Confessions of a Middle Aged Groupie

How does a 67 year old highly educated white woman, raised in the comforts of a middle class home, privileged to have traveled all over the world and to live in 3 foreign countries become a rabid fan of a young Filipino man, raised in the slums of Manila, a struggling musician for most of his life who, by the grace of luck and YouTube, became the lead singer of one of the most iconic bands ever?

It started years ago when Journey

first started in the 70's.  I loved their music and appreciated the talents of each of the band members.  I listened to their music over the years as they produced hit after hit.  But it wasn't until I was laid flat (literally) by my back problems, which were a combination of sports and other injuries over the years, that I had the time to watch daytime tv and spend hours on the internet when I wasn't in so much pain that the only thing I could do was lie there and listen to music (lots of Journey).  I heard about Arnel Pineda's rags to riches story early on (coincidentally, I had seen the same covers on YouTube that Neal Schon heard when he was searching for a new front man for Journey and made the phone call that changed Arnel's and Journey's lives) and watched as CNN and Oprah and everyone else reported in late 2007 how Arnel joined the group.  I listened to more Journey music then and had no trouble making the transition from Steve Perry to Arnel.

In my darkest hours after I was hospitalized in August, 2009, unable to sit, stand or walk, after years of painful steroid injections and other procedures to relieve the pain and then months of rehab after that until my life changing neurotransmitter implant back surgery, sometimes the only thing that kept me going was listening to Arnel and Journey singing "Don't Stop Believin'" with tears of pain pouring out of my eyes for hour after unremitting hours and saying to myself that if Arnel could survive what he has gone through, there was still hope for me.  Fortunately, the surgery was a success, and despite the huge setback I received a few months later after discovering via a routine bone density test that revealed very advanced osteoparosis (so bad that I was in imminent danger of spontaneous fractures that could collapse my spine and every other bone in my body), which was miraculously reversed by over 50% due to a drug called Forteo, diet and a specially tailored exercise regimen, I was able to sit, stand, and walk again without excruciating pain.

I was tested during the long hours I was on my feet or sitting in folding chairs while working as a volunteer and as a voting rights attorney for the Obama campaign in Florida

, especially during the grueling period and long lines during the shortened early voting when Hurricane Andrea was going up the coast and blowing us all sideways,
the many weeks of overseeing ballot duplications because of an error in the printing, and the longest waiting times in the country on election day.

I was further tested during my dream of a lifetime 8 day whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyon

with my college roommate, Jane,

(although without the help of everyone on the raft, I never would have made it, because a lot of it was very challenging for me) and lots of plane flights in a short period of time to celebrate L.D.'s graduation from Wharton

, and to celebrate my Mom's 92nd birthday,

which set off some other health problems.

The thought of going to see Arnel and Journey perform again (I had seen them years ago with Foreigner) was beyond anything I could have dreamed of doing physically, but this weekend that dream came true and exceeded my wildest expectations.  I was very fortunate to have been sitting in the 3rd row with some of his biggest fans and friends (thank you, Coley twitter.com/coley716 )where I got a very different experience than when I have had good, but not great seats, but although I have had the privilege of seeing lots of great bands and singers from jazz (Chuck Mangione), to blues (Alberta Hunter), to country (almost every big star and group you could name), to pop (Michael Jackson and others) to rock (Bon Jovi, Elton John, and others), to Broadway and the London stage and music festivals and events in Israel that drew big name performers, never in my life has a single performer touched me in the same way that Arnel has.

Yes, he is gifted with an amazing voice

, huge range, great timbre, boundless energy (I had trouble taking pictures with my i-Phone because catching him standing still for a few seconds is like trying to rope the wind) and great stage presence.  But Arnel has that extra something that I have never seen before that makes you feel like every song he sings is being directed to you personally.  He looks at you, smiles and sends his message that hits you right in the heart.  Of course, it helps that he is singing songs you love and know all the words to and love, and he has some of the most gifted musicians in the world backing him, but there are lots of great bands with huge talent and great front men but none of them have had that same effect on me.

I was sad to read that when Journey's current contract ends in a few years that they will be taking a hiatus.  If this is true, I hope this doesn't mean forever, although each person in the band could certainly have a very rewarding life writing or doing solo stuff (you should check out Neal Schon's latest endeavors  http://www.schonmusic.com/), and Arnel is young enough at 46 to have a long life in the music business, both as a performer and a writer, and to continue nurturing new talent in the Philippines at his club and doing philanthropic work http://arnelpineda.org/, but I hope there are many Journey concerts to enjoy in the future.

Thank you, Arnel.  You changed my life forever and someday I hope to meet you in person to thank you personally.  You just never know how doing what you love can touch so many people.