I just havent had a great deal of success with it (laughs). 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 . Bradley Gillis - Lead Guitarist - Night Ranger | LinkedIn From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. I wanted to put any extra time that I hadobviously the band tours and thats very important to all of us. Hes a real sweet guy and hes written some big hit ballads, and we were supposed to co-write. Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon performs at the Illinois Bicentennial party at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, December 3, 2018. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. S.F. Roll With The Changes by REO Speedwagon - Songfacts According to legend, Cronin thrashed out the lyrics to REO Speedwagons Roll With the Changes on the back of a trash bag. All the songs I write, they spring from an initial burst of creativity that kind of gets the ball rolling. But I was probably over halfway finished with Cant Fight This Feeling, and I felt that it was something special. Who is the lead singer in REO Speedwagon? One day, I was really frustrated because we had an album that was due, and we really needed that song that was going to pick up where Keep On Loving You left off, and we didnt have it. On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with. I had written some songs before that were okaythey were passable. Directed by Arnold Levine, the black-and-white footage was shot at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri at their show on May 13, 1978. Teens Crash Through Overpass In Stolen Car 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Gary Richrath, Former Guitarist with REO Speedwagon, Dies at 65 - Billboard In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined as the guitar player, replacing Matt. So well seethis year should be interesting. Cronin: I would hope that the point [of this story is], when youre writing a song, you have to stick with your gut. How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names. The song was remixed for the re-release to have more Pop appeal. Back in the day of the album, that was very important. There was this girl in Chicago who Im still in touch with to this daywere still friends. 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. I know there are many writers who come up with the title and then write the song around the title. Thats my titlethats what this song is about. And there were some radio stations in the Midwest that were playing those songs. 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). I remember that I sat down on the floor of my bedroom, and I was literally almost in tears. Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream? The. Theres no bigger influence for me. So he knew that they needed some help in the songwriting department. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. So my manager, Tom Consolo, set up a