never thinks that he is replacing steve, the only problem is you narrow minded journey fans.

I can’t agree more bro. , a lot of people just keep on complaining and comparing between the which is really non-sense, Steve is Steve no matter what same as Arnel. They are unique in their own way in my opinion. It’s just plain stupid a lot of fans out there keep bashing Arnel for what he is, in reality Arnel has been with the Journey longer than Steve! Since Arnel took over as the front man I think he did the Journey a big favor in joining them as they can’t find any replacement until they discover Arnel on his Youtube channel.

You are one of the greatest artists Please come back to the world The one and only…..no replica No one can ever replace you

Love always B From Canada 🇨🇦

J Cain once said Arnel is not filling in Perry’s shoes. Arnel got his own shoes that shines.

Steve Perry is one of a kind a class act and amazing performer to this day i listen to Journey when Steve Perry sang

THE ONLY SATAN IN THE GROUP IS SCHION. WHO FEELS HE CAN MAKE JOURNEY ALIVE AS IT WERE IF NOT WTHOUT HIM. THANKS TO ARNEL, SCHION WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A NURSING HOME ON ROCKING CHAIR ROCKING HIS WAY TO OBLIVION. SO WATCH UR MOUTH SCHION

People, note that, Arnel Pineda did not replace Steve Perry he replace or took over the position as the lead singer.

Steve Perry really handled that well. Arnel really admires Perry and knows that he’s a legend. Star struck. Steve Perry is not coming back to Journey and can you blame him? It’s a drama and a mess of a band.

Jrny has always been evolving their music, line up ect. Perry was okay with it till it was his turn to take a pause He could have came back after his hiking accident but he didn’t So they moved on and have done well

Steve is Steve and Arnel is Arnel, both are great singers and should not be a topic for a battle of comparison. Steve Perry is done doing Journey and he won’t be back and that’s all there is to it. The international success is just the icing on Arnel’s cake, but with or without Journey he is doing well as a recording artist with his original band “The Zoo”. That “Bring Back Steve Perry” bandwagon is just very immature and silly, to say the least.

Everyone knows that nobody could ever be a “Steve Perry” However, Arnel Pineda—- I must say that you are very impressive and I love the way you came in and Rocked every single Journey song! Arnel, you’re amazingly BLESSED with a powerhouse of a voice, a great demeanor, and swag outta this world! I definitely am super happy that Journey continues!

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Arnel Pineda

Who Is Arnel Pineda?

After a series of unfortunate events in his childhood, Arnel Pineda found success in Asia as the front man for the group The Zoo. In 2007, he was discovered by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, after a series of YouTube videos were posted of him covering American songs, including the famous hit, "Dont Stop Believin'." In December 2007, Pineda became the new lead singer of Journey. His is noted for having a strikingly similar sound to former Journey front man Steve Perry.

Troubled Childhood

Arnel Pineda was born on September 5, 1967, in Sampaloc, Manila, in the Philippines. Throughout his childhood, Pineda endured grave misfortune. When he was just 13 years old, his mother, who was 35 at the time, passed away after a long battle with heart disease. Her medical costs left the family in serious debt, and Pineda's father could no longer provide for Pineda and his three younger brothers, Russmon, Roderick and Joselito.

While relatives were able to take in his brothers, Pineda was left on his own. He spent the next few years homeless, often sleeping outside in public parks and scraping for any food or water that he could afford. When possible, he would stay at a friend's house, who offered him a cot outside. Eventually, Pineda was forced to quit school and take up odd jobs collecting scrap metal and bottles at the pier and selling newspapers to support his family.

Early Career

Pineda's love of music started at a young age. He began singing at just five years old, and had entered many singing contests as a child. In 1982, when he was 15, Pineda was introduced to a local band called Ijos, and was encouraged by his friends to try out as their new lead singer. He sang the Beatles' "Help" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All." Although they were concerned with his lack of training, Ijos members were wowed by Pineda's powerful voice, and took him on as the new front man of the band. One of the band member's friends even offered to pay Pineda's salary, 35 pesos a night, out of his own pocket, and Pineda was offered a tiny room to sleep under the guitarist's front stairs.

In 1986, some members of Ijos joined together to form the new pop-rock band Amo. The group found success covering songs by hit groups Heart, Queen and Journey. In 1988, they turned heads when they won the Philippines' leg of the Yamaha World Band Explosion Contest. Although they were disqualified in the finals due to a technicality, the event was broadcast on TV in Asia, widening their fanbase. The band continued performing at popular clubs and arenas around the Philippines.

In 1990, the members re-grouped yet again, under the new name Intensity Five, and re-entered the contest. The band came in as runner up and Pineda won the Best Vocalist Award. After a series of unfortunate health problems in the early '90s, including the brief loss of his voice, Pineda re-emerged in 1999 with a new solo album with Warner Brothers. The self-titled album had several hits in Asia.

After brief stints with a few different bands, Pineda found success again in 2006 with The Zoo, a band that he formed with Monet Cajipe, a guitarist/songwriter who had been in all his bands during over the previous 20 years. The Zoo performed at several popular clubs in the area and, in 2007, released an album by MCA Universal titled Zoology . Soon the band began covering songs by groups such as Journey, Survivor, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and more, with more than 200 performances uploaded to YouTube.

On June 28, 2007, Neal Schon, guitarist and member of the band Journey, saw a video of Pineda on YouTube and immediately contacted him. The band had been looking for a new lead singer, and Pineda's voice sounded strikingly similar to Steve Perry, Journey's legendary former front man. After speaking with Schon on the phone, Pineda made arrangements to fly to the United States and audition with the band in San Francisco. On December 5, 2007, Pineda was welcomed as the band's new lead singer.

