Arnel Pineda, the Filipino lead vocalist of iconic rock band, Journey, continues to live his fairytale story.
After 6 years, Arnel and the legendary band are still performing around the world. Their tour schedule is full up to September 20, 2013; they just came from Canada, the UK and Germany to sold-out concerts and well-applauded performances.
With Arnel, the band was able to continue playing to a broader audience. They are now known as a “World Rock Band” and no longer an American band.
An undeniable ‘‘bromance’’ exists among the band members; lead guitarist – Neal Schon, drummer – Deen Castronovo, bassist- Ross Valory, and keyboard player – Jonathan Cain. They seem to be one big happy family. Ross Valory once revealed:
“Everyone feels comfortable now; we got the magic back.”
The following were the accomplishments of Journey with Arnel Pineda as the lead singer:
• “After All These Years” landed on the Top 10 of the Adult Contemporary Chart, and peaked at Top 9 for more than 23 weeks.
• “Where Did I Lose Your Love”, another song in Arnel’s first album with Journey, had also landed on Top 19 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
• The “Revelation” album was a phenomenal success for the band because it debuted at Top 1 on the Independent Albums Chart on Billboard; was Top 2 on the Rock Album Chart, and Top 5 on the Billboard 200 for 6 months. Filipinos showed their support for their “kababayan” (countrymen) too, when the album shot up to No. 1 in the Philippines.
Outside of the US, “Revelation” also ranked in music charts in Japan (No. 17), Germany (No. 35), Sweden (No. 28), and Netherlands (No. 51), to mention a few. The album became certified platinum on November 2009. Up to this date, it is still selling to new Journey fans.
• “Eclipse”, the second album in 2011, became a Top 40 hit in various countries, such as the UK (No. 33), Sweden (No. 14), Japan (No. 18), and Switzerland (No. 24), among others.
• A documentary film entitled “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” was filmed about how Neal Schon found Arnel on YouTube. The movie was featured in several venues abroad and was selected as the Audience Choice Documentary during the New Hampshire Film Festival for 2012. The film was directed by Ramona Diaz.
• Recently, it was announced that “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey would be featured on September 30, 2013 on the Independent Lens series, PBS Documentary.
Perhaps, the international rock star would want to try his hand at acting?
Arnel Pineda did not only rejuvenate the band, but he also brought Journey’s music legacy to younger generations around the world.
As one young boy aptly stated after watching his favorite band perform in Las Vegas:
“Journey Rocks!”
Last Tuesday, August 20, 2013, Arnel Pineda and Journey’s Documentary, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,’ was released on DVD at Walmart and Amazon. Click HERE to know more.
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