REO Speedwagon broke up this yr on account of “irreconcilable variations” (and have been after all included in our annual in memoriam video). It wasn’t Kevin Cronin’s concept. Forward of the band’s ultimate present, which can happen Dec. 21 on the Venetian in Las Vegas, the REO frontman spoke to Billboard about his future profession plans, mentioning that he by no means supposed to leap off the Speedwagon.
“By no means in my wildest goals did I ever see this coming,” Cronin advised Billboard. “I didn’t need to finish REO Speedwagon. That is unhappy, and I might do something in my energy to proceed (as) REO Speedwagon. I by no means stop the band; I by no means will stop the band. I simply obtained outvoted and… must cease calling it REO Speedwagon on the finish of this yr.” He added, “The straightforward reply is that REO Speedwagon at this level is a three-person partnership…and I’ve one vote. So if I get outvoted then I’ve to simply accept that, whether or not I prefer it or not. I’ll be sincere with you — I don’t prefer it. However I’ve to simply accept it…I might do all the pieces in my energy to have the ability to proceed with REO Speedwagon however, when a vote is taken, you need to stay with the outcomes.”
Those that outvoted Cronin have been bassist Bruce Corridor and keyboardist Neal Doughty. Doughty, REO’s sole remaining founding member, retired from touring in 2023. Corridor took a go away of absence in November of that yr for again surgical procedure; Matt Bissonette has crammed in since then. Corridor and Doughty retained possession curiosity in REO together with Cronin and determined to tug the plug — which makes some type of sense, since neither one among them is touring as a part of REO proper now.
Cronin will make his solo debut on Jan. 25 in Thackerville, OK and shall be a part of subsequent summer time’s Brotherhood Of Rock tour with Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder.