Right away, Pineda went on tour with the band, performing two shows in Chile and two in Las Vegas. Both were a huge success. After a series of guest show appearances and magazine features, Pineda gained popularity within the American public. On June 3, 2008, the newly organized Journey released their first album, Revelation , which came in at No. 5 on the U.S. charts. The album was their highest charting album since Trial by Fire (with Steve Perry), and reached platinum status by October 2008.

Soon after the album's release, the band continued touring around the world with Pineda. The documentary, Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey , slated to be released in 2012, will chronicle the band's "Revelation Tour," and Pineda's first years with the band.

Personal Life

When he is not on tour, Pineda resides in the Philippines with his wife, Cherry, their children, Cherub and Thea. He has two other sons—Matthew, 19, and Angelo, 13—from past relationships.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Arnel Pineda
• Birth Year: 1967
• Birth date: September 5, 1967
• Birth City: Sampaloc, Manila
• Birth Country: Philippines
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Arnel Pineda is best known as the new lead singer for the rock group Journey.
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Nacionalities

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Arnel Pineda Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/arnel-pineda
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: July 20, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Journey Makes Triumphant Return With New Album 'Freedom'

By Rebekah Gonzalez

July 8, 2022

Journey is back with an all-new album and an exciting new opportunity to see the legendary group live! On Friday, July 8th, the band dropped their 15-track album Freedom , making it the band's first album of new material in eleven years. The last was 2011's album Eclipse . The group's founder, guitarist, writer, and producer Neal Schon teamed up with keyboard player and primary vocalist Jonathan Cain and vocalist Arnel Pineda for the epic new songs. In addition, they also worked with bassist Randy Jackson. This isn't the first time the group has collaborated with Jackson. He actually previously played on Journey's 1986 album Raised on Radio .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Journey (@journeymusicofficial)

The iconic rock group prepped fans for Freedom with singles "You Got The Best of Me," "Let It Rain," "Don't Give Up On Us," and "United We Stand." The album was greeted with rave reviews with Rolling Stone praising it for being "A mixture of classic Journey ballads, heavy rockers, and funky numbers." Vulture commended the new material for encapsulating "the scorching spirit that listeners have always loved about Journey, whose wheels keep churning out stadium-ready anthems and ballads after nearly five decades together."

In addition to new music, Journey and AEG have also announced four exclusive Las Vegas show dates with a symphony orchestra at the new state-of-the-art Resorts World Theatre. The special engagement will kick off on July 15th. For tickets and more info click here . To listen to Freedom , click here .

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The story of Journey’s new frontman

Arnel Pineda sat in the dark theater in Nashville with his hands partially covering his eyes. Occasionally, he would peek up at the screen, horror-movie style.

When the lights went up in Music City after the most important screening of “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” Pineda could scarcely believe it was all true, his tale of being plucked from obscurity in 2008 to front the classic rock band Journey. Of how he had literally gone from rags — a homeless, high school dropout in his native Philippines — to riches — touring the globe singing huge hit songs like “Faithfully,” “Open Arms,” and, of course, “Don’t Stop Believin,’ ” to full arenas. Pineda also wasn’t crazy about the way he looked. “I was covering my eyes because I look like crap in some parts because I’d had no sleep and they were asking me questions,” says the genial, soft-spoken singer, slightly sleepy on the phone from a New Zealand tour stop.

The story is true, however, and fortunately for director Ramona S. Diaz, Pineda got over it, or else she might not have had a movie. “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” opens at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Friday.

“That was the hardest audience I ever had to screen it for,” says Diaz, who unspooled the documentary for Pineda and the rest of Journey — guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Valory, and drummer Deen Castronovo — last February. “At that point, we hadn’t signed off on music rights.” In other words, if the members of Journey didn’t like the film, which was financed by Diaz on credit cards, favors, family investments, wings and prayers, they could have shut it down by blocking her from using their music.

“Every fiber of my being was saying oh my God, we really could be royally screwed. But at the end,” says Diaz, with a still audible sigh in her voice “they came through for us.”

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The film follows Pineda, who had toiled for many years in cover bands and original outfits in the Philippines and Hong Kong, from his initial audition for the band in San Francisco through the group’s first tour with the new frontman they found on YouTube.

Diaz, an Emerson grad whose previous films include “Imelda,” a 2003 documentary about former first lady Marcos of the Philippines, first caught wind of Pineda’s story by e-mail.

“I’m Filipino-American and I’m plugged into the community and whenever something big happens in the community everyone knows about it,” she says. “So there was this e-mail that was circulating that was written by the immigration officer who gave him his visa to go to the audition.”

When Pineda first told an official the reason for his visit to the United States, he saw the man chuckling in disbelief. But then he turned to another officer, and this one had actually seen Pineda’s band, Zoo, playing in local clubs and had heard him singing Journey songs. Pineda says he sang “Wheel in the Sky” on the spot and three days later he had his visa.

Disbelief was a recurring theme at the time. That Pineda had the presence of mind to film his audition with the band was a huge gift to Diaz. “He didn’t think he was going to get the gig so he wanted to record it and show people — ‘See I did audition for Journey’ — because no one believed him. And he told me that like, as a matter-of-fact, ‘Oh yeah, we filmed that.’ You filmed what? Seriously?”

From there Diaz persuaded the band to shoot a rehearsal. And then another few days. Finally she gained enough of their trust that they invited her crew on tour to document Pineda’s first year of adjusting to his new bandmates, huge venues and crowds, and dealing with the grueling tour schedule. Throughout it all, Pineda is even-keeled and philosophical. If it is possible to craft the “right” response to such an extraordinary circumstance, Pineda seems to display it: grateful, reverent, understandably overwhelmed but unfailingly fearless, even in the face of the ever unkind message board underbelly of the Internet, some of whose denizens did not take kindly to Pineda and let it be known.

