Arnel Pineda, the lead singer of the band Journey, has been left so devastated by the criticism he’s received for his recent performance at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil that he’s giving fans the chance to vote him out of the group if they wish to.

Yes, Journey has transformed from a classic rock band to an episode of American Idol. Strange times we live in.

Pineda Offers To Leave Journey

Pineda, 57, took to Facebook on Sunday to address the criticism that he’s gotten for his September 15 performance. Video that has since gone viral shows Pineda having issues with his ear monitors and struggling to hit the right note.

“No one more than me in this world feels so devastated about this… it’s really amazing how 1 thousand right things you have done will be forgotten just cause of THIS..and of all the place, its in Rock In Rio…,” he wrote. “Mentally and emotionally, I’ve suffered already, and I’m still suffering ..but I’ll be OK….”

After expressing his “immense gratitude, humility and honor” to fans for supporting Journey’s shows this year, Pineda offered to leave the band if an online vote tells him to do so.

“So here’s the deal here now,” he wrote. “I am offering you a chance now ( especially those who’s hated me and never liked me from the very beginning) to simply text GO or STAY right here..and if GO reaches 1million…I’m stepping out for good..are you game folks?”

Pineda ended his post by thanking “fans and friends” for believing in him since “Day 1.”

Here’s the performance in Rio that kicked off the drama:

Journey guitarist Neal Schon left a comment in support of Pineda, saying, “Arnel dont listen to these blogs. They are all bought. You’ve kicked […]!”

Pineda Previously Offered To Leave Journey

This isn’t the first time that Pineda, who joined Journey in 2007, has offered to leave the band. In 2014, he said that he’d step down if former singer Steve Perry wanted to reclaim his role. Perry had left the band in 1998.

“I’d be more than happy to give way,” he said at the time, adding that this would give him more time with his family.

“As long as they need me I will be there, I’m never gonna quit on them,” he continued.

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Journey Drummer Speaks Out

Journey drummer Deen Castronovo told Ultimate Classic Rock in 2022 that Pineda had been working with a vocal coach to fix a long-standing vocal issue. Adjusting the volume onstage during performance had reportedly helped him.

“To think that he’s been struggling with this for 14 years, he said. I had no idea,” Castronovo explained. “I think it was something that he didn’t know if he had the liberty to say, ‘Hey, I need to fix this’ or ‘You guys need to try something different here,’ either get a new soundman or whatever.”

“But once we got this guy, Tom, everything changed,” the drummer continued. “He’s a different guy. [Pineda’s] a different guy. Oh, my God, it blew us away. I think it’s been 15 shows since that [change], and every night, he sounds amazing.“

Judging by the comments on Pineda’s post, it appears that the vote is going Pineda’s way so far. It will certainly be interesting to see if he remains with Journey by the end of this!

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