We thought it was all going to be right next to each other, like on the show. [1] REO Speedwagon performing on Feb. 5, 1981 in Chicago, Il. Luke Bolen: Musician in Bradenton, Florida. Then of course, you refine it from there. 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. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. It was monumental.". Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, REO Speedwagon scored numerous hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including two chart-topping singles written by Cronin: "Keep on Loving You" (1981) and "Can't Fight This Feeling" (1982). Then on the day that Eric and I were supposed to co-write, I literally woke up that morning and I felt like I had the flu. I wanted to put any extra time that I hadobviously the band tours and thats very important to all of us. Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. I learned most of what I know about being in a rock band from Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagons lead singer, Kevin Cronin, wrote on the bands website and Facebook page. How do you think Ozark meant for the song to be seen? Collect, curate and comment on your files. I just havent had a great deal of success with it (laughs). 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. Cronin: Well for me, songwriting has been kind of a solitary journey. 'Heartland' Actor Robert Cormier Dead at 33 Lead Singer of REO Speedwagon: 'Memba Him? this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. We did have a feeling that there was something special going on. All of his kids have left home, but when his daughter started working remotely and his sons colleges closed, all three moved back into the family home. Fortunately, I stumbled into my home studio, which was a very humble little studio back in those days. 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. Ask me about my collection of M:TG cards! The opening line may be even more important than the title. The band made a music video for this song in 1978, three years before MTV went on the air. It's been a pretty amazing journey. What are we doing here? I swear to you, all of a sudden from behind one of our road cases pops the ventriloquists dummy. The title line is, Cant you see, Ill always be a music man. It basically talked about my story in a song. According to legend, Cronin thrashed out the lyrics to REO Speedwagons Roll With the Changes on the back of a trash bag. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Recording-history.org is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program. You have entered an incorrect email address! 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. But my friend, Sammy Hagar, his brand name is Sammy Hagar. REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin turns to his kids for advice when deciding on new projects including the band's recent cameo on Netflix's "Ozark.". ", LaTonya added, "My dream has come true to meet REO Speedwagon. I think the main reason that I got the gig, was that REO had released one album, and they were working on songs for their second album for Epic Records. DK: One of my favorite songs is Roll With The ChangesI think that song has inspired a lot of people. He needed the money to buy the group's back catalogue. Find out more about their lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist as we reveal 10 things you didnt know about Kevin Cronin. If you catch Linda at a wedding be sure to check out the dance floor. Chauvin's defense in his trial, which began March 29 with prosecution testimony, is due to start next week. 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. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I try to keep it that way, because I think theres a certain purityI try to keep the craftsmanship to a minimum. His initial period with the band proved brief. Because I had a couple lines, they gave me the script, and it didn't dawn on me at first, but then I noticed the name of the episode was Kevin Cronin Was Here. I thought that was just a working title. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. Richrath last played with the band in 2013, when the band performed a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois, to raise money for tornado victims. Kevin Cronin -- lead singer of '80s rock group REO Speedwagon -- heard the words straight from his own son's mouth . Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. I had written some songs before that were okaythey were passable. My longtime friend and collaborator Gary Richrath passed away earlier today. 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). Cronin is known to play Ovations on tour, and even has his own signature guitar from the brand. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. How did it come about? After all, hes been a mainstay in the world of rap music since the late 1980s. DK: Besides some of your big hits, what are some of your songs that are your favorites? I could have very easily followed that fear that I had about that title and thought Oh Man, I better not call it this, because of some commercial concern. When I rejoined, the band had moved from Champaign, Illinois to Los Angeles. Artists and entertainers. REO Speedwagon's 1971 debut album was with their original lead singer, Terry Luttrell. As my father always used to say, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and in songwriting thats ityour opening line. In addition, his songs Roll With The Changes and Keep The Fire Burning have had an enduring impact, becoming rock anthems which convey positive and uplifting lyric themes. Id just started to write a couple little silly songs. He was there with me.". The first was a Hey, everybody, how you doing? thing. But, spoiler alert: REO plays a major role in one Season 3 episode, which also happens to be named after the band's lead singer, Kevin Cronin. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. 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. We were all psyched up. But the whole thing about the dentists, that happened in episode one. Well, that got dropped. We didnt set out to write a concept album, but the songs do hang together conceptually, because we were all going through similar things. The song kind of came first. Which instrument do you prefer to write songs on? Then as many of my songs do, I write them and then I kind of learn about myself when Im finished with them. With Cant Fight This Feeling, I did not know what the name of that song was. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. Thats my titlethats what this song is about. I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. Friday's prayer vigil with its call for justice on George's behalf "was beautiful," LaTonya said. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. I saw both seasons, all the way through, and I was like, Im ready to go. ", "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by Marvin Gaye was inspired by Jackie Gleason's saying, "How Sweet It Is!". 1 of 13. He goes, [Spanish accent] This is bullst. As forbes.com reports, the end result was that thousands of viewers flocked out to buy or stream the bands back catalog, leading to a major resurgence on a number of Billboard charts. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. What was it that inspired you to write it? I try to stick with the inspiration, and keep as much of that initial burst of creativity in the song as I possibly can. DK: A few years later, you followed up with another big ballad, Cant Fight This Feeling. Is this song perhaps the most popular song youve written? Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. Band members read about that anecdote in PEOPLE and responded by contacting Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, to say they'd like to give LaTonya a surprise. Now, hes all about healthy eating and working out. A dentist tells Wendy he wants REO to plays a dental convention on the Missouri Belle riverboat casino. Trivia 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Up until then, the songwriting was credited to the whole bandthat they all wrote the songs togetherbut I think the truth was that it was mostly Gary who would spark (the songs creation) and then the band would get together and jam and finish it. I've been singing since kindergarten. Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, September 10, 1982. Cronin: Ive written songs on both, honestly. He discovered his love for music at an early age, and spent most of his time outside of school honing his guitar skills. says the actress. 9/28/2010 1:00 PM PT With '80s hits like " Keep On Loving You " and " Can't Fight This Feeling ," Kevin. REO Speedwagon is back on the Billboard charts for songs that are many decades old. The lead singer of REO Speedwagon is Kevin Cronin and Terry Luttrell respectively. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. It was the first song where I thought, Wow, I kind of like this song (laughs). I gotta tell ya, I see the name REO Speedwagon all the time, but I don't often see my own name there. Are you and the band working on a new studio album? He was 65. "AOR poll part 2: Which lead singer's voice do you like best? In addition to REO's jaunty 1978 hit Time for Me to Fly being used during a drug cartel kidnapping sequence, the group also makes a cameo, playing a concert at the casino and entering into a money laundering arrangement with Marty (Jason Bateman). When Gary (Richrath) heard that song, it signaled to him that I had some ability as a songwriter. I can always pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano. And my immediate reaction was, Wait a minute, all the other characters are fictional, except for us. I'm strictly nonfiction at this point in my life. "Pretty In Pink" by Psychedelic Furs was released in 1981. Since starting his career at the age of 19 as the house drummer on Saturday Night Live, hes graduated into, Read More 10 Things You Didnt Know about Steve JordanContinue, If youre a fan of rap music, you might be quite familiar with the name DJ Paul. Its like the stars lining up. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. In our episode, my line is, Hey, are there any dentists in the crowd tonight?" REO Speedwagon Even after more than 40 years of success, Kevin Cronin, lead singer of arena rock specialists REO Speedwagon, never takes the band's status for granted. Kevin Cronin is a member of REO Speedwagon, one of the most popular rock bands of the 1980s. achieved significant commercial success during the 1980s. Theyre all home (and becoming) young adults. Gary Richrath, a former guitarist for the classic rock band REO Speedwagon who also co-wrote the group's hit song . I remember that I sat down on the floor of my bedroom, and I was literally almost in tears. Cronin: I was kind of a late bloomer with the ladies. I just couldnt get the courage up, to make that leap of vulnerability, to share with her that I had feelings for her that were more than friendship. I was talking to someone today about how the opening line of a song is so important to me. Andrew Baena was born on July 18, 1992, in Canada. So my manager, Tom Consolo, set up a writing session with Eric Carmen, who was the lead singer of the Raspberries. Before we start the interview, here is some information about REO Speedwagons hit discography, and about the other members of the band, both past and present. Back in the day of the album, that was very important. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. My biggest successes are songs that I write myself. Richrath co-wrote some of the band's songs, including "Take It on the Run," which became a Top 5 pop hit on the Billboard charts. "It was just amazing," she said. I kind of operate under the brand name of REO Speedwagon. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon performs at the Illinois Bicentennial party at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, December 3, 2018. 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. The first line of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" is "It was the 3rd of September," which is the day lead singer Dennis Edwards' father died. Tell me about being on set to film your scene. Midway through the song, the words disappeared from the screen and the singer had to rely on memory to get through the rest. I think the opening scene is more a literal translation of what the song is about. Afterwards, she spent time with Cronin, his daughter and his manager. But I remember when I just struggling to figure it out and the journey that a song takes is so remarkable and thinking back as a young songwriter, I remember that Keep Pushin was the first song that I actually wrote that I thought Yeah, I could hear this on the radio. If it came on the radio, I dont think I would turn the channel (laughs). If someone swipes it, that would be total bad karma for them. REO Speedwagon's official music video for 'Take It On The Run'. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Its kind of a blessing and a curse. I never really took any piano lessonsI just messed around with it and figured it out for myself. 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.
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