1 of 13. It was just that I needed to really identify where the heart and soul of this piece that I was working on was. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. 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.". It shows how my manager calls me and asks if Im willing to launder money through our merchandise company for an extra hundred thousand dollars. I know there are many writers who come up with the title and then write the song around the title. So I called up and cancelled the songwriting session. Cronin, 68, spoke to EW by phone about how his band ended up in the show, what it was like being on set, and also revealed one of the weirdest gigs REO Speedwagon ever played. Here it is, 50 years later, and it's still out there appealing to people; bringing up emotions, making people smile. 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. Ive sat down with peopleIve written with some great writers in Nashville, and for whatever reason, none of those songs have really panned out. They were told they could either bail him out or Paris would spend the next 4 days in jail. The first was a Hey, everybody, how you doing? thing. Cronin, like the rest of the band, earned a reputation as a party animal. You have entered an incorrect email address! "AOR poll part 2: Which lead singer's voice do you like best? 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon, and LaTonya Floyd, sister of George Floyd, sing "Keep on Loving You" together at The Community of Faith Church in Houston for a prayer vigil . REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. 2023 Getty Images. 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. I had the verses already written. I remember that I sat down on the floor of my bedroom, and I was literally almost in tears. 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George Floyd's Sister Says Trial Reminds Her of Suffering He Endured: 'He Felt Every Ounce of Pain'. 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. Click to buy the track or album via iTunes: http://smarturl.it/REOEssiTunes?IQid=RUNGoogle Play: http://smarturl.it/REORunPlay?IQid=RUNAmazon: http://smarturl.it/REOEssAmz?IQid=RUNMore from REO SpeedwagonKeep On Loving You: https://youtu.be/wJzNZ1c5C9cCan't Fight This Feeling: https://youtu.be/zpOULjyy-n8Here With Me: https://youtu.be/m8yKgLKJFjQMore great classic rock videos here: http://smarturl.it/ClassicRocks?IQid=RUNFollow REO SpeedwagonWebsite: http://www.speedwagon.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/REOSpeedwagonOfficialTwitter: https://twitter.com/kcreospeedwagonInstagram: https://instagram.com/reospeedwagonofficial/Subscribe to REO Speedwagon on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/REOsub?IQid=RUN---------Lyrics:Heard it from a friend whoHeard it from a friend whoHeard it from another you been messin' aroundThey say you got a boy friendYou're out late every weekendThey're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me downBut I know the neighborhoodAnd talk is cheap when the story is goodAnd the tales grow taller on down the lineBut I'm telling you, babeThat I don't think it's true, babeAnd even if it is keep this in mindYou take it on the run babyIf that's the way you want it babyThen I don't want you aroundI don't believe itNot for a minuteYou're under the gun so you take it on the run Usually for me, the title is the last thing that happens. I try to stick with the inspiration, and keep as much of that initial burst of creativity in the song as I possibly can. Click to listen to REO Speedwagon on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/REOspot?IQid=RUN Show more REO Speedwagon - Event. On Friday, as the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd's murder continued in Minneapolis, REO lead singer Kevin Cronin joined LaTonya and others for a vigil honoring George, 46, at The Community of Faith Church in Houston, where Cronin and LaTonya stood on stage and sang the song together. Even though it wasnt a hit, its a REO fan favorite. REO Speedwagon performing on Feb. 5, 1981 in Chicago, Il. "If I want to see if . This is bullst.". 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 memoir (which is tentatively titled Roll With the Changes: My Life Within and Without REO Speedwagon) is now in its final stages -according to Cronin, it should be finished in time for a 2022 release. Well, that got dropped. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. "It was just amazing," she said. The episode also featured one of the bands most popular tunes, Time for Me to Fly. Its fair to say they hadnt troubled the charts for some years, but the show seemed to remind people of just how good they could be. I think it's a combination of both. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Teens Crash Through Overpass In Stolen Car 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. Stevie Wonder wrote the Rufus funk classic "Tell Me Something Good. 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. The. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Since rejoining the band, Cronin has penned the bulk of their most successful songs, including Keep the Fire Burnin', I Do Wanna Know, Keep on Loving You, Cant Fight This Feeling, In My Dreams, and Dont Let Him Go. Because of all the traveling wed done, and the work wed been doing over the years, we all just arrived at this place where we really needed each other as brothers for mutual support. He left education after graduating from Chicagos Brother Rice High School, having already become convinced that his future lay in music, not business. Ask me about my collection of M:TG cards! But the whole thing about the dentists, that happened in episode one. 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. I gotta tell ya, I see the name REO Speedwagon all the time, but I don't often see my own name there. Cronin: Theres no real formula with it for me. 10 Things You Didnt Know about Andrew Baena, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Angel Vivaldi, The Top 10 Ice Nine Kills Songs From The Silver Scream, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Steve Jordan. DK: Besides some of your big hits, what are some of your songs that are your favorites? They also have pleaded not guilty. DK: When you write, do you usually create the melody or the lyrics first? Collect, curate and comment on your files. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and lead vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty. . 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. Kevin Cronin is a member of REO Speedwagon, one of the most popular rock bands of the 1980s. Midway through the song, the words disappeared from the screen and the singer had to rely on memory to get through the rest. He was 65. So when I came to Los Angeles I really wanted to feel the journey. Find out more about their lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist as we reveal 10 things you didnt know about Kevin Cronin. DK: I know you play both guitar and piano onstage. Cronin: Well, I will tell youI was thinking about this todaythis year (2016) will be the year that I get back to knucklin down. It was the first song where I thought, Wow, I kind of like this song (laughs). "The lead singer of REO Speedwagon, Kevin - he's a rock-n-roll Hall of Famer - he said, 'How about that LaTonya, your first live performance, and you've got a platinum record already.' ". written by REO Speedwagon January 22, 2016, As the lead singer & songwriterof the multi-platinum rock band REO Speedwagon, Kevin Cronin has been the bands guiding force since joining the group in the mid-1970s. Required fields are marked *. 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? Luke Bolen: Musician in Bradenton, Florida. Click to listen to REO Speedwagon on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/REOspot?IQid=RUNAs featured on The Essential REO Speedwagon. Kevin Cronin -- lead singer of '80s rock group REO Speedwagon -- heard the words straight from his own son's mouth . Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. For our episode, they had me on stage delivering a couple of lines. There was no way we would get together because she was with my friend. 1980 - Present43 years. REO Speedwagon has a net worth of $46 million. He was 65. My longtime friend and collaborator Gary Richrath passed away earlier today. When Mike Blair left the band in the summer of 1968, Gregg Philbin replaced . Some of the greatest songs ever have been written by songwriting partnerships. I was really focused on my wife, my children and my homemy children are all in high school now. I just really felt like it was a two-person job [this past year] more than ever. I am an avid Mac-user, nerd, musician, freelancer, and gamer. How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names. The band made a music video for this song in 1978, three years before MTV went on the air. I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. 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. No. Richrath co-wrote some of the bands songs, including Take It on the Run, which became a Top 5 pop hit on the Billboard charts. I remember where I was when I wrote that song. I learned something from thisthat if you pay attention to the song, the song will tell you what it needs. After realizing his lifestyle was starting to overshadow his work and family life, he made a 180-degree turn. says the actress. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. George Floyd (center) with LaTonya Floyd and her stepson Treyshawn Barker. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Five years later, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy and Jon Cryer. Cronin: I actually wrote that song as I was traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles, when I rejoined the band; I left the band for a couple years. 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. Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon performs at the Illinois Bicentennial party at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, December 3, 2018. What inspired you to write this song? 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). So I sat there and looked at my lyric notebook and if you think about it, the opening line of the song is I cant fight this feeling any longer. That was likeBingo! I couldnt figure it out, and as a result, I had a really hard time finishing that song. If they made a home-version of the LHC, I'd have 2. and still couldn't believe it -- but it is one of the funniest celeb. Fortunately, I stumbled into my home studio, which was a very humble little studio back in those days. DK: One of my favorite songs is Roll With The ChangesI think that song has inspired a lot of people. Who do you think is listening: old fans who were reminded of REO by the show, or young listeners just discovering the band? Lead Singer of REO Speedwagon: 'Memba Him? She doesn't hold back. About The Lead Singer Of REO Speedwagon I had a little red Wurlitzer electric piano that Id had since I was in high school. He was like, 'Oh my God, you're a true fan!' Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. Theyre one of my favorite bands of all time, and I thought it was, Read More The Top 10 Ice Nine Kills Songs From The Silver ScreamContinue, Have you heard of American rap artist 2KBABY? So the earlier songs were given a second chance as a result of the Hi Infidelity album. When you were recording Hi Infidelity, did you and the band feel that this was your best album up to that point? "It was so inspirational.". To hear people say things like this is amazing, said Bruce Hall, bass guitarist and lead and harmony vocalist for REO Speedwagon. "Gregg . 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). Cronin: Well for me, songwriting has been kind of a solitary journey. Cronin: I first joined the band in 1972. DK: Thats a great story about how you wrote Cant Fight This Feeling. Thank you. Here is the Q&A interview with Kevin Cronin: DK: When did you join REO Speedwagon, andhow did you developa key role as the bands singer & songwriter? A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. In addition to REO's jaunty 1978 hit 'Time for Me . Cronin: Ive written songs on both, honestly. Who is the lead singer in REO Speedwagon? Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. Anyway, Smooth would chase them down.