“So much could’ve gone wrong,” says Diaz, looking back. “He could’ve failed; he could’ve lost his voice, or his confidence. We’d still have a film but not the same film, obviously. That’s why he was golden. Not only did he not miss a beat, but he was also very articulate about what was happening to him about his inner life, which is very rare to find that.”

Pineda shrugs off the praise of his calm. “I was just being myself because I was tired all the time. Keeping up with what Ramona was doing and then keeping up with the tour, it’s just too much information and too much responsibility to have.”

Nearly five years on, it is a responsibility that he now feels more comfortable with even though he knows some fans will never accept him. Although Journey had two other singers (Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto) between their most famous frontman, Steve Perry, and Pineda, in the film the band members make clear that Pineda is their man as long as he wants to be. (Perry and the group split acrimoniously in 1998 and Perry has said that he has no interest in returning.)

“No singer in this world can ever replace what Mr. Perry has accomplished with the band,” Pineda says. “But right now the main objective is to continue sharing the message they have worked so hard for over the years. It’s no competition. Right now, I can still feel the bitterness of a lot of Perry fans out there. But they don’t really understand what’s going on. They feel threatened that Mr. Perry is being dethroned of his place in the band. Nobody’s trying to change that. I completely understand where they’re coming from, but they shouldn’t feel threatened, they should feel happy that the music is still relevant. A lot of people still come to the show to witness for themselves Journey in the 21st century.”

For her part, Diaz, not a big fan previously, came away with a new respect for Journey — specifically her favorite song, “Stone in Love” — and the rock ’n’ roll touring life in general.

“You know when rock stars are being interviewed on television and they’re saying, ‘You know, it’s not all that glamorous,’ and you’re like, oh shut up ?” she says with a laugh. “I realized it isn’t all glamorous. It’s not at all. It’s only glamorous those two hours onstage and everything is about those two hours and performing in front of 20,000 people, but it was tough because [the film crew was] still working those two hours. We did this on our own dime. People will think it’s Journey, they must have helped. But we really wanted it to be independent. I didn’t want a vanity project basically. I had final cut and that was very clear, but it wouldn’t have been clear if they had funded it.”

Which is why she was so relieved when they embraced her last year and gave her the greenlight on the music, of which the film features a great deal.

“I think people really need to see the film because, looking beyond my face, there’s a story that’s so great and so inspiring,” says Pineda, who hopes to get to work on a solo album soon. “That made me realize I don’t have to be ashamed that they’re going to see my face on the big screen and see me really awkward.”

“People ask me what I want people to take away from the film,” says Diaz. “Just that good things still happen to good people.”

Sarah Rodman can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @GlobeRodman.

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Steve Perry performs with Journey at a Chicago-area concert in 1981. Paul Natkin/Getty Images hide caption

American Anthem

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September 16, 2019 • Whatever your relationship with Journey's 1981 hit, a perseverance anthem that has itself persevered, there is no escaping the longing it evokes for youth, love and a chance at greatness.

'Don't Stop Believin" Goes On And On, Because We Need It To

"I've rediscovered the passion for music and it's something I don't want to let go of ever again," Steve Perry says. Emma Holley/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Music Interviews

Steve perry's new life: 'i've rediscovered the passion for music'.

October 3, 2018 • After decades out of the public eye, Steve Perry, the former Journey frontman, has a new solo album out.

"It was the greatest time of my life. Living the dream of dreams," Steve Perry says, "But you don't have to look too far to see people not surviving fame and fortune." Myriam Santos/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Steve Perry Makes His Return

September 21, 2018 • Perry's latest solo album, Traces, out Oct. 5, marks his reunion with his own voice. And yes, it's emotional.

Steve Perry On World Cafe

Steve Perry performing during Journey's tour supporting Departure , 1980. Michael Putland/Getty Images hide caption

Journey Force

June 20, 2017 • In an excerpt from his forthcoming book Equipment For Living , poet and critic Michael Robbins explains his enduring, totally not-shameful love of the ultimate schlock-pop-rock band Journey.

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June 2, 2008 • In advance of Journey's new album, Revelation , which drops Wednesday, Bryant Park Project Producer Dan Pashman looks at Arnel Pineda, the band's replacement frontman.

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June 27, 2005 • The classic rock band Journey is still rocking, and is embarking on its 30th Anniversary tour. NPR's Rob Sachs takes a look at the band and its efforts to regain past stardom, when it could fill stadiums with fans.

Steve Perry Still Believes

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

It’s a Monday afternoon in August, and Steve Perry is cheerfully belting out the Backstreet Boys’ “As Long As You Love Me.” Perry is visiting a buddy at his house in San Francisco, and the singer — who grew up on Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and the Kingston Trio, and doesn’t listen to much current pop — is giving an example of a relatively modern song that caught his ear. “I love songs like this,” he says of the tune, a Max Martin–penned ballad from 1997. “I’m a sappy guy.”

It’s somewhat surprising to hear Perry, 69, sing a hit by a boy band a generation behind him. What’s really surprising, though, is that Perry is singing at all. Virtually nobody has seen him do this since he parted ways with his band, Journey , 20 years ago. Perry and Journey became famous in the Seventies and Eighties for big, soaring arena-rock hits about devotion, passion and seizing the moment, some of them a little sappy indeed, all of them driven by Perry’s skyscraping vocals, which exerted a massive influence on generations of wasted karaoke warriors. In the process, Journey basically invented the power ballad. Critics often dismissed the band as cheeseballs, but that wasn’t fair; songs like “Faithfully” and “Lights” stand up as beautiful and plainspoken showcases for Perry’s remarkable voice. “We certainly were part of pioneering [the power ballad],” Perry says. “I didn’t care what the critics thought about the band. I really didn’t. All I knew is every night we would get at least one to two encores. That was my critical review for me every night.”

