They did have a lot of members leave, but they stayed together during their prime years, for which I have to give them credit. 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. Hes looking over the hills.. Cronin: I think so. Rock on REO SPEEDWAGON. Richrath is REOs lead guitarist and along with Cronin the principal creative force behind its music. , Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Remember Maybelline Kissing Potion & other flavored lip gloss from the 70s & 80s? If I can inspire any young songwriter with anything that Im saying today, thats probably the most important thing that Ive learned over the years. . When you feel the inspiration for a song, then you have to actually craft it. Official YouTube channel for REO Speedwagon. Kevin Cronin - Wikipedia Does REO Speedwagon have all original members? They performed Cant Fight This Feeling and Roll With the Changes which featured a few members from the Beach Boys, their families and Paul Shaffer for backing vocals. In the big business that is rock in its third decade, it takes a lot more than hard work to succeed. So now were gonna record from noon until 7 oclock at night, and when we come in, were gonna be awake. Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. Trivia. I wanted to put any extra time that I hadobviously the band tours and thats very important to all of us. 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. They are the only two remaining of five original band members. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dead at 65 - Yahoo And sure enough, it ended up working out. While Ned Jordan is credited with changing the way advertising was written with his "Somewhere West of Laramie" ads for his Jordan Playboy, Reo's Flying Clouda name that provoked evocative images of speed and lightnesschanged the way automobiles would be named in the future. Since the end of Harms's brief tenure with the group, REO Speedwagon has retained a consistent lineup of Neal Doughty, Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, and Bryan Hitt [16] until 2023 when Doughty was replaced by former Iron Butterfly and Whitesnake member Derek Hilland. If music and guitar has never been part of your interests then this site may change your view and be a music lover. Theyre all home (and becoming) young adults. His most notable playing includes the Hammond organ solo on "Roll with the Changes" and the honky-tonk piano work on "157 Riverside Avenue". Take, for example, the biography of REO Speedwagon. Cronin went on to explain how he felt the band three years ago to give a solo career a try. But they get as crazy over the slow, romantic ballads as they do over the rock n roll songs. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. Unlike so many of the undeserving in the entertainment industry, theyre out there giving it their all. and has remained the lead vocalist ever since. Cronin: I actually wrote that song as I was traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles, when I rejoined the band; I left the band for a couple years. The name "REO Speedwagon" refers to Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile. Dont second guess it. Sure enough, its proven itself right so many times for me, that I have to really believe its a truth that I can count on. Who are the original members of REO Speedwagon? [1] I remember thinking to myselfWowCant Fight This Feelingwhat a horrible, f**king song title. Kevin Cronin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, piano Gary Richrath - electric guitars Bruce Hall - bass Neal Doughty - Hammond organ Alan Gratzer - drums Additional personnel Steve Forman - percussion Tom Kelly - backing vocal Richard Page - backing vocal Chart performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications See also 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. Drop files here. Shortly thereafter, the rising tides of hip-hop and alternative rock marked a shift in musical taste, and a number of long-time bands faced commercial difficulties. I didnt really picture myself as a Los Angeles person, Im a Midwest boy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I had just stopped at a truck stop in New MexicoI had a brown paper bag that was sitting on the seat next to me, when the thoughts of the lyrics started coming to me. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Subscribe now. The latter I had tickets for June 2020 but had to have my $$ credited back due to the situation. REO opted to soldier on, however, with replacement members Dave Amato (ex- Ted Nugent, guitar) and Bryan Hitt (ex- Wang Chung, drums) in tow, as their 14-track 1988 compilation The Hits proved to be a steady seller over the years. It was a change in direction that would lead to the defining successes of their career. Most Studebaker US6 trucks were built by Studebaker. All told, the band would have 12 Top 40 singles through the 1980s. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. Songs for which he is the sole composer include "Sky Blues" from 1974, "One Lonely Night" from 1984 and "Variety Tonight" from 1987. In 1905 Olds left Oldsmobile and established a new company, REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, Michigan. You can also get our free newsletter, follow us on Facebook & Pinterest. [11] Richrath also left early the next year, with Miles Joseph filling in for a show before Dave Amato took over in May. Hi Infidelity (1980) contained four US Top 40 hits and is the group's best-selling album, with over ten . So that was the song that kind of got it going. And there were some radio stations in the Midwest that were playing those songs. What do you think of their name? It took a long time, and I wrote that song before I finally got the guts to tell her. In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band'sself-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath. He called John Boylan, a producer he liked, and asked whether, in that case, hed start over. On the very first night, he met who would be his lifetime friend and bandmate, Alan Gratzer, and the two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dorm. They frequently team with other veteran rockers like Pat Benatar, Styx, .38 Special, and Chicago. The sound of the band keeps a rock steady tone that you cannot deny. Too many good songs in the past have come out sounding like bad records.'. 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. Then as many of my songs do, I write them and then I kind of learn about myself when Im finished with them. REO Speedwagons most recent updates are performing with Pitbull in the song Messin Around live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016. Find out more here. Normally I go full speed, and every once in a while take a day to rest, but these past two weeks have been bizarre, he said with amazement. This song, even though it wasnt finished yet, meant so much to me and it was such a big part of who I am, that I just knew that I wanted to finish this song myself. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Mike Blair also left the band later that year as Gregg Philbin filled his spot. Thats not to say they never willsongs have a way of surfacing in the future sometimes. I learned something from thisthat if you pay attention to the song, the song will tell you what it needs. [7] The final REO model of 1936 was a Flying Cloud. REO Speedwagon Multiple Choice Quiz | REO Speedwagon | 10 Questions I wrote Keep On Loving You, Cant Fight This Feeling and Roll With The Changes on the piano. In the fall of 1967, the group returned to campus; Doughty brought with him a Farfisa electronic organ. [I think] co-writing is a lot of funit definitely makes the process of songwriting more enjoyable because youre not sitting there by yourself. The Ultimate Guideto Choose The Right Guitar Slide, The Ultimate Guide to Choose Guitar Picks. To me, were still the same five guys who were schlepping around bars in the early 70s. Who is famous for playing a 12-string guitar. Also in 1989,Bryan Hittreplaced Lear on drums,whileJesse Harmsjoined as a second keyboardist, performing on the band's 1990 albumThe Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken. Blair left a few months after Matt, with Gregg Philbin taking his place. Was there any personal experience you had with them? Gary and I have gotten some new stuff together for the tour, as well as old tunes, Cronin said, then proceeded to digress. They started over. [4], In 1915, Olds relinquished the title of general manager to his protg Richard H. Scott, and eight years later he ended his tenure as the company's presidency as well, retaining the position of chairman of the board. Required fields are marked *. The bandwe were all kind of going through some chaos in our personal lives. When you start second guessing yourself, thats when you get lost. amzn_assoc_linkid = "d272d907009b8147dd9ad76c24c6f0b5"; Youre with another person, youre bouncing ideas around and I enjoy that. They flew us over to get our gold record. I never really took any piano lessonsI just messed around with it and figured it out for myself. He was 65. Its funnyeven though it was 35 years ago, it still feels like it was just yesterday to me, because I remember writing it so vividly. University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. This happens in any artistic endeavor. DK: When you write, do you usually create the melody or the lyrics first? The resulting Nuclear Corporation of America, Inc., diversified and purchased other companies to become a conglomerate, spreading into an array of fields including prefabricated housing and steel joist manufacturing in addition to nuclear services. The original members of REO Speedwagon are: Kevin Cronin on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and occasionally piano Neal Doughty on keyboard Alan Gratzer on drums, percussion, and backing vocals Gregg Philbin on bass and backing vocals How did REO Speedwagon get its name? Band member and lead singer Kevin Cronin stressed about the announcer getting the name right. Hi Infidelity blew the doors off the joint and people went back and discovered (early albums like) You Can Tune a Piano, But You Cant Tuna Fish and discovered R.E.O/T.W.O, and all the songs on those albums. Were a high-energy band, Cronin emphasized, but our studio recordings didnt show this, and people want consistency. The original members of this band are as follows. 