Journey’s Jonathan Cain shares the real-life story behind ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ‘ as band prepares for Spokane show
One of the architects of the massive hit “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” almost stopped believing in Journey when vocalist Steve Perry quit the band in 1998. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain was uncertain that the band could continue after Perry left the group. It was understandable, since Journey said goodbye to a singer with such a big set of identifiable pipes that his nickname is “The Voice.”
“Steve was the best bandleader you can have,” Cain said. “He was magical.”
If Journey failed to replace Perry, the group would have called it a day during its 25th anniversary. However, guitarist Neal Schon refused to give up, and Steve Augeri filled Perry’s role. Jeff Scott Soto followed Augeri. Neither replacement singer approximated the impact of the iconic Perry. And the band was searching for yet another vocalist in 2007. Cain once again wondered if Journey could continue.
Then Schon witnessed Journey cover band singer Arnel Pineda in 2007 belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” in his native Manila via YouTube. An invitation to audition was offered.
“I was skeptical,” Cain said. “I’m a realist. I thought, this kid has never been to America. There will be blowback because of his skin color and his race. I worried about how much of this country would accept him.”
But Pineda was embraced with open arms by Journey fans. A quarter century after Perry bid farewell to Journey, the band is nearly as popular as it was during its heyday.
“We could have never have guessed this would happen,” Cain, 73, said while calling from Los Angeles. “There is life for us at this point. When I look back at all that we accomplished, it’s just amazing to take it all in.”
So Cain and the rest of Journey, which includes drummer Deen Castronovo and bassist Todd Jensen, believe. “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” isn’t just the name of Journey’s biggest hit. It’s also the advice Cain received from his father when he struggled as a musician during the ‘70s.
“ ‘Don’t stop believin’ Jon,’ is what my dad told me,” Cain said. “I wrote it down in one of my notebooks.” “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” is also the name of Cain’s memoir, which was published in 2018.
Journey, which will perform Friday at the Spokane Arena, was massive during its early ‘80s peak with Perry, who is an underappreciated arranger of the band’s many hits. When Journey was putting together songs for its breakthrough album, “Escape,” in 1981, Perry asked Cain for ideas.
“The clock was ticking on us and Steve wanted to know if there was anything in my magic notebook,” Cain recalled. “I shared with him the phrase, ‘Don’t stop believin’.”
Cain proceeds to sing the couplet, Don’t stop believin’/hold on to that feeling. It’s an enduring anthem. The chorus doesn’t arrive until the conclusion of the tune, which is rare.
“Steve came up with that idea,” Cain said. “He said, ‘Make them wait to hear it. That way they’ll always want to hear it.’ I can still hear Steve yodeling the words to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. ”
Journey has sold 48 million albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. “I don’t know how to top that,” Cain said.
There’s often drama and unpredictability over the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mark Knopfler blew off Dire Straits’ induction in 2018. After years of complaining that they were dismissed by the hallowed Rock Hall, Kiss accepted the hardware but surprisingly refused to perform at their ceremony in 2014. According to Cain, nobody knew what Perry would do during the night of Journey’s induction.
“I was hoping he would perform,” Cain said. “I was waiting for him to do so. He didn’t perform, but I was ready if he was up to it. On the plus side, Perry was full of grace and humility. He had a one-on-one for 15 minutes with Arnel, who came out and said, ‘My God, I met him!’ It was an amazing experience.”
Journey played “Lights,” “Separate Ways” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Speaking once more of the latter, Journey was ecstatic that Sopranos visionary David Chase selected the hit to cap his iconic show.
“That blew us away,” Cain said. “David Chase notified us a year before it aired. ‘I’ve chosen your song’ is what he told us.”
The members of Journey were sworn to secrecy. “We didn’t say a thing,” Cain said. “It was a feel-good song for Tony Soprano’s character. I loved the show and James Gandolfini (who played Tony Soprano).”
While on vacation in Italy in 2013, Cain was checking out of a hotel in Rome shortly before Gandolfini checked in. Just a few hours later, Gandolfini passed away in his room. “I was freaking out when I heard about it,” Cain said. “That was just too weird.”
But fans might also file Journey adding a cover band singer from halfway around the world as weird. “Who would ever guess that would work,” Cain said, “But it has worked out well.”
Pineda’s tenure with the band has almost matched Perry’s period with Journey, which was 21 years.
