This is a classic example how YouTube can breed new opportunities. The moral of the story is ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. The Journey guitar player Neil Schon took matters into his own hands and found what he was looking for by sifting through videos on YouTube.
In his own words:
“I was frustrated about not having a singer, so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours… After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true. I thought, ‘he can’t be that good.’ But he is that good, he’s the real deal and so tremendously talented. Arnel doesn’t sound synthetic and he’s not emulating anyone. I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him that night, but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter.”
Watch the video that caught Neil’s eye.
I’d like to know the first bits of conversation between Neil Schon and Arnel. That must have been quite a surprise.
Wow, that dude sounds awesome. Good find Neil. Go gettem!
I’m sure they’ll write another hit really soon.
It’s kind of sad that youtube is the bigger story here, not Journey.
Wow, this guy sounds awesome! Now they just have to work a little on his stage presence. Way to go Neal…oh, and if you’re looking for a keyboard player, call me!!