2. By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitaristGary Richrathin place of Scorfina. We did have a feeling that there was something special going on. 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. Free shipping for many products! Mike Murphy took over and recordedRidin' the Storm Out,Lost in a DreamandThis Time We Mean It, but was replaced by a returning Cronin in 1976. [5] During 1925, however, Scott, like many of his contemporaries/competitors, began an ambitious expansion program designed to make the company more competitive with other automobile manufacturers by offering cars in different price ranges. Were happy with the sound, because we got what we wanted rather than what some producer wanted. As of late, its received quite a bit of FM airplay, and the latest LP, a live two-record set, entered the Rock World record chart at 160 with a bullet, and Cashboxs at 186 with a bullet. I was writing [the words] on this brown paper bag as I was rolling down the road. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. But what about you? "During dress rehearsal, they introduced us as Reo Speedwagon," said Cronin, as reported by Rolling Stone. Each of us thought there was just one way to go his own.. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. I couldnt do it the real way that human beings communicate (laughs). When you talk about (the line) I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me, the opening line from Norwegian Wood, which is arguably the greatest opening line in the history of songwriting. Theres so much to do.. The vocalist was replaced byKevin Cronin, who performed on the group's second albumR.E.O./T.W.O. I had written some songs before that were okaythey were passable. After signing with Epic Records in 1971, the band cut their first album, R.E.O. [REO band member] Gary Richraththe late, great Gary Richrath who unfortunately passed away this past yearwas my partner in crime, so to speak. The company's name was spelled alternately in all capitals REO or with only an initial capital as Reo, and the company's own literature was inconsistent in this regard, with early advertising using all capitals, and later advertising using the "Reo" capitalization. The band formed when drummer Alan Gratzer and keyboardist Neal Doughty, a couple of students at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, got together to jam after class. The words referred to a 1915 vehicle produced by the founder of the Oldsmobile automotive company, Ransom E. Olds. It takes luck, for example, and talent and common sense in no particular order. REO Speedwagon performing live in 2010 (top) and 2016 (bottom). I sat there on the floor of my bedroom, and I thought, Alright, what is this song all about? Why cant I name this songwhy cant I write the chorus for this song? It was the groups first gold album. Convinced that their real drawing power came from the shows themselves, they persuaded Epic to deploy a strategy that had worked for KISS: making a live album to convey how REO really sounded when you saw them. We were kids from Cloud Nine. Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. Olds then changed the name to his initials. 2023 American Profile, All Rights Reserved. Temporary guitarist Bill Fiorio later found fame under the name Duke Tumatoe. Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, withTerry Luttrelltaking his place on lead vocals. It is estimated that REO produced around 20,000 of these trucks and, unlike the original Studebaker trucks which were also used by the United States, the REO versions were only for export to the Soviet Union. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Weve been a team through the years, For a while, we were almost in competition, he admitted. This site uses cookies but never sells your personal information. They also toured the UK arena circuit with Status Quo in December 2016. In 2018, REO Speedwagon and Chicago toured again. The band from Illinois has managed to, yes, roll with the changes for more than five decades. REO Speedwagon skyrocketed to fame in 1980 with their chart topping album, Hi Infidelity. Today Mark and Cristina welcome REOs lead singer, Kevin Cronin and his beautiful wife Lisa. What is the most expensive brand of guitar? Roll with the Changes. I try to keep it that way, because I think theres a certain purityI try to keep the craftsmanship to a minimum. On this he learned to play Light My Fire by The Doors. As the lead singer & songwriterof the multi-platinum rock band REO Speedwagon, Kevin Cronin has been the bands guiding force since joining the group in the mid-1970s. But unlike the latter three, REO has been unable to garner support out of that regionalized base. 