“We’re still going strong,” Cain said. “We have more years ahead of us.”
Don’t stop believin’, indeed.
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About Jonathan Cain
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and Journey member Jonathan Cain released his first solo record in 1976, Windy City Breakdown . In 1979 he joined the band, The Babys, and in 1980 joined the rock band, Journey, rounding out the songwriting genius behind the defining album, Escape . Cain’s signature piano, synth playing and songwriting contributions with Journey, The Babys and Bad English have earned him many Billboard hits, multiple Gold, Platinum and Diamond-selling records, a Star on the Hollywood walk of fame and a GRAMMY nomination. Journey was named as the fifth best band in rock history in a 2005 USA Today opinion poll, was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and continues today, selling out major venues worldwide.
One may know of the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes’ history (“Don’t Stop Believin’”), as well as other Journey chart toppers like, “Faithfully”, “Who’s Crying Now,” “Open Arms” and many more international hits. However, some possibly lesser known information about Jonathan Cain, is that he co-wrote all of them.
He brought the lyrics for “Don’t Stop Believin” to one of his first Journey rehearsals. In preparation for the recording sessions of the Escape album. They were something he had written in a lyric book based on what his dad had told him. In addition to being an esteemed songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, genre crossing artist and so much more, is that he is a family man. Jonathan Cain is about being a loving father, because of the love that was shown to him by his father, and ultimately, the Heavenly Father. Which he writes about in his book.
Cain released his Rolling Stone– lauded, Publishers Weekly -bestselling book, Don’t Stop Believin’ in 2018 along with four new solo albums in as many years, including his current, Billboard – featured More Like Jesus that Parade calls a “triumphant new album.” Cain wrote most of the More Like Jesus songs while he was on a 58-city arena/stadium tour with his Journey bandmates that played to over one million people on their last tour. Journey is preparing to start playing live again as things open back up again; Starting with Chicago festival, Lollapalooza– this July.
As this iconic artist continues to press into his faith with inspired new music, Cain performed at the recent NCAA® Final Four® tournament, National Day of Prayer , Creation Music Festival, Lifest and leads worship most weekends at City of Destiny where his wife, Paula White-Cain , is the Senior Pastor.
Cain has further become a sought-after speaker, speaking at this years’ Prestonwood Men’s Conference, Better Man Event and more. He has also helped raise more than $500,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Tennessee, as well as lends his support to Toys for Tots, the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, among others.
Cain is currently preparingto release the first of three singles in preparation for his upcoming worship album. This will be the sixth solo full-length album of Jonathan Cain that he recorded at his studio, Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville.
© 2024 Jonathan Cain.
Journey Keyboardist Jonathan Cain’s New Memoir: 10 Things We Learned
By Andy Greene
Andy Greene
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain first got the idea for his book Don’t Stop Believin’: The Man, the Band, and the Song That Inspired Generations ( in stores May 1st ) while traveling around the country on one of the band’s many long tours. “I’d be on the bus a lot with [ Journey bassist] Ross [Valory] and often I’d just start reminiscing about my life,” he says. “I’d talk about growing up in my Italian neighborhood and going to Dick Clark shows and listening to Wolfman Jack. I think it was Ross that said to me, ‘You should write a book.'”
Cain thought that was a splendid idea, though he didn’t quite realize how much work it would take. He began writing the book on his own laptop, starting with his earliest childhood memories, but eventually grew frustrated. He estimates that he re-wrote the first chapter alone eight different times. “I realized my grammar wasn’t so good,” he says. “I can write a song, but actually putting in the punctuation marks and knowing where to put the quotes? I had to learn all that stuff.”
He eventually was teamed up with novelist Travis Thrasher, who turned out to be an invaluable resource. “He re-organized it all and put things in their proper places and showed me where I was missing things,” says Cain. “It was about 500 pages when he got it and he said, ‘Let’s get to the essence of the thing.’ He showed me how to outline. I really owe him a lot.”
The book begins with a pivotal moment in his life: the day in 1987 that Steve Perry decided he no longer wanted to be in Journey. “In less than a year, my band would be over, my marriage would disintegrate, and, worst of all, my father would pass away,” he writes. “The year ahead would be one of the toughest I would ever have to endure.”
