For quite some time, Journey singer Arnel Pineda has struggled with vocal cord issues, likely stemming from the high demand that the band's catalog puts on a vocalist. The songs aren't easy, and singing them for decades is clearly not a healthy thing to do for most people.
Pineda has often stepped off stage at concerts and allowed his bandmates to sing songs, giving the main vocalist a bit of rest. At two recent concerts in Japan, though, something different happened. A person named Hugo Valentin, who has performed in a Journey tribute band for years, was asked on stage, and he sang two numbers.
Valentin looks and sounds like former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, the singer that most associate with the group's outstanding catalog. When the band was at its best and dropping one successful album after another, it was Perry who served as the frontman. Valentin doesn't offer his own style really; he is simply trying to be Perry.
Arnel Pineda endorses Journey using a tribute band singer on recent songs
This doesn't bother Piuneda, however. He responded to a recent Instagram post showing Valentin performing with the group in Japan, and Pineda wrote, "that's the band right there...now i can step back...congratulations @journeyofficial" and followed his words with three fire emojis.
To be clear, neither the band nor Pineda has officially said that Valentin is replacing him as singer. That appears unlikely, and Valentin's appearance was likely more of a gimmick than a long-term reality. He has a fine voice and can perform the group's songs well, but he is simply a tribute singer.
His long-term inclusion would simply be weird. If he wasn't trying to be Steve Perry, it might be fine. If he had his own style, that would also work. But seeing him perform in concert with Journey is just a reminder that the actual Steve Perry isn't involved anymore. It's sad and bittersweet.
Still, Arnel Pineda likely would be happy with someone taking his place. He can rest his voice and not have to deal with the rigors of touring. While the band's current run of shows is called The Final Frontier Tour, no one is saying that it is Journey's last tour. As long as they keep making money, they will probably keep performing live.
That isn't a swipe. Musicians make money by playing gigs and creating albums. If Journey decides to keep touring with a different singer, that is their right. The hope is that they don't continue down the road of being a version of their own cover band.
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