I wanted to put any extra time that I hadobviously the band tours and thats very important to all of us. Kevin Cronin - Wikipedia REO Speedwagon (originally styled as R.E.O. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Saturday Evening Post is a nonprofit organization funded primarily by our members. Its the first weve done all by ourselves. Their keyboard player was the leader, but the others wanted out. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. [1] Currently, he is using synths made by Korg and Yamaha and tours with a Hammond B3 organ routed through Leslie speaker cabinets. Theyre able to choose, and have a right to do so., ALSO SEE: Creedence Clearwater Revival was the richest, most successful pop-rock group in the world in 1971. Free shipping for many products! What was REO Speedwagon's first #1 single? [8], The 1931 Reo Royale was a trendsetting design, introducing design elements that were a precedent for true automotive streamlining in the American market. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. [3], By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitarist Gary Richrath in place of Scorfina. Were producing ourselves for the first time and the live album really made us confident in what were doing. Required fields are marked *, Attachments The maximum upload file size: 260 MB. Paul Leka, record producer, brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport, CT where it recorded original material for the first album, which included Richrath, Gratzer, Dought, Philbin and Luttrell. It was the name of a 1915 model of truck that bore the initials of its designer, the legendary automaker Ransom E. Olds, founder of Olds Motor Vehicle Company. When my children were born, I didnt name my children when my wife was pregnant. So I was quite literally and figuratively rolling with the changes (laughs). The odds against a band forming while The Beatles were still together, continuing for five decades, and returning four songs to the charts via a Netflix show appearance just last year have to be nearly incalculable. Cant wait to see them again its been 30 years going to freedom hall in old Johnson city end of Feb stay healthy gods speed. Copyright 2023 Saturday Evening Post Society. They perform about 100 dates a year. Who gives the best guitar lessons on YouTube? We still get mad at each other sometimes, but we work it out. [1] REO Speedwagon released their debut album, R.E.O. The Flying Cloud was the first car to use Lockheed's new hydraulic internal expanding brake system and featured styling by Fabio Segardi. REO Speedwagon is the epitome of a hard-working band that keeps showing up for the fans. Unlike so many of the undeserving in the entertainment industry, theyre out there giving it their all. By 1907, REO had gross sales of $4.5 million, and the company was one of the four wealthiest automobile manufacturers in the U.S. After 1908, however, despite the introduction of improved cars designed by Olds, REO's share of the automobile market decreased due in part to competition from emerging companies like Ford and General Motors. He called John Boylan, a producer he liked, and asked whether, in that case, hed start over. ""It's R-dot-E-dot-O-dot Speed-wagon REO Speedwagon!" Speedwagon ), or simply REO, is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band'sself-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath. Hi Fidelity alone produced four Top-10 hits for the group, with two hitting Number One: "Keep on Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling." I saw them in 1997 at the Universal Amphitheater with Survivor and Blondie. After reorganizing, only the successful steel-joist business remained; the company started producing recycled steel and eventually renamed itself Nucor. They started jamming and formed a group almost immediately. >> Click to read more << Besides, is Kevin Cronin still with REO Speedwagon? The failure of this program and the effects of the Great Depression caused such losses that Olds ended his retirement during 1933 and assumed control of REO again, but resigned in 1934. Getting gigs in the Midwest, however, is no problem at all. "During dress rehearsal, they introduced us as Reo Speedwagon," said Cronin, as reported by Rolling Stone. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Founding member of REO Speedwagon dies | FOX 2 Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dead at 65 - Yahoo Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for REO SPEEDWAGON, "WHEELS ARE TURNIN" at the best online prices at eBay! Its a disagreement, but it isnt antagonistic. Brad Adams, San Diego, California, The band REO Speedwagon, which originated in Champaign, Illinois, in 1967, consists of original member Neal Doughty, 67; Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall, who joined in the 1970s; and Dave Amato and Brian Hitt, who came aboard in 1989. If music and guitar has never been part of your interests then this site may change your view and be a music lover. While single Sophisticated Lady just missed the Hot 100, the albums second track, 157 Riverside Avenue, has remained the most popular song from their debut album.. A staple of the bands live shows, its known for including solos from each member and sometimes extending for more than ten minutes over its recorded length. I named my children after they were born and I looked at them, and I saw their little bodies, and they kind of told me what their names should be to some degree. Neal Allan Doughty (born July 29, 1946) is an American keyboardist, best known as a founding member of the rock band REO Speedwagon and the only member to have played on every album. But this year I think I need to start tapping into the creative side of my being, because otherwise it starts exploding (laughs) in other ways. If there has been a turning point in the band, Cronin said, it was in 1977. The next year, Richrath was fired. The first time I was introduced to her, when I saw herit was that love at first sight feeling. Rarely has a musician uttered a truer statement and for REO fans and those who would like to be REO fans, its going to mean some held breath and crossed fingers over the next few months. Here, take a look back at the ups and downs of the career of this American rock group, with interviews and insights from the 70s and 80s. So that was the song that kind of got it going. It was just that I needed to really identify where the heart and soul of this piece that I was working on was. At a 2013 benefit, the band was joined on stage by Richrath for the first time since the 1980s. My wife is an amazing person. But what about you? The name "REO Speedwagon" refers to Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile. Too many good songs in the past have come out sounding like bad records.'. Official YouTube channel for REO Speedwagon. Featured image: Bruce Hall, Kevin Cronin, and Dave Amato perform in 2018. It takes luck, for example, and talent and common sense in no particular order. I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. List of REO Speedwagon members - FamousFix List But they get as crazy over the slow, romantic ballads as they do over the rock n roll songs. For some reason they didnt do that many concerts out here or I likely would have gone to see them more. Despite the fact that the latest album, You Get What You Play For, sold 41,000 copies in Kansas City alone during the first three weeks of release, singer/guitarist Kevin Cronin still isnt satisfied. The band toured the country again in 1985 which included a sold-out concert in Madison WI. [3], In April 1927, Reo introduced the Wolverine brand of cars as a companion model to the Flying Cloud. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vinyl Album, REO Speedwagon/"Life As We Know It", Original 1987 Release at the best online prices at eBay! A convertible Victoria was listed at $3,195 but only one is known to have been built. Currently, the group is on what Cronin considers a landmark 52-city tour. [3], Cottage Grove Dump Truck, Lane County, Oregon, An REO Speed Wagon, from a 1917 advertisement, REO Speed Wagon Fire Truck at Jack Daniel's Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee, Car emblem for a Reo Flying Cloud (1930 model), REO truck filled with citrus fruit, Kfar Saba, Israel, 1932. Your email address will not be published. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981, [1] and reached platinum status in 1989. 1 hits Keep on Loving You and Cant Fight This Feeling., Celebrity Q&A, Featured Article, Where Are They Now, https://americanprofile.com/articles/where-are-they-now-reo-speedwagon-video/, https://americanprofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/reo-speedwagon-150x150.jpg. The current lineup of REO Speedwagon consists of Cronin, original member Neal Doughty (keyboards), Bruce Hall (bass), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums). With Cant Fight This Feeling, I did not know what the name of that song was. It was the first song where I thought, Wow, I kind of like this song (laughs). A lot can go on between the band members after working together for so long, so they have to make some difficult decisions before coming and going. Whats up with the band REO Speedwagon these days? Discover the benefits that come with your membership. Shortly afterwards, four of their songs reentered the Billboard rock charts. Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, withTerry Luttrelltaking his place on lead vocals. And sure enough, it ended up working out. Kevin Cronin Of REO Speedwagon Talks About His Classic Hits And His REO Speedwagon Concert & Tour History (Updated for 2023) - Concert Archives All the songs I write, they spring from an initial burst of creativity that kind of gets the ball rolling.