It then goes back to Cain’s childhood in Chicago, his early success as the keyboardist in the Babys, joining Journey in 1980, co-writing “Don’t Stop Believin'” with guitarist Neal Schon and singer Steve Perry, and the long, difficult road toward rebuilding Journey in the aftermath of Perry’s departure. It’s packed full of info that will be new even to hardcore Journey fans. Here are 10 things we learned from the book.
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4. The phrase “Don’t Stop Believin'” is something that Cain’s dad said to him on the phone one night in the 1970s when he was frustrated with his life and career. He scribbled it down on the last page of his spiral notebook and found it when Journey was writing songs for 1981’s Escape. “I came up with a cool chord progression and and started humming the lyric ‘don’t stop-believin’-hold onto that feeling’ over the changes. I didn’t know what the other lyrics were yet, but I planned to show the guys the idea anyway.”
5. The infamous “Don’t Stop Believin'” lyric “born and raised in South Detroit” came to them very quickly. Initially, Steve Perry tried “born and raised in Detroit,” but Cain felt it needed another syllable to flesh it out. He suggested “South Detroit,” though Perry wondered aloud of such a place even existed. “Heck if I know,” Cain said. “If it sings well, I say let’s move on.” No such place exists because “South Detroit” is Canada.
Journey's Jonathan Cain Talks Band Feud: 'Let's Hit Reset'
6. Steve Perry broke the news to Cain and Schon that he was done with Journey after calling them to meet him near San Francisco’s Richardson Bay. “Guys, we’re done,” Cain remembers Perry saying. “We can’t get any bigger. If we keep going, we’re going to end up some classic rock nostalgia band. We’ll end up just being a memory – a shadow of what we used to be.” Cain was absolutely crushed. He’d been in the band a mere seven years. “Steve eventually walks away towards his car, leaving Neal and me near the shore,” he writes. “As we stare out at the water, I see the city by the bay. It feels like a stranger.”
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7. Perry begged the band not to tour without him after a severe hip injury made it impossible for him to perform in support of the group’s 1996 comeback LP Trial By Fire. “Do whatever you guys need to do, but don’t call it Journey,” he said. “Call the band something else. Anything. Don’t fracture the stone. I don’t think I can come back if you break it.” Perry has held true to his word by not singing a note with them since they began touring with a new singer in 1998.
8. Cain had major doubts about hiring new Journey singer Arnel Pineda after Neal Schon discovered him on YouTube in 2007. “Initially, the thought of Arnel singing with us made me hesitant,” he writes, “wondering what our fans in places like Raleigh, North Carolina, and regions in the middle of Texas might think. I feared the twisted mentality that went, ‘That’s no Steve Perry – he’s Asian.'”
9. He randomly met his wife Paula White – who serves as Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor – on a Southwest Airlines flight to San Antonio, Texas. He had no idea who she was, but they started talking when a book dropped out of her bag and he picked it up for her. “The likelihood of Pastor Paula White being on a Southwest flight was highly improbable, just like Journey,” Cain writes. “She had needed to get a flight to San Antonio for some time, and a seat just happened to open up on our plane that very day.”
10. White played an instrumental role in Cain’s spiritual awakening, which has caused no small degree of conflict within Journey. “I told her how deep I used to feel in my relationship with Jesus,” he writes. “I told Paula I hadn’t been to church for many years, and how hungry I was for my faith to return.”
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How Jonathan Cain’s Breakthrough Helped Spark New Journey Music
From " Faithfully " to faith, Journey 's return to new music has also brought the band's keyboardist, guitarist and composer Jonathan Cain back to some fresh tunes of his own - specifically the single "Oh Lord Lead Us."
Outside the band, Cain has immersed himself in Christian music in recent years, to the tune of five albums, including the 2017 holiday set Unsung Noel . But his faith in faith-based music was tested recently.
"I had given up on writing worship music for a while," says Cain, whose wife, Paula White, is a televangelist and author who served as an advisor to Donald Trump during his presidency. Cain contracted a brief case of COVID-19 in September that he says passed quickly. The pandemic, however, pushed him to pick up the pen and try to write again.