Perry left Journey in 1987, but he never had sustained success as a solo artist. After the commercial failure of his second solo album, he got back together with his former bandmates in the mid-Nineties. They made a comeback album, scored a radio hit with the romantic ballad “When You Love a Woman” and earned a Grammy nomination. Irving Azoff, who had just made the Eagles a fortune for their reunion album, was brought in to manage the band. The future looked bright.

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Everything changed when Perry took a long hike in Hawaii and felt a horrible pain in his hip as he reached the top of a mountain. He was just in his mid-forties but discovered he had a degenerative bone condition that would require hip-replacement surgery. Terrified at that prospect, Perry experimented with alternative treatments that did little to address the problem.

Eventually, Perry’s bandmates started getting restless. “They wanted me to make a decision on the surgery,” Perry says. “But I didn’t feel it was a group decision. Then I was told on the phone that they needed to know when I was gonna do it ’cause they had checked out some new singers.” Perry begged them to reconsider, but then postponed the date of his big surgery. “I said to them, ‘Do what you need to do, but don’t call it Journey,’” he says. “If you fracture the stone, I don’t know how I could come back to it.”

They didn’t listen. Journey found a Perry soundalike named Steve Augeri and launched a tour that continues to this day. In 2008, Arnel Pineda — a Filipino singer they found on YouTube — took over on vocals, and the group began selling as many tickets as it did in its Eighties heyday, quite possibly thanks to Pineda’s uncanny ability to sound more or less exactly like Perry, whom he grew up worshipping. Understandably, Perry is a little uneasy talking about all of this, but he’s never made any attempt to reunite with his former mates. He showed up for Journey’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and made an acceptance speech, though he didn’t perform with the band. “What they do is none of my business,” he says. “When I walked away from it, I did not go to any of the shows, nor did I listen to any of it.”

While his former bandmates were making millions on the road, Perry was doing, well, not all that much. He rode around aimlessly on his motorcycle and moved from the Bay Area to San Diego, though he routinely flew back for San Francisco Giants games. Perry lived off his royalties (he says he carefully tucked away money from his Journey days) and avoided the spotlight, rarely giving interviews and politely turning away fans who begged for a photo. Basically, he became the J.D. Salinger of arena rock. “I didn’t sing in those years,” he says. “I didn’t write music. I must have gained 50 or 60 pounds. I got a butch haircut. I just said, ‘I’m going to just become a plump kid in my hometown again.’ I’d already lived the dream of dreams and didn’t know how I could come close to being anything like what I was before.”

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Rumors about Perry began to pile up. “They say I’m a recluse with long nails saving my urine in jars and living on an island with a morphine drip,” he says. “They think I’m in a hospital somewhere with cancer. And they say I can’t sing anymore.”

That last one stings the most, and as he sings the Backstreet Boys song it’s clear it’s not true. Perry’s voice is certainly deeper than in his Journey days, when his upper register could rival any rock singer’s, but it’s still unmistakably Steve Perry: rich, raspy, expressive and overflowing with the sort of pulsating emotion that caused even Journey’s fiercest critics to compare him to his idol, Sam Cooke.

Perry hasn’t lost his voice, but he has lost a lot over the years: his grandparents, who had helped raise him in rural Northern California after his mom and dad split; both of his parents; and his stepfather, who gave Perry work in his construction business to help him make ends meet in the pre-Journey days. “You want to know what I did after I left the band?” he says. “I visited my mom’s grave a lot.”

Loneliness could creep in quickly. “One time I parked my car in front of the house I was raised in,” Perry says. “It was raining like crazy, the wipers were going and I was facing the house where I was raised, with my grandfather’s house to the right. I just started crying like a baby. I cried for the times we could have had together. I cried for the times that I took for granted. And they were all gone, and here I am, an only child, just missing them all. I used to think that if I became a performer and everybody loved me, that I wouldn’t have to go through these things. But guess what? There’s nowhere to run. If you’re alive, you have to walk through this eventually.”

All of the loss may explain why the frontman who radiated such passion in his Journey days no longer felt much like singing. There was another big loss to come, but this one would lead him back to music, and, eventually, to his new solo album, Traces. It’s a story about devotion, tragedy and a promise to a dying loved one. It’s so intense and heartfelt, it could be a Journey song.

Much of what happened to Perry in the past decade can be traced back to his most famous song. Perry wrote “Don’t Stop Believin’” with Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon in 1981. The title phrase came from Cain’s father, something he’d say to encourage his son to keep going when he was a young musician eking out an existence in L.A.

Cain said he drew inspiration from characters he knew in the Sunset Strip rock scene of the early 1970s: These were the “streetlight people living just to find emotion” of the song’s lyrics. Perry has a different memory. “Jonathan and I scrawled out the lyrics about things that I had seen in Detroit one night after a show, looking way down to the street and seeing the streetlights light the streets,” he says. “I couldn’t see the lights, but could just see the glow of the lights facing down from about the 10th floor. I see people walking around at two, three in the morning. I thought, ‘Wow, streetlight people. That’s so cool.’” (He and Cain do agree on one thing: There’s no such place as South Detroit. They just needed an extra syllable before “Detroit” and weren’t familiar with the city’s geography.)