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). Despite a slow start, by the mid-eighties, the bands hit singles Keep On Loving You and Cant Fight This Feeling had topped the charts, and they were known across the globe. DK: A couple years later REO released Hi Infidelity, which became your biggest album. The aptly titled The Hits has sold four million copies. It was basically Garys responsibility to write the songs, and I think he realized thatyou know what they saythat you have your whole life to write your first album but only a year to write your second albnm. In 1923, the company sold an early recreational vehicle, called the "Motor Pullman Car". So the songs come in all different shapes and forms. lead singer of reo speedwagon. He was an early adopter of the Moog synthesizer, which can be heard on the opening swoop of "Ridin' the Storm Out". I thought that if I co-wrote it with someone, I had a feeling it would lose something that was really necessary for the song to happen. Tools Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. REO has been recording since 1971, but the success that sent Cronin and his band members into such a culture shock came a decade later, when Hi-Infidelity stayed on top of the pop charts for nearly six months, making REO one of the hottest groups of 1981. Basically, the only songs I can play on piano are those that I wrote (he laughs). I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. With Cant Fight This Feeling, I did not know what the name of that song was. [9] White then merged REO with Diamond T Trucks in 1967 to form Diamond Reo Trucks. Wed fight over whose tunes would go on an album, how loud each instrument should be, how each instrumental line should be played (as to style and attack). By Bruce Meyer - Rushville Republican (Indiana) Nov 16, 1977 . We usually play as the opening act or as special guests, but this time were headlining.. Richrath was from Peoria, IL and was an amazing songwriter who wrote fresh material for the band, even driving 100 miles to see and become a part of the band. He was taking a class, History of Transportation, and found "R.E.O. In fact, many bands from the 80s had some pretty strange names like Styx, Guns N Roses, Tears for Fears, Mtley Cre, Aerosmith, etc. It was one of those albums which was definitely top-heavy with songs that people, to this daythey come to our concerts and we play at least five or six songs from Hi Infidelity every night. Who are the members of REO Speedwagon today? - Short-Fact With the tour titled Storming the U.S., tickets for the opening night show in Milwaukee sold out in two days. To ensure a reliable supply of parts, he organized a number of subsidiary firms, like the National Coil Company, the Michigan Screw Company, and the Atlas Drop Forge Company. Beginning of REO Speedwagon. Music is a funny kind of business. Before they met, Gratzer was a drummer in high school and played in a local group on the weekends while Doughty was studying the Beatles songs closely using his parents piano. 1980s Hi Infidelity gave the band four Top 40 hits, including the #5 Take It on the Run and the #1 Keep On Loving You. That chart-topper sold a million copies and helped lay the blueprint for the power ballads of that decade; it also didnt hurt that it was paired with one of the first 20 videos to be played on a new cable channel called MTV. Traveling 4,176 miles (6,720km) from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, in a 1912 REO special touring car, mechanic/driver Fonce V. (Jack) Haney and journalist Thomas W. Wilby made the first trip by automobile across Canada (including one short jaunt into northeastern Washington State when the Canadian roads were virtually impassable). Notably, both Cant Fight This Feeling and Keep On Loving You reached number one on Billboards Hot 100 singles chart, and became two of the most popular rock ballads of the 1980s. There are some good cover band concerts next year for The Doors, Billy Joel, The Eagles, Pet Shop Boys and maybe some other favorites. So when theres chaos in your personal life, then you look to the band for that security. REO Speedwagon: How the '80s power ballad band hit the road to success REO Speedwagon hometown, lineup, biography | Last.fm And this becomes even more important in that REOs Midwest success is derived primarily from concerts, and theyve never had such exposure on either coast. amzn_assoc_asins = "B007V4QM78,B000066405,B00H7J8A68,B00138J9F0,B0069FCW9C,B000050IM9,B00004ZB26,B00701QUWO"; Adapted from the Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky) January 20, 1985. I was really focused on my wife, my children and my homemy children are all in high school now. I didnt put a whole lot of time and energy into the creative part of what I do. When we play those songs, you can just feel the energy in the room light up. It was keyboard player Neal Doughty who came up with the name, which embodied the rebellious spirit of Ransom Olds and also stood out . Luckily, I had the sense to stick with my gut and sure enough, Cant