- REO Speedwagon played their final show on Saturday, December 21st
- The “REO Speedwagon” name is being retired
- However, the band will continue to play under the direction of Kevin Cronin, except for bassist Bruce Hall
The name REO Speedwagon is no more.
On Saturday, December 21, the legendary rock band played their final show as REO Speedwagon at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas. At the concert, frontman Kevin Cronin addressed the crowd and thanked the fans for their support since they were formed in 1967.
“I feel sad that this is REO Speedwagon’s last concert, and at the same time I’m grateful to have been a part of this incredible ride that we’ve all been on as brothers, this incredible musical journey called REO Speedwagon,” Cronin, 73, told the crowd, according to Louder Sound.
He continued, “The name REO Speedwagon is being retired tonight, but the music, the spirit, the songs of REO Speedwagon will live on with this band and me as Kevin Cronin. We hope you’ll join us on that adventure.”
REO Speedwagon pulls out of 2025 tour due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ between band members
In September, REO Speedwagon, which consists of Neal Doughty, Cronin, Bruce Hall, Dave Amato, Bryan Hitt and Matt Bissonnette, announced in a Facebook post that they would end the 2025 tour due to “irreconcilable differences” between frontman Cronin and Hall. The bassist has been out of touring since November 2023 due to back surgery and has been replaced by Bissonette. The announcement came just after the band wrapped up their summer tour with Train.
“To our fans: By now Bruce was going to get back on the road again. If it was up to him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to him. The consensus was that he hadn’t recovered enough to play at the level which the fans expect,” the post began. “Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt was there to continue with Wagon through the summer tour. Bruce never had any intention of retiring or walking away from the band, fans and crew he loved for nearly 50 years.”
Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon perform in Mountain View, California in July 2022.
Steve Jennings/Getty Images
It continued: “As for Kevin, he also never had any intention of leaving the band, and the fans and crew mean the world to him as well.”
“Due to this complex situation, there have been irreconcilable differences between Bruce and Kevin,” the post said. “So, it is with great sadness that we announce that REO Speedwagon will cease touring as of January 1, 2025.”
In his own Facebook post, Hall said he was “heartbroken” by the decision to end the tour.
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“Please know that Neal and I have done everything in our power to try to keep the Wagon going,” he wrote. “I really appreciate ALL the amazing love and support. You guys have been very loud and clear in your wishes for me to get back on stage. Trust me…that’s all I wanted too. We all deserve a farewell tour.”
Still, he wanted the band to continue “with a line-up of Kevin, myself, Dave, Bryan and Derek.”
Then, on Dec. 17, Cronin revealed he didn’t want to end REO Speedwagon — whose ownership stake is controlled by Cronin, Doughty and Hall — but was outvoted.
“Not even in my wildest dreams did I see this. I didn’t want to end REO Speedwagon. This is sad and I would do everything in my power to move on [as] REO Speedwagon. I never left the band; I will never leave the band. I just got outvoted and… I have to stop calling him REO Speedwagon at the end of the year,” he told Billboard.
He added: “The simple answer is that REO Speedwagon is a partnership of three people at this point… and I have one voice. So if they outvote me, then I have to accept it whether I like it or not. I’ll be honest with you — I don’t like it. But I have to accept it… I would do everything in my power to be able to continue with REO Speedwagon, but when the vote comes, you have to live with the results.”
Next, Cronin’s band will tour with Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder on the Brotherhood of Rock Tour in 2025.
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Source: HIS Education