“Don’t Stop Believin’” hit Number Nine in 1981, though by the turn of the millennium, it was just one of Journey’s many hits, not even important enough to be mentioned by name in the band’s Behind the Music episode. But the song had one very important fan. Today, Patty Jenkins is one of the hottest directors in Hollywood, thanks to the Wonder Woman  franchise. Back in 2003, though, she was just a fledgling filmmaker who needed the perfect song for a scene in her low-budget movie Monster , about the life of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. During a key scene early in the film, Wuornos (played by Charlize Theron) roller-skates with her girlfriend. Jenkins figured that “Don’t Stop Believin’” would be the ideal song to punctuate the moment with a sense of unbridled optimism (before things went very, very bad, that is).

Jenkins had one big hurdle to getting “Don’t Stop Believin’” in her movie: persuading Perry to let her use the song. “Everyone told us the worst things about Steve,” says Jenkins. “They said he had disappeared, said no to everything, would never say yes and was all about the money.” Still, she sent him a rough cut of the scene along with her phone number. Much to her shock, he called her the next day and raved about the clip. “He gave us the song for practically nothing,” she says. “He just laughed at the rumors [I had heard]. The truth was, he said no to everything because he didn’t want the money. People weren’t understanding the song, and he didn’t want it to be sold out in that way.”

Monster became a surprise hit and won Theron a Best Actress Oscar. It also helped kick off the amazing second life of “Don’t Stop Believin’.” All of a sudden, the song was everywhere: On TV ( Glee used it six different times), on Broadway (it was the closing number in the musical Rock of Ages ), and even in the clubhouse of the 2005 Chicago White Sox, who made “Don’t Stop Believin’” their unofficial anthem on the way to winning the World Series. The song’s renaissance went into overdrive when The Sopranos used it in the show’s last-ever scene, in 2007.

There was something weirdly profound in the song’s sudden universal popularity: This slightly goofy Eighties anthem seemed to hit all of America in an emotional sweet spot that went way beyond mere “ironic” nostalgia, wiping out cultural barriers in an avalanche of cheesy optimism. It’s no wonder people literally sang it in the streets the night of Barack Obama’s election. The tune Perry was happy to sell for next to nothing had become the new national anthem. “It’s amazing to me,” says Perry. “All of my songs are like children to me. Once you send them out to the world you hope they’re strong enough to survive out there. All of them got the same attention, but the world decides which ones become the ‘Don’t Stop Believin’s,’ not me.”

For Perry, the song’s rebirth was important in another way. He and Jenkins became friends while she was working on Monster, and with plenty of spare time on his hands in the following years, Perry liked to lounge around the director’s editing suite and watch her work. One day in 2011, she was editing a Lifetime movie about breast-cancer patients when Perry saw a face on the screen that caught his eye. It was Kellie Nash, a Los Angeles psychologist. She was two decades Perry’s junior, and she was battling breast cancer. “I went, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, can you spool back to … stop right there. … Who’s that?’” Perry remembers. “Her smile killed me. I felt like I knew her somehow, and I never met her before.”

Perry asked for her e-mail address, but Jenkins said he should understand her condition before reaching out. Nash’s cancer had spread to her lungs and her bones. There was no exact timetable for how long she had left, but the prognosis was grim. “At that moment I had the opportunity to send no e-mail, pull back, no harm, no foul,” he says. “It just would all die at that moment. I would just go back to my safe life. Instead, I said, ‘Send the e-mail.’”

It placed him in a vulnerable position. “I didn’t want to go through another loss,” he says. “I was trying to continue moving through life on my own. But there was a simple gorgeousness about her that was just stunning.”

They met up at a restaurant near Nash’s house and talked for six hours. Before long, they were living together. For a few months, it was bliss. “Then one horrible day she said she was having headaches,” Perry says. “We got an MRI, and then later the oncologist called the house and said she had brain metastases. She fell apart right there in front of me, screaming and crying. It was the most difficult day in my life because she just melted in my arms in fear.”

Perry and Nash moved to New York so she could have access to an experimental treatment in the Bronx. His favorite time of day came in the evening, when he held Nash as she tried to fall asleep. One evening, she turned toward him with something very serious on her mind. “She said, ‘If something ever happens to me, I want you to make one promise,’” he recalls. “ ‘Promise me you won’t go back into isolation. If you do, I fear this would all be for naught.’” She urged him to make music again.

Nash died on December 14th, 2012. “Ever since I was a kid, and especially since I became successful in the music industry, I just wanted people to love me,” Perry says. “I never knew when someone did for real. I always had a reluctance to believe it. I think it comes out of my youth when my parents split up, but something inside me always had doubts.

“But let me tell you how I know. When you’re in love with someone like Kellie Nash and she looks you right in the eyes and says, ‘I love you.’ That’s how you know. She made me the luckiest man in the world.”

What Perry really wants to talk about — the reason he’s willing to sit down and revisit these parts of his life — is  Traces. It’s the result of five years of work (though there was an extended break in the middle for another hip-replacement surgery). He cut it at his home studio without any record label paying the bills or making him sweat out a deadline. The songs, many of them ballads, reflect on love, loss and the difficult moments in between. Some are directly about Nash, like “October in New York,” where he looks back at their final weeks together, while others are character-driven. The sound is a little more subdued than classic Journey: elegant, tasteful, soulfully autumnal. (Backstreet Boys aside, he avoids modern pop and has a particular aversion to drum machines; when a Top 40 station comes on one day over lunch, he insists on bolting from the restaurant to talk outside.)

Perry’s collaborators were delighted to find out he still had his voice. “When I first heard his demos, I was like, ‘Wow, there’s the voice!’” says guitarist Thom Flowers, a co-producer on the album. “But then in the studio, I got to see it myself. He likes to record in the control room, so we’d both put headphones on and he’d be two feet away from me. Without any warm-up, it just came out of him. It reminded me of watching a thoroughbred horse work.”

Perry almost couldn’t believe it himself when work on the album wrapped. “I told some friends of mine that I actually did something I said I’d never do again,” he says. “I made that commitment to Kellie and then a commitment to myself to actually complete it.”

