REO Speedwagon

Formation

In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty was a junior at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, where he met fellow student Alan Gratzer. Doughty had learned some Beatles songs on his parents' piano, and Gratzer had been a drummer in local bands since high school. ^[5][6]

Gratzer continued performing with his band (which had a keyboard-playing lead singer), and Doughty eventually sat in for a few songs. On the last day of the university's spring semester, guitarist Joe Matt called the band's leader and told him that he and the other members (Gratzer and bassist Mike Blair) had decided to start a new band with Doughty where everyone but Doughty would sing.

The new band made a list of songs to learn over the summer break. Doughty landed a summer job and bought a Farfisa organ. The members returned to school in the fall of 1967 and had their first rehearsal before classes started. They named the band REO Speedwagon after Doughty saw it written on a blackboard, from the REO Speed Wagon truck designed in 1915 by Ransom Eli Olds.^[7] Rather than pronouncing REO as a single word as the motor company did ("REE-oh"), they chose to pronounce each letter individually ("R-E-O"). An advertisement in the school newspaper produced their first gig, a frat party that turned into a food fight. They performed cover songs in campus bars, frat parties, and university events.

In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined on guitar, replacing Matt. When Mike Blair left in 1968, Gregg Philbin replaced Blair. Joe McCabe played sax until he was replaced by Marty Shepard on trumpet, soon joined by a second trumpeter named Steve Massingill, with Doughty as a third horn player on some tunes. After Shepard left the following year, horns were dropped from the group altogether.^[8]

Bob Crownover was replaced first by Bill Fiorio in 1969, and then Steve Scorfina, before Gary Richrath took over on guitar in 1970. Richrath had driven 100 miles (160 km) to see the band. "I'm going to be a part of that band whether they like it or not," Richrath declared. A prolific songwriter who brought with him original compositions, the band's regional popularity grew with Richrath on board. Support from KSHE in St. Louis, one of the most influential rock stations in the country, further elevated the band's profile.

Epic Records signed the band to a contract in 1971.^[9] The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell.^[7]

Early years

In the early days, REO was managed by its University of Illinois classmate Irving Azoff, who went on to manage The Eagles and ran MCA Music Entertainment Group. With the use of a friend's station wagon, REO played bars and clubs across the Midwest. Its debut album, R.E.O. Speedwagon, was released on Epic Records in October 1971.^[7]

Although the lineup otherwise remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists on each of their first three albums.

Kevin Cronin recorded 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. but left during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out,^[10] which was completed with Michael Bryan Murphy. Murphy stayed for Lost in a Dream (1974) and This Time We Mean It (1975) before Cronin returned in 1976 for R.E.O..^[7][11]

On the strength of the band's live performances, Epic agreed to their first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For in 1977, which sold certified platinum^[7] and the band, minus Philbin, relocated to Los Angeles. Philbin's place was taken by another Centennial High School alumnus, Bruce Hall,^[6] for You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish^[7] in 1978. Featuring the chart singles "Roll with the Changes" and "Time for Me to Fly", it was REO's first album to make the Top 40, and achieved double platinum status.

Mainstream success

After 1979's Nine Lives^[7], the band went from hard rock to more pop-oriented material^[12] starting with Hi Infidelity in 1980.^[7] Hi Infidelity spawned four hits, most notably Cronin's "Keep On Loving You"^[7] and "Take It on the Run", penned by Richrath. The album stayed on the charts for 65 weeks (32 in the top 10), including 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Hi Infidelity sold over ten million copies.

The follow-up, Good Trouble, in June 1982,^[7] performed moderately well commercially and featured "Keep the Fire Burnin'" (U.S. No. 7). 1984's Wheels Are Turnin', included the No. 1 hit "Can't Fight This Feeling".^[7]

REO Speedwagon toured the US in 1985, including a stop in Philadelphia at the US leg of Live Aid. 1987's Life as We Know It^[7][13] and The Hits compilation in 1988^[7] brought minor hits and declining sales, and wrapped up the careers of Richrath and Gratzer in the band.^[14] "Here with Me", which peaked at No. 20, was the group's final hit on the main chart.

Changes in the 1990s

Graham Lear and Miles Joseph replaced Gratzer and Richrath, and backup singers Carla Day and Melanie Jackson were added. This lineup performed one show, in Chile in 1989, after which Joseph, Day, and Jackson were let go in favor of Dave Amato and keyboardist Jesse Harms. 1990's The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, with Bryan Hitt on drums, brought the band's final main chart single, "Love Is a Rock", which peaked at No. 65. Disenchanted by the album's failure, Harms left in 1991.

After forming his own short-lived band, Richrath joined REO on stage in Los Angeles on two occasions. The contract with Epic at an end, REO Speedwagon released Building the Bridge independently in 1996.

Revival of the hits

As Epic released REO compilation albums, REO teamed up with Styx in 2000 for a tour that included an appearance at the Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis, which was released as the live concert video Arch Allies: Live at Riverport. REO's portion of the show was re-released as Live - Plus (2001), Live Plus 3 (2001), and Extended Versions (2001), which was certified gold in 2006. REO toured with Styx again in 2003 alongside Journey.

2000–2026

The self-financed Find Your Own Way Home in 2007, produced two singles, "I Needed to Fall" and "Find Your Own Way Home", that appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. REO Speedwagon continued to tour regularly, on their own and in tandem with other bands of their era, mostly performing their classic hits.^[15][16]

2009 brought a Christmas album, Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon.^[17]

In 2017, Hi Infidelity received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over ten million copies.^[18]

The band appeared in an episode in the third season of the Netflix series Ozark in 2020, after which four REO songs reentered the Billboard rock charts.^[19]

Gary Richrath died in 2015, and Gregg Philbin in 2022.^[20][21][22] In 2023, the band's sole remaining original member, Neal Doughty, retired after 55 years.^[23][24] The band announced Derek Hilland (ex-Iron Butterfly) as a touring replacement.^[25][26] Bruce Hall announced he would take a leave of absence to undergo back surgery, with plans to rejoin the band on tour in 2024, with Matt Bissonette filling in.^[27]

On September 16, 2024, the band announced^[28] they would stop touring at year's end. Hall was not sufficiently recovered from his surgery, which led to irreconcilable differences between himself and Cronin. The REO name would be retired, but Cronin would tour with the final touring lineup as the Kevin Cronin Band and perform REO Speedwagon songs.^[29] The Kevin Cronin Band (Cronin, Amato, Hitt, Hilland, Bissonette) co-headlined the "Brotherhood of Rock Tour" with Styx in 2025 with Don Felder opening.^{[30][31][32][30][31][32]}

On September 28, 2025, the band's classic lineup (minus Richrath) reunited alongside the University of Illinois marching band, performing "Ridin' the Storm Out", "Roll With The Changes", and "157 Riverside Avenue".^[3] Cronin did not sing (as the melodies were provided by the marching band), but it was the first time Cronin, Hall, Doughty, and Gratzer shared a stage since 1988. The band members officially reunited the previous day as Grand Marshals in the University's homecoming parade.^[3]

On March 7, 2026, REO Speedwagon reunited again as Cronin, Doughty, Hall, and Gratzer marked the opening of an exhibit honoring Richrath at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. The classic lineup was joined by Murphy and Eric Richrath. After a Q&A session, the band played "Ridin' the Storm Out," "Take It On The Run," "Roll With The Changes," and a cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria." Murphy and Cronin traded lead vocals during "Ridin' the Storm Out," marking the first time the two ever performed together. The gathering was also the first time Gratzer played with Cronin on these REO songs since 1988.^[4]