Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. But the records that came before it, the songs that our fans already knew about, like Keep Pushin and Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly which hadnt really been hits, but our fans knew about them. REO Speedwagon singer pays tribute to George Floyd at Houston vigil What was it that inspired you to write it? Biggest hit "Sister Christian" (1984) took the band to . Cronin: Yeah, I think so. So when the Hi Infidelity album came out and Keep On Loving You went to number one, then suddenly people started looking back and realized, Wait a minute, that was REOs 11th album, maybe I should check out their earlier albums because there might be some good songs on it after all (laughs). She doesn't hold back. Anyway, Smooth would chase them down. For the good ones, the inspiration is usually a pretty big piece of the song. She's thinking about what her life would be like without [Marty/Jason Bateman]. REO Speedwagon's 1971 debut album was with their original lead singer, Terry Luttrell. He left education after graduating from Chicagos Brother Rice High School, having already become convinced that his future lay in music, not business. Theres something going on emotionally for me, usually some kind of a feeling that I either dont understand yet, or I understand and havent figured out how to express it yet. Five years later, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy and Jon Cryer. REO Speedwagon has a net worth of $46 million. The first was a Hey, everybody, how you doing? thing. Gary, Posted by REO Speedwagon onSunday, 13 September 2015, Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. But then looking back on it, and now seeing the impact that Cant Fight This Feeling has had on my life, the life of everyone in the REO Speedwagon family, the lives of people whom Ive never met all over the worldpeople have played that song at their weddings. He realized that the band needed songs. Among other things, the memoir promises to lift the lid on Cronins troubled relationship with bandmate Gary Richrath, who died from complications following surgery in 2016. These words do not come close to expressing the depth of emotions I am feeling at this time.. It just so happens that the album came out when I was in junior high school. Hearing Time for Me to Fly in that show, there may well be people who heard that song for the first time and went, Oh, that's cool. Thanks to their appearance, REO songs "Keep On Loving You," "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Time for Me to Fly," and "Take It On the Run" have all re-entered Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, Paul McCartney was in too much 'emotional pain' to keep the Beatles going after John Lennon left. We recorded it in Nashville, and the song of mine that [probably] got me the gig was called Music Man. It was never a huge hit, but its still in the REO setlist and it was basically my fantasy of how my life would turn out. It must have been 1989 after [late guitarist/songwriter] Gary Richrath and I parted ways and the band was at kind of a low point. I felt like I had a fever and my stomach hurt. When MTV launched in 1981, they played the video, as REO Speedwagon were huge at the time, with a string of hits from their, Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band). But I think it served its purpose because people at the record company heard it, REO Speedwagon fans heard itif they didnt hear it on the radio they heard us playing it live. Formed in 1966, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. 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. This is bullst.". The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. DK: One of my favorite songs is Roll With The ChangesI think that song has inspired a lot of people. Who knows what came first, the chicken or the egg there. He was 65. Click to listen to REO Speedwagon on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/REOspot?IQid=RUNAs featured on The Essential REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. Se do you feel more comfortable writing the song by yourself, or do you also love the process of co-writing? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Recording-history.org is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program. They are Do you love animals? However, there, Read More 10 Things You Didnt Know about DJ PaulContinue, Your email address will not be published. Richrath last played with the band in 2013, when the band performed a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois, to raise money for tornado victims. The 10 Best Ty Dolla Sign Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best 4 Non Blondes Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Marina and the Diamonds Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Ruben Blades Songs of All-Time. I kind of want to hear some more about that. To a lesser extent perhaps, [its like] when Journeys Dont Stop Believin got played on the Sopranos final episode and that just breathed new life into that song. Speaking to Guitar World about his favorite piece of kit, he said: People tell me its too valuable to take on tour, but I love playing that guitar so much that I dont care. REO Speedwagon performing on Feb. 5, 1981 in Chicago, Il. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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? The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. Basically, the only songs I can play on piano are those that I wrote (he laughs). Now, hes all about healthy eating and working out. I'm self-taught on. Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dead at 65 - Yahoo! Who do you think is listening: old fans who were reminded of REO by the show, or young listeners just discovering the band? Time for Me to Fly has taken me on an amazing musical journey that started when I wrote it in 1970. So to me, my experience has been that my strongest songs are the ones where it all kind of happens at once. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. When REO Speedwagon were at the peak of their popularity in the 1980s, their tours were known to get pretty wild. Its an example of the power of television. Cronin: We talked about Music Manthat song has a very special place for me because it kind of got me the gig. Then of course, you refine it from there. Friday's prayer vigil with its call for justice on George's behalf "was beautiful," LaTonya said. It was monumental.". So well seethis year should be interesting. I didnt put a whole lot of time and energy into the creative part of what I do. Kevin Cronin took over that role for their next effort, R.E.O./T.W.O. On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with. Lead Singer of REO Speedwagon: 'Memba Him? Who Is The Lead Singer Of REO Speedwagon? Formed in 1967, the group originally included guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Blair, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. I had the verses already written. Cronin: Ive written songs on both, honestly. Then I thoughtyou know what, so be it, then thats how it has to be, because thats what this songs name is. We pull up to the last gig of the tour and there on the marquee, in English, it says, REO Speedwagon plus ventriloquist act. We go into the venue, and not only were we sharing the bill, but we were sharing the dressing room with the ventriloquist act. We're all sitting there going, God, this is bullst. I had a little red Wurlitzer electric piano that Id had since I was in high school. Sold in excess of 17 million records worldwide. REOSpeedwagonPlans HiInfidelty30thAnniversary Reissue, Tour. During the peak of their success, the band was an almost permanent fixture on the Billboard Hot 100, racking up 13 Top 40 hits, two number 1s, and selling over 40 million records in total. And when I had that realization, I went down to my piano room and I wrote the B section and the chorus in about 15 minutes. We thought it was all going to be right next to each other, like on the show. 4 CD Lot! Cronin: That song, coincidentally, was number one 35 years ago from right now. ", "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by Marvin Gaye was inspired by Jackie Gleason's saying, "How Sweet It Is!". You have an entire episode of Ozark named after you (Kevin Cronin Was Here) and you and the band perform Time for Me to Fly in it. "When Gregg left the band in 1977, he took with him the prog-leaning extended instrumental section aspect of the REO sound," Cronin wrote. All Rights Reserved. Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon dies | CNN Cronin: Well for me, songwriting has been kind of a solitary journey. Search instead in. 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So the earlier songs were given a second chance as a result of the Hi Infidelity album. 10 Things You Didn't Know about Kevin Cronin - Chaospin It was number one (on the Hot 100 chart) for I think three weeks, which back in the 80s was quite an accomplishment. Maybe you have and maybe you havent, at least not yet. Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, September 10, 1982. My biggest successes are songs that I write myself. I was writing [the words] on this brown paper bag as I was rolling down the road. and still couldn't believe it -- but it is one of the funniest celeb. Ask me about my collection of M:TG cards! He guards that guitar with his life., The COVID lockdowns havent exactly been pleasant, but through adversity, comes opportunity, and in Cronins case, hes relished the chance to reconnect with his family. Gary Richrath, Former Guitarist with REO Speedwagon, Dies at 65 - Billboard REO Speedwagon performing on Feb. 5, 1981 in Chicago, Il. Cronin managed to reach $350,000 before being eliminated after forgetting the lyrics to Donna Summers Last Dance.. 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. REO Speedwagon, Boz Scaggs Latest To Sue Sony Music Over Digital Downloads, I feel so sad. Michael Bryan Murphy took his place, and remained with the band until Cronin stepped back up to the mic in January 1976. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. Kevin Cronin is a member of REO Speedwagon, one of the most popular rock bands of the 1980s. As time went on, and my buddy broke up with her, we still remained friends. In 2008, Cronin took a break from the recording studio to appear as a celebrity contestant on Dont Forget the Lyrics! The premise of the show revolved around contestants competing for a prize pot of $1million by selecting songs to sing along to alongside a karaoke-style video screen. The first time I was introduced to her, when I saw herit was that love at first sight feeling. Dont second guess it. REO remains a popular live band which tours steadily throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Robert Smith doesn't license Cure songs for commercials, but he made an exception in 2004 when he let Hewlett-Packard use "Pictures Of You." 12 best REO Speedwagon songs 1. And sure enough, it ended up working out. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. The subjects that we were writing about were what was going on in our lives, since we were all in the same boat in a lot of ways. Cronin: I was kind of a late bloomer with the ladies. George Floyd's Sister Says Trial Reminds Her of Suffering He Endured: 'He Felt Every Ounce of Pain'. She covers numerous genres of music but her favorites are Pop, Rock, Heavy Metal, Rap, and even the classics.