Journey‘s future after their final dates with Jonathan Cain remains very much up in the air, but a core group of remaining collaborators appears to be coalescing around Neal Schon.
He’s now made two well-publicized appearances with Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen and second keyboardist Jason Derlatka – but not Cain – ahead of the group’s previously announced farewell tour. What once seemed like a one-off is being talked about as the group’s next iteration.
Meanwhile, frontman Arnel Pineda has also been notably absent. There were guest singers as Schon first appeared with this remaining trio in mid-December on NBC’s The Voice. Castronovo then handled vocal duties on “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Separate Ways” on Dec. 28 during an NFL halftime. So what’s next?
Why Isn’t Arnel Pineda Singing With Neal Schon?
Serious legal problems may be impacting Pineda’s availability. He was arraigned in September before Judge Mary Ann Punzalan-Toribio in Quezon City, Phillippines, in connection with a domestic violence charge made by his wife Cherry Flores-Pineda. Pineda “did not enter a plea,” according to Business Mirror, so the court filed a mandatory not-guilty plea on his behalf.
Pineda has been accused of violating his home country’s Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Law, which “criminalizes acts that cause mental or emotional anguish to a woman or her child, including public ridicule, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody.” The case is ongoing at Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 99.
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Lawyers asked for a dismissal on grounds of insufficient evidence against Pineda, arguing that the case was simply retaliation after he previously sued Flores-Pineda for adultery. “All I know about Arnel is that he is a very gentle person, in and out,” Pineda’s Las Vegas-based manager Yul Session told The Inquirer. “He is incapable of being violent. What [his wife] is saying about abuse is not true.”
Conflicting dates have been reported for when Pineda married Cherry Flores, though he confirms on his website that they began dating in 2003. Pineda was discovered on YouTube by Schon about four years later. Schon invited Pineda to join the band and they’ve since released three studio albums, including 2008’s platinum-selling Top 5 smash Revelation.
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Pineda missed at least one court appearance, resulting in a bench warrant for his arrest. Session said he could not attend because he’d been “medically advised to rest due to illness.” Journey’s farewell tour was then confirmed in November, with Pineda on board.
Questions about Journey’s lineup didn’t begin until Schon started making separate Journey-related appearances. Pineda then sparked wider confusion when he seemed to distance himself in a comment on one of Castronovo’s posts from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California: “Congratulations and have fun on your 2026 Farewell Tour,” Pineda said.
Arnel Pineda on stage with Neal Schon. (Rob Loud, Getty Images)
Is Deen Castronovo Journey’s New Singer?
Castronovo never sang as an earlier member of Hardline, which also featured Jensen and Schon. Since initially joining Journey in 1998, he’s only occasionally been featured at the mic, handling vocals on “A Better Life” from 2005’s Generations and “After Glow” from 2022’s Freedom, Journey’s latest studio project.
But Castronovo also fronts the side band Revolution Saints, served as a featured vocalist on Schon’s short-lived Journey Through Time offshoot group, and regularly sings the ’70s-era radio favorite “Lights” while on tour with Journey. (Derlatka has also taken over for Pineda on “Girl Can’t Help It” at recent Journey concerts.)
Fans unfamiliar with these earlier vocal turns initially assumed Castronovo was lip-syncing to the old records by former frontman Steve Perry during the San Francisco 49ers home game. “Any that are in doubt that was Deen Castronovo,” Schon quickly responded, “1000% he does sing that well.”
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Why Fans Are Confused About Journey’s Lineup
Will this be Journey’s new lineup or Schon’s next solo band? News coverage, promotional material and social media posts have also muddied the waters: Early PR for The Voice announced an appearance by “Neal Schon and Journey.” People magazine’s exclusive preview of the show reported that Journey would perform.
Schon tried to walk that back – but still hasn’t confirmed his future plans. “Just so there’s no confusion, this is no way is meant to make it look like Jonathan or Arnel are not in the band any longer,” Schon later clarified. “They could not make The Voice. I’m simply going there with Deen, Todd and Jason to promote our upcoming tour and have some fun!”
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Yet NBC posted clips from the show under the headline: “Journey’s Unforgettable Medley on The Voice Finale.” The group’s latest logo was shown behind Schon’s performance at the football game, where a news report said Journey had “introduced its current lineup to a nationwide audience.”
Journey takes a bow after a classic-era concert. (Paul Natkin, Getty Images)
When Does Journey’s Farewell Tour Begin?
Journey is set to kick off the first leg of the Final Frontier Tour in March after years of in-fighting and a flurry of lawsuits between Cain and Schon. Is this really goodbye, though? “I really do believe it is because I need to musically move on,” Schon told Rolling Stone. “I have too many creative juices, and I don’t like sitting in the same spot forever.”
In keeping, he’s already working behind the scenes to gain a trademark for another potential offshoot titled Journey Beyond. Asked if Journey would be evolving into this new entity, Schon only said: “Well, who knows? Nothing is set in stone right now until I actually get there.”
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
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