“I always hoped that he would do this one day,” says Jenkins. “All along he’d been playing me these stunning tracks. I was always like, ‘Steve! What the hell? That’s a masterpiece!’ Hearing him give this to the world again is so moving.”

Perry may be willing to sit down for a series of extensive interviews, but there’s still an aura of mystery surrounding him. For example, his buddy Steve, whose home Perry is visiting. Steve — tall, kind, bald — lives in Mill Valley, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the Bay Area. After answering the door, he offers us coffee. There are photos on the wall of this Steve fellow with the pope. “He’s just a friend of mine,” says Perry, refusing to say anything about him. “An old friend of mine. Keep him anonymous.”

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Perry says he’s had a number of serious relationships in his life, but besides Nash and his 1980s girlfriend Sherrie Swafford (immortalized in Perry’s 1984 solo hit “Oh Sherrie”), he won’t talk about any of them. Perry concedes that he has never been married and is-currently single, but goes quiet when the subject of children comes up. (Internet sleuths theorize that a woman he’s often photographed with named Shamila is his daughter. She bears a striking resemblance to him.) “I don’t want to talk about [kids],” he says. “There’s a private part of my life that I won’t have if I talk about it.”

I notice a gold pendant in the shape of a musical eighth-note around his neck. This gets him talking. “My mom gave it to me when I was 12,” he says. “She always believed in me. I wore it for years and years, but hung it up in May of 1998, just after the band and I legally split and I had a complete contractual release from all my obligations to the band and label. I put it back on about 10 years ago.”

As we spoke, Journey were hours away from taking the stage at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans — on a double bill with Def Leppard — one of 60 shows they played this summer. As they do every night, they’ll dedicate “Lights” to Perry. It’s a gesture of gratitude, and for good reason. When Perry joined Journey in 1977, none of the group’s albums had sold well, and the band was pumping out anonymous jazz fusion. Perry changed everything. In him, Journey found a singer who not only wrote big, concise, catchy songs, but also belted them to the cheap seats. Without him, Journey might well have been a prog-rock footnote.

Perry claims to feel no bitterness toward anyone in the band, even though he’s seen the members only twice, and briefly at that, in the past 20 years, and has rebuffed attempts to reconnect on a social level. Guitarist Neal Schon seems desperate for some sort of reconciliation and often tells interviewers he wants to create new music with Perry — not even necessarily for Journey. Schon has heard that Perry frequents his favorite coffee shop, and the guitarist hopes to run into the singer there. Pressed on this, Perry says he can’t imagine working with Schon in any capacity or even re-establishing the friendship.

“I’m not sure that’s possible without stirring up hopes of a reunion,” he says. “Please listen to me. I left the band 31 fucking years ago, my friend. You can still love someone, but not want to work with them. And if they only love you because they want to work with you, that doesn’t feel good to me.”

When I bring up Cain’s new memoir, Don’t Stop Believin ’ — an innocuous, uncontroversial book where he looks back on his life and heaps endless praise onto his bandmates, past and present — a look of disgust comes across Perry’s face. “I don’t really care to read Jonathan’s book,” he says. “And I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell me about it. I don’t need to know. It’s none of my business.”

But his mind is also on the future. Plans are still unclear, but Perry wants to launch a tour of some sort to promote Traces. He says he’ll sing the Journey hits again, meaning that “Faithfully,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and, yes, “Don’t Stop Believin’” will come out of his mouth for the first time in nearly a quarter century. He clutches the eighth-note his mother gave him, the one he put back on around the time Nash came into his life, and tries to make sense of it all. “I’m not the only one that goes through life,” he says with a deep sigh. “We’re all going through it, and I’m tolerating it the best I can.”

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Former Journey frontman Steve Perry reveals why he left band at its height

Former Journey frontman, Steve Perry, reveals why he left the rock band and how he has rebuilt his life post-rock-and-roll. (CBS)

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry revealed in a new interview why he left the iconic band in the late '90s.

The rock 'n' roll star, who is set to appear Sunday on "CBS This Morning" in an interview with Tracy Smith, said he made the decision to leave the band after he fell out of love with music and wanted to embark on a new life journey.

The singer, who is known as the voice behind one of the band's biggest hits, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” also said that he was nursing a bad hip during the time he was considering leaving the band. Despite his bandmates urging him to fix his hip so they could continue rocking, Perry ultimately realized that it wasn't just his hip in the wrong place.

“It was really your heart, not your hip,” Smith says during the interview.

“It was really my heart,” Perry responds.

After leaving the band, Perry returned home to Hanford, Calif., and started a new life not centered on music.

“I stopped singing,” Perry tells Smith. “Completely, Tracy, I swear.”

And moving forward, the once-rocker found love with psychologist Kellie Nash.

Perry shared that the pair were connected through mutual friends, but at the time, sadly, Nash was battling late-stage breast cancer. Nash died in October 2012 and Perry credits her for inspiring him to make music again.

After mourning her death for two years, the former Journey member returned to the studio.

Though the singer has rediscovered his love for music, don't expect Perry to take a step back and reunite with his former bandmates. The 69-year-old told Smith that he plans to keep moving forward.

“I can only answer that question with the truth: that I love going forward. I love going to the edge of what’s next,” he says.

Perry's new album, “Traces,” is out now.

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Jon Bon Jovi has said he would be “done” with music if his singing continues to struggle with his tragic vocal injury.

The legendary rock star, 62, has spent nearly two years recovering from vocal cord surgery and recently made a comeback, performing at the MusiCares gala in Los Angeles in February.

But he said: “If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I was, I’m done. And I’m good with that. There is a big difference between being in a studio and going out on the road.