"I saw the fear and panic and anxiety in the society, and I said, 'It's time to write something that's positive,'" recalls Cain, who filmed the video for "Oh Lord Lead Us" last month at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. "And God just kept at me and kept at me, so I opened my Bible one morning and there was [1 Chronicles 16:11]: 'Look to the lord for strength/Always seek his presence.' And I was like, 'Oh, yeah, that's it.' That's what triggered it. All I needed was that one scripture, and I said, 'Yeah, Lord, lead us. Lead us through this mess.'"
You can watch the exclusive premiere of Cain's "Oh Lord Lead Us" video below.
Cain adds that he was also looking for "a New Year's feeling" for the song, an arena-caliber anthem he premiered during the holiday at the City of Destiny Church in Florida, where his wife is also pastor. He recorded the track - along with others that will be part of a new EP, likely out this fall - at his own Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville, joined by Jason Derlatka, a Journey auxiliary musician who's been promoted to full-time membership in the band and is, according to Cain, "Journey's secret weapon."
He adds that he "had my hands full, going back to worship [music] and writing Journey at the same time. It was interesting that Neal [Schon] and Narada [Michael Walden] were writing a lot of songs needing lyrics, and I was just writing them, supernaturally. I heard a song, and the lyrics were done in a couple hours." He feels it was a reward for his reengagement. "I believe my prolificacy came from being obedient to God's calling - 'Well, bring me some worship music and I will give you lyrics to the Journey album. I'll fill your head with whatever you need.' And it seemed like whatever I had to come up with, I came up with it."
The first fruits of that were heard in " The Way We Used To Be ," which came out last month and marks the first new material by Journey's latest lineup, which also includes singer Arnel Pineda and bassist Randy Jackson, who played with the band in the mid-'80s. It emerges after Cain and Schon successfully fought off an alleged "attempted corporate coup d'etat" by former members Ross Valory and Steve Smith , which led to their firings . Cain says the drama is behind the band now, with Journey's focus firmly on the future now.
"It was sort of a shocking thing, that brothers had come to that," he says. "We had to sort it out. You get lemons, you make lemonade - what else are you gonna do? It's probably not that out of the ordinary for bands to do this kind of stuff, and it's usually based on greed or whatever. I really am glad it's behind us, and I wish everybody well, really. I have no ill will towards anyone."
Cain says the new Journey album is "close to being done," though with no release date set as of yet. There's a tentative title, which he's not revealing, and the package is being designed by Jim Welch, who worked with the band on several classic albums, including Infinity , Departure and Escape .
"It's typical Journey, I think," Cain says. "We're back to our old sound, but it's got a little bit more on the bottom end. It's got fire. It's just a little bit more edge to it. Neal's playing his butt off, and it's very driven, very cool. The songs came very interesting. I like it a lot."
Journey return to the road on July 29, with a warm-up show at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom before playing at Lollapalooza two days later. A handful of other dates are on tap, as well as a December residency at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (formerly the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino) and a full-scale tour in 2022.
"It's gonna be great," says Cain, a Chicago native. "It's a long time coming. I know that the fans have missed it. So have we. I think when you take something away, like what happened during [the pandemic], that purpose becomes more urgent. I think COVID taught us all how lucky we were, how fortunate our lives have been. When that purpose is taken away, we want it even more. I think we'll all enjoy life a lot more and hopefully ... appreciate each other better."
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Journey’s Jonathan Cain Talks Vegas Residency, Perseverance and New 2022 LP
by Jacob Uitti December 9, 2021, 11:10 am
Journey is back in Las Vegas. While the Bay Area-born rock band, which is known for songs like “ Don’t Stop Believin ’” and “Faithfully,” has been playing Sin City since the Millenium, the group is back again after a pandemic-induced hiatus. (Now three shows in with two more to go in December.) And, says keyboardist Jon Cain, they’re already seeing people tear up. “I saw a couple of ladies in tears in the front row,” Cain says of the band’s recent shows in the desert.
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For Cain, to be back is a real achievement. He and the band missed the stage, their time away was “devastating.” But in the meantime, the group wrote and recorded a new album, long-distance, which Journey is set to release in spring 2022 and will feature bassist Randy Jackson.
“We got lemons and we made lemonade,” Cain tells American Songwriter of the album that could feature upwards of 16 songs. “This record has a lot of fire.”
In June, Journey debuted their new album’s first single, “The Way We Used To Be,” which was born via file-sharing. It’s also true to the core of the band, immediately part of the best of their epic cannon. Journey guitarist Neal Schon was sending Cain keyboard licks he’d been working on. Unsure whether they were “Journey” songs or not, he let Cain check them out. Cain was inspired and got his pen moving. Along with playing keys, Cain has written song lyrics for much of his life, including the chorus for “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which was born from a conversation he had with his father. Now, in lockdown, Cain wrote about what he observed: he didn’t want to accept this “new normal” everyone was talking about. So, he said so.
“I reject the ‘new norm’,” he says. “No, we’re going back to the way we used to be. Our fans don’t want a new normal.”
Cain recalls the pandemic. He remembers acquiring COVID-19 and the separation he had from his wife in quarantine. In his soul was this idea of getting back together. When he heard Schon’s loop, which Cain says “sounded like the pandemic” and offered blues sensibilities and feelings of real pain, he wanted to put this idea for a hook down and sing about distance and his hope of shrinking it.
“We’re ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ that’s who we are,” Cain says. “We never quit!”
During the Vegas shows, the fans have taken to the new tune. It engenders a sense of hope and community.
Cain says he’s “old school.” On the new record, he also wrote a love song about “still believing” in love. It’s one of many tracks on the forthcoming LP, which Cain says will include signature Journey sounds, heartfelt ballads, and big rockers. In fact, the band is still in the process of sequencing the tracks, getting the exact right order. For the record, Cain wrote all the lyrics long-distance. He gives praise to a higher power for that.
“It’s my relationship with the Lord,” he says. “When it comes to Journey, He says, ‘I got ya,” and He sure did.”
Journey, which was originally comprised of past members from groups like Santana and Steve Miller Band, released its self-titled debut record in 1975. The band released a new album every year into 1980 when it released two albums in 12 months. Escape came in 1981 and with it, Journey’s biggest hit, the one that will last for likely thousands of years—“Don’t Stop Believin’.” The song was born during a conversation when a dejected Cain was talking with his father about quitting music. But his father encouraged that his big break was just around the corner and “don’t stop believing.” Boom. Ever since, the band has lasted through lineup changes, lead singer changes, and decades of time.
“It’s great to feel relevant at this point,” Cain says. “I’m certainly grateful for our fans for sticking with us.”
Cain recalls early reviews from outlets like Rolling Stone , which, he says, dismissed the band as some pop fad. Yet, Cain laughs, the big groups in the ‘70s and ‘80s now have to sing lines like, Girls, girls, girls, which may not feel as natural today as in the prime of their youths. To wit, over the summer, Journey played to 120,000 people at Lollapalooza, many of which Cain says were families. Despite these more wholesome roots, the band’s new record has much vim and vigor, stoked by Schon’s ambitious playing, Cain’s prolific lyrics, and lead singer Arnel Pineda’s sky-piercing vocals.
“Arnel delivered,” Cain says of the frontman, who joined Journey in 2007, filling the big shoes of Steve Perry. “We’re really blessed to have a man with a humble heart and mighty voice being our leader. He’s a showman. Last night the crowd was kind of dead but in the end, he had them standing up and they were loving it. It’s Vegas!”
For Cain, that’s the magic of music. Especially in a live setting (and Journey will be going on tour starting February 22 in Pittsburgh with Billy Idol.) It’s this invisible thing that has so much power to change. It brings joy to a room, energy. It can bring someone to tears and to laughter. As such, there’s a responsibility to being a musician, a purveyor of this sound. But if you do it right—if you keep the faith—it will pay off. And people will remember.
“I go to sleep at night,” Cain says, “and I know when I pass, I’ve left something behind. I think every artist wants to leave something behind they will be remembered for. It’s the songs that you leave behind—that’s all that matters.”
All photos courtesy Giant Noise
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Lead Guitar, Songwriting
Three time Hall of Fame and Grammy Award Winning artist Neal Schon is one of the most accomplished and recognized guitarists and songwriters worldwide. Admired as a trailblazer and inspiration to millions, the Journey founder has long established his position as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, with some of the top all time best selling singles and albums, including multiple Gold and Platinum as well as two Diamond certifications, over 100 million records sold, and over a billion Spotify streams.
Neal Schon founded Journey in 1972 and has been the only consistent member, having participated in every album and tour to date. Schon is a Grammy Award winning guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who is not only the founding member of Journey, but was a member of Santana at the age of 15 and has performed with a variety of other acts including Bad English , Jan Hammer , HSAS , and has released 11 solo albums, including his latest, Universe .
Neal Schon's guitar style has been described as soulful, melodic, and is infamously admired by such fellow legends as Eric Clapton and Prince .
In 2005, Neal Schon and Journey received a Star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame and were further recognized by Billboard Magazine with the Legend Of Live Award at the 2011 Billboard Touring Conference .
Neal Schon was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Journey as well as the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame . Tulsa, Oklahoma Mayor G.T. Bynum honored Neal with the announcement of June 5th to be Neal Schon Day in Oklahoma. The announcement was at the Woody Guthrie Center Museum , and Neal also made an archival contribution to the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) in July.
Schon has also received honors for his philanthropic work including John Hopkins , Rainforest Fund , California Fire Relief , and numerous additional charitable foundations. He has also organized numerous fundraisers for military services and first responders.
In 2019, Neal was voted Guitar Connoisseur Fan Favorite Guitarist in a social media poll over the course of 15 rounds, consistently topping the list among his fellow legends.
In 2021, on the 40th anniversary of its release, Journey’s seventh studio album, Escape, was certified diamond by the RIAA , which denotes the album has sold over 10 million equivalent units. 1981’s Escape spawned the hits "Open Arms", "Who's Crying Now", "Stone In Love", and "Don't Stop Believin'", which has over a billion streams on Spotify alone . The band rounded out the summer with epic performances, headlining at both the iconic Lallapalooza and iHeartRadio Music Festival and Schon invited to perform “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Las Vegas Raiders Vs. Chicago Bears game on October 10, 2021 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas , NV.
JOURNEY's 1988 released, 15 time Platinum certified Greatest Hits was certified diamond in April of 2008, has logged 1,328 weeks on Billboard's Catalog Albums chart as of October 2021, and is one of the most popular 'best of' packages, at times selling close to 500,000 copies globally per year.
Journey’s worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, with a wide selection of chart-topping hits like "Don’t Stop Believin'", the most downloaded song of the last century. The band's album sales have resulted in twenty five gold and platinum albums and nineteen Top 40 singles in the US.
Jonathan Cain
Keys, Songwriting
In 1976 Jonathan Cain released his first solo record, Windy City Breakdown. In 1979 he joined the band, The Babys, and in 1980 joined the rock band, Journey, rounding out the songwriting genius behind the defining album, Escape, which was RIAA certified Diamond this year. Cain's signature piano, synth playing and songwriting contributions with Journey, The Babys and Bad English have earned him many Billboard hits, multiple Gold, Platinum and Diamond-selling records, a Star on the Hollywood walk of fame, a GRAMMY nomination and the best-selling catalog rock song in iTunes’ history (“Don't Stop Believin'”).
Journey was named as the fifth best band in rock history in a 2005 USA Today opinion poll, was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and continues today, selling out major venues worldwide. Cain’s solo albums that released amidst acclaim in recent years include: What God Wants To Hear (2016), Unsung Noel (2017), The Songs You Leave Behind (2018), More Like Jesus (2019) and Piano Worship (2020). Later this month (Oct. 2021), Cain will release his Oh Lord Lead Us EP featuring the title track single that became his biggest Spotify solo hit to date.
Arnel Pineda
lead vocals
After searching far and wide, watching thousands of singers on YouTube, Neal Schon was about to abandon his hunt for Journey’s next lead singer. Instead, he clicked one last link and something caught his attention. Arnel Pineda was singing with the band The Zoo, and he wasn’t even singing a Journey song. Neal continued his research on Arnel, watching all 40 videos that were posted. This unearthed Neal’s realization that Arnel is a chameleon who can sing on anything.
Neal knew Arnel was the one. He called Jonathan Cain to tell him he found the guy. After learning Arnel was located in the Philippines, Jon chuckled and said, “Jesus, can he even speak English?” Neal responded with, “Who cares! He’s singing in English, and very well.” Neal called management next, and they told him he was crazy, but they did their job and got him to the US from The Philippines in three months.
It took a few days in rehearsal, but by day three everyone clicked, and Arnel sounded amazing. Once the jet lag wore off, Neal, Jon, and Arnel hit the studio in Novato, CA to get on a couple tracks. Neal played back the audio and said, “There’s the guy.” Jon agreed.
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