Arnel Campaner Pineda is a popular Filipino singer and songwriter. He has recorded two albums on major labels, won a best vocalist award and played with multiple bands, as frequently as 6 days a week for 3-5 hour shows. He achieved fame in his country during the 1980s and became an international singing sensation in 2007 when he joined the American rock band 'Journey' as its lead singer. Pineda's childhood was unfortunate; he earned a living by taking on odd jobs like collecting and cleaning scrap metals, gathering waste glass bottles, newspapers, and selling them to recyclers. Even though he played in small bands for a while, Arnel Pinada's luck really changed when he was selected as the front man for the group 'The Zoo'. A series of YouTube videos including Pineda singing the famous American song, 'Dont Stop Believin' brought him into the notice of Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who found his voice to be like that of the former Journey lead singer, Steve Perry's. Pineda was included in the band and since then the popularity of the group has skyrocketed.

Childhood & Early Life

Singer-songwriter Arnel Pineda was born on September 5, 1967, in Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines to Restituto Lising Pineda and Josefina Manansala Campaner.

Both of his parents were tailors. Pineda has three younger brothers - Russmon, Roderick and Joselito.His mother inspired him to sing and entered him in various singing competitions from a young age.He lost his mother when he was just 13. Pineda's father was left in debt due to the medical costs and so the young boy moved out to relieve his father of the burden.Pineda spent about two years of his life in the streets and did not receive any formal education as such.

Career

Pineda had been singing since the age of five and in 1982, at the age of 15, he joined the Filipino group Ijos and took up singing as a career.

In 1986, some members of Ijos formed a separate pop-rock band called Amo, which won the Rock Wars contest in the Philippines.In 1988, the band won the Philippines' leg of the Yamaha World Band Explosion Contest. Despite being disqualified in the finals due to technical problems, the event was broadcast on TV in Asia, which expanded their fandom.In 1990, the members formed another group, Intensity Five. This year the band became the runner-up in the contest and Pineda won the Best Vocalist Award.During this time, Pinada suffered from numerous health problems, and his voice also broke down. He re-entered the music scene in 1999 with a new solo album 'Pinada' with Warner Brothers.In 2001, Pineda formed a new band, 9mm, and played in the city's top bars including The Hard Rock Cafe in Makati City and The Edge in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong. The same year, he sang one song, "Looking Glass", with the Filipino band South Border on their album 'The Way We Do'.In 2005, Pineda recorded the theme song of the Filipino radio show 'Dayo'.In 2006, Pineda shot into limelight with The Zoo, a band that he formed with Monet Cajipe, a guitarist/songwriter who had been part of all his bands.In 2007, The Zoo released 'Zoology', an album by MCA Universal.From February 2007, Videos of The Zoo performing cover songs by Journey, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Air Supply, The Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Stryper began to be uploaded on YouTube and was watched by millions of viewers.On June 28, 2007, after seeing one of Arnel Pineda's YouTube videos, Neal Schon of Journey contacted Noel Gomez, a friend of Pineda to ask for Pineda's contact information and on August 12, Pineda appeared for an audition in Marin County, San Francisco.On December 5, 2007, Pineda was announced as the new lead vocal artist of Journey.On February 21, 2008 he had his first show as the lead singer of Journey at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival held at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater in Viña del Mar, Chile.On March 6, 2008, Journey performed at a private RE/MAX Convention event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood on March 8, 2008.On July 3 2008, the newly recreated Journey released their first album, 'Revelation'.During the 2008 tour accompanying the release of 'Revelation', Pinada sang in 57 concerts held in Spain, Germany, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and Canada.On February 1, 2009, Pineda performed at the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show.On October 2, 2009, Journey released 'Live in Manila', a two-disc video disc North America that captured Pineda's performance in Pasay City, Philippines.On June 3 2011, Journey internationally released its second album with Arnel Pinada, titled, 'Eclipse'.In 2012, he released his documentary, 'Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey', which chronicled the band's Revelation Tour, and Pineda's initial years with the band.

Awards & Achievements

In 2009, Pineda won the GMMSf Box-Office Entertainent Award for 'Outstanding Global Achievement by a Filipino Artist' category.

Personal Life & Legacy

In 2001 Pineda married Cherry Pineda with whom he had a son, Cherub and a daughter, Thea Chenelle Pineda.

He also has two older sons, Matthew and Angelo, from past relationships.When he's not on tour, Arnel lives in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila.

Family members:

Spouse/Ex-: Cherry Pineda

Children: Angelo Pineda, Cherub Pineda, Matthew Pineda, Thea Chenelle Pineda

Siblings: Russmon, Roderick and Joselito Pineda

Father: Restituto Lising Pineda

Mother: Josefina Manansala Campaner