Fight This Feeling ends up being the most popular song Ive ever written. Gratzer left REO Speedwagon in 1988, leaving Doughty as the sole original member. So when I finished Cant Fight This Feeling, I realized that yeah, Ive gotta make this move. Ive gotta do what Im saying in this songIve got to make this happen. Kevin Patrick Cronin Jr. (born October 6, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and pianist for the rock band REO Speedwagon. I remember that I sat down on the floor of my bedroom, and I was literally almost in tears. Gratzer retired from music. Through it, we work off each other, work things out, and improve because of it. They worked their way through small clubs and venues, as well as through more than a few personnel changes. 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). List of REO Speedwagon members - Wikiwand The band name was found when one of their members, Neal Doughty, saw the name written across the blackboard in his History of Transportation class at the University of Illinois (U of I) in Champaign, IL. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and lead vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty. Right away, they formed a rock band. The band would continue to juxtapose rock numbers and power ballads to great success, much like contemporaries Styx and Journey. Over the past nine years, ever since coming out of the Midwest college bar circuit, REO have been one of the hardest-working bands anywhere, winning droves of hard-core fans by playing upwards of 300 shows a year and managing to find time between tours to record seven albums. Basically what we said was, Im not going to let you have these songs on a record unless we produce them ourselves. As many as 3 Dietrich coachbuilt bodies were built on 148-inch (3,800mm) wheelbases in 1931. 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! Speedwagon was released in October of 1971 and credited all five members (Doughty, Gratzer, Richrath, Philbin, and Luttrell) as the writers of all eight songs.While single "Sophisticated Lady" just missed the Hot 100, the album's second track, "157 Riverside Avenue," has remained the most popular song from . Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), The Rolling Stones: Charlie Is My Darling DVD Review. For tax reasons a group of shareholders successfully challenged the liquidation in a proxy fight in September 1955, and forced REO to take over a tiny nuclear services company called Nuclear Consultants, Inc. in a reverse takeover. Now I see them any time they come near me just due to to the fact.they earned my ticket purchase. Theyre great in concert too. Hi-Infidelity, and its disappointing follow-up, Good Trouble, which sent the group on one of its most exhaustive tours. After he joined, their popularity began to explode throughout the Midwest. I was an unknown, unproven commodity as far as performingGary never really saw me play anywherehe just came up to my apartment and we got out a couple acoustic guitars, and I played some of my songs. Today, Doughty, Cronin, and Hall remain with the band; guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt have been in since 1989. Beginning in 1933, the Royale also featured as an option REO's semi-automatic transmission, the Self-Shifter. Id just started to write a couple little silly songs. "157 Riverside Avenue" (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon) R.E.O. You cant take success that seriously, Cronin said. Cronin: I cant say that we felt that. The 8-35 & 8-52 are considered full CCCA classics. Although he has never been one of REO Speedwagon's primary songwriters, Doughty has written or co-written several of the band's songs. Kevin Cronin Of REO Speedwagon Talks About His Classic Hits And His Were producing ourselves for the first time and the live album really made us confident in what were doing. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Really excellent feature. [12][13] Also in 1989, Bryan Hitt replaced Lear on drums,[14] while Jesse Harms joined as a second keyboardist, performing on the band's 1990 album The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken. My biggest inspiration in music is the Beatles, and Lennon & McCartney in my mind are the great songwriting duo in the history of the world, and I owe everything that I know about being in a band, writing a songI owe it all to the Beatles. Dont see anything coming up in 2022 yet, but am loving their new Crash of the Crown album from just earlier this year. Luttrell departed in 1972 and was replaced for one album by Kevin Cronin. The announcer sort of got it right. But then once I got done with the craftsmanship part of it, I thought HeyI think I could hear this song on the radiopeople might want to listen to it. Its funny, when youre just starting out as a songwriterwhen youre trying to figure things out and see what your path is and where youre headingas I reminisce and think about it, it seems I have these sweet memories of that time.
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