“We have just recorded a new album. I sing in vocal therapy every day.

He continued: “But I want to perform for 2½ hours a night, four nights a week — and put it this way, I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis.”

The band originated in New Jersey and is currently made up of the lead singer, drummer Tico Torres, keyboardist David Bryan and guitarists Phil X and Hugh McDonald. Former members include Richie Sambora, Alex John Such and Dave Sabo.

Bon Jovi began performing at the age of 13 and said in the upcoming documentary “there was no plan b in my life, ever” as he knew he wanted to perform.

Bon Jovi’s experiences of vocal recovery will be depicted in Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, a four-part documentary that charts the journey of four teenagers from New Jersey who became one of the world’s most successful rock bands. It then follows the band to the present day and chronicles the frontman’s rehabilitation journey.

It was announced last year that the rock legend’s son, Jake Bongiovi, was engaged to Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.

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The British actress got together with Jake in June of 2021.

Bon Jovi said of his future daughter-in-law: “I’ve gotten to know her in the last year, she works really hard, and she and Jake will grow together in their own way.

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• Updated: Apr. 11, 2024, 7:07 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 09, 2024, 11:58 a.m.

"One Deep River," the 10th solo album from former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, comes out Friday, April 12 (Courtesy Warner Records) Warner Records

• Gary Graff, special to cleveland.com

Mark Knopfler skipped Dire Straits’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018 but delivers a big batch of new music this week, his “One Deep River” joining new releases from Future and Metro Boomin’, Blue Oyster Cult, country hitmaker Ernest, Journey’s former bassist, girl in red and others, as well as the soundtrack to the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic (all subject to change)...

Mark Knopfler, “One Deep River” (British Grove/Blue Note/EMI): It’s been a minute -- six years, actually, with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction thrown in -- since the former Dire Straits’ frontman’s last solo album. His 10th has all the hallmarks of time well spent, however; in addition to the core 12 tracks, Knopfler and his crew -- which includes Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher -- recorded enough material for four bonus tracks on vinyl and a completely different five extra tracks for the CD. And, he says, there’s yet another four-song EP that will surface down the road. Clearly his creative have not been still.

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A Conversation with Frank Deringer, frontman for The Jake Deringer Project Dropped Among This Crowd

• Music Commentary

This week I am joined by Frank Deringer, frontman for The Jake Deringer Project! Frank discusses his experience playing an after-party with Jake Cinninger for the first time last February in Madison, WI. describing it as the greatest musical experience of his life. He takes us back to the beginning of his musical journey with his family band, starting as a drummer and then transitioning to guitar. Frank explains the reason why they are named The Jake Deringer Project, even though no one in the band is named Jake. We discuss his musical influences, the fill-in drummers while Kris was away, Jake's drumming, and Frank's umphlove and fandom. He also gives us a sneak peek into the UM original they have planned to play on the 12th and talks about working on new material. Frank gushes about the guys in JDP; keyboardist Logan Dier, drummer Brett Oemig, and bassist Dusty Padfield. He answers some fun rapid-fire questions, tells us what's on deck for the band, and much more.

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Jon Bon Jovi says he will be ‘done’ with music if his singing voice deteriorates after vocal recovery

Bon Jovi has said that he will be “done” with music if his voice continues to struggle following vocal injury .

The Bon Jovi frontman, 62, underwent surgery for an atrophied vocal cord two years ago and is currently doing vocal rehabilitation sessions every day .

In a new interview with The Sunday Times , Bon Jovi said that if his vocal capabilities decline and affect his performance, he will be “done”.

“If the singing is not great, if I can’t be the guy I once was … then I’m done,” he said. “And I’m good with that.”

When asked by the interviewer if he is suggesting he will never sing again, he replied: “There is a big difference between being in a studio and going out on the road. We have just recorded a new album. I sing in vocal therapy every day.”

“But I want to perform for two and a half hours a night, four nights a week – and I know how good I can be, so if I can’t be that guy … put it this way, I don’t ever need to be the fat Elvis.”

The “Livin’ on a Prayer” musician said at a Q&A event last week that he is more than capable of singing now that his recovery process is in full swing.

“I’m well into the recovery. I’m more than capable of singing . It’s just that for me, the bar is two and a half hours a night, four nights a week, before I say we’re going to go and do any shows.”

“So I’m well back on the road to recovery – not a day of it’s easy. Every day is a struggle, but I’m more than capable of doing it again. I’m f****ing Bon Jovi!” he added.

The musician explained that one of his vocal chords was as “thick as a thumb” but the other was “thick as a pinky”, so had the procedure to make them equal again.

Bon Jovi’s experiences of vocal recovery will be depicted in Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , a four-part documentary that charts the journey of four teenage friends from New Jersey who became one of the world’s most successful rock bands.

It then follows the band to the present day and chronicles the frontman’s rehabilitation journey.

The music legend said he was keen to get back on the road and tour when his forthcoming album, Forever , is released on 7 June.

“Like I said, it’s my 18th album and we worked as hard or harder on this album as I did on Slippery When Wet , in fact, harder because we’re not as naïve as we were in 1986,” he said of the album’s making.

“But I do think sometimes about the athlete who eventually has to come to terms with a next chapter in their life,” he said.

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story will premiere on Disney Plus on 26 April.

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Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer Electrifies CinemaCon With Moonwalking King of Pop, ‘Thriller’ Performance and More

“ Michael ,” the upcoming biopic about pop legend Michael Jackson that seems guaranteed to spark conversation, debuted a dazzling and emotional first look at CinemaCon during Lionsgate’s presentation to theater owners on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The sweeping footage starts as hysterical fans scream along to Jackson as he owns the stage, flashing between performances of his biggest hits like “Man in the Mirror” and “Thriller.” The movie, which is still in production, will feature over 30 songs and recreate several performances of them, starting with Jackson 5’s classic rendition of “ABC” on “American Bandstand.”

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Later in the footage, he says, “When I’m not onstage everything feels foreign to me.”

There’s certainly no shortage of material to mine in telling Jackson’s story. Before debuting the trailer, producer Graham King” called the film “an inside look at the most prolific artist who ever lived.” He teased, “There are elements of drama, intrigue and emotional states.” King noted that he’s been preparing for the movie for seven years, interviewing hundreds of people and carefully considering how to condense his complex life and legacy.

“There are biopics — and there’s Michael Jackson,” said King, who also served as a producer on the box office smash “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Jackson topped charts and moonwalked his way into cultural history with classics like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Bad” and “Black or White.” But he also faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse — a 1993 lawsuit involving the singer was settled out of civil court and in 2005 he was tried and acquitted on different claims. Jackson died in 2009 from an overdose of propofol.

“We’ll get into all of it,” King promises. “Behind the unrelenting scrutiny and the accusations and the spotlight, he was simply a man — a man with a very complicated life.”

The most daunting part of the moviemaking journey was finding the man to embody a near-mythic figure like Jackson. “When I started out, everyone said, ‘You’ll never find anyone to play him,” King recalled.

Well, in the end, they didn’t have to look far beyond the performer’s kin. “Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson, who also happens to be Jackson’s real-life nephew. In the minutes-long clip that played for theater owners, but is not yet available to the public, Jaafar Jackson embodies every inch of his uncle’s charisma and stage presence while sporting his signature white button-down, glittery glove and fitted fedora.

Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo (as Joe Jackson) and Nia Long (as Katherine Jackson) will portray the superstar’s parents. The ensemble includes Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Jessica Sula. Fuqua, a popular filmmaker whose hits include “Training Day” and “The Equalizer,” directed the film from a script by “Gladiator” screenwriter John Logan.

“Michael” hits theaters on April 18, 2025. The film comes as musical biopics have been embraced by audiences with the likes of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (a look at Queen frontman Freddie Mercury), “Rocketman” (the story of Elton John), “Elvis” and “Bob Marley: One Love” connecting at the box office.

Judging by the reaction of theater owners inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the controversy that surrounds Jackson’s legacy may not matter to audiences around the world. “Michael” looks like it has the goods to be another crowd-pleasing hit.

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Jon Bon Jovi Opens Up About Health Challenges and Where He Stands With Richie Sambora (Exclusive)

Jon Bon Jovi and his eponymous rock band have been "livin' on a prayer" for 40 years, and they're taking a look back at their roller-coaster journey in the spotlight in a new limited series, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.

The four-part series, which premieres April 26 on Hulu and Disney+, tracks the band from their breakout single, "Runaway," in the early 1980s, all the way up to the present day, where they're gearing up to release their 16th studio album, Forever , despite their frontman suffering from vocal cord deterioration, which caused him to have surgery in 2022.

"Day to day, I'm working hard on it," Bon Jovi told ET's Nischelle Turner at the iHeart Studios in Los Angeles, noting that he's hard at work on "vocal therapy" any chance he gets. "Nothing else matters until I work on getting better. It's up to God at this point. I've done everything I can do." 

Despite the difficulties, the iconic frontman insisted he isn't giving up, and also assures, "I won't fake it.... the legacy matters too much."

"I won't compromise who we are as a band live, because I'd like to think we're a pretty darn good band," he continued. "I sang on the new record. I've done MusiCares and nailed it... When I woke up after that night, it was the first time in a decade the only voice in my head was mine -- fear wasn't there, doubt wasn't there -- and [my wife] Dorothea texted the kids and said, 'He's back!'"

His health issues weren't the only tough subject to tackle in Thank You, Goodnight. Bon Jovi and his band also had to grapple with the death of original bassist Alec John Such -- who died in 2022 after being fired from the band in 1994 due to issues with drugs and alcohol.

The series is dedicated to Such, but some of its tensest and most heartbreaking moments come between Bon Jovi and former bandmate Richie Sambora. The duo wrote many of Bon Jovi's biggest songs together during their peak days on the charts, however, Sambora departed the group in 2013, and has only played with them once since -- at the band's Rock and Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2018.

"There was never a fight," Bon Jovi told ET of Sambora's falling out with the band. "It was never about money, it was never about a girlfriend. He had issues ... and he literally didn't show up. We were playing for 20,000 people and there's a black hole on the stage."

"Substance abuse or anxieties or single parenting, all those things weighed on him, losing his dad. These were all very hard things," Sambora's former bandmate admitted. "But in fairness, why would I take away the livelihoods of not only the band, but the 120 guys in the crew? Or the millions of people that bought a ticket? What am I going to do? Shut it down because you don't want to go to rehab?"

Ultimately, Bon Jovi said he and Sambora actually watched the first three episodes of Thank You, Goodnight  together, and Bon Jovi said that onscreen was the first time he'd heard Sambora apologize for his departure -- adding that time has helped heal their relationship.

"You read, you talk to professionals, you sit with yourself, you learn to understand from a different perspective that his choices weren't made out of animosity either," he reflected. 

That perspective, he noted, is why it "wasn't hard" to say yes to the in-depth docuseries -- on which he doesn't serve as a producer or have final cut approval.

"I have very few regrets. Mistakes are part of life and part of the journey," he explained. "Also having no creative control over the edit, truly not wanting a puff piece, giving the director and the producer their opportunity to create this film... When I view some of the things that were said -- and I might not agree with them -- I was never gonna dispute them. Because that's your truth."

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story  premieres April 26 on Hulu and Disney+. Forever is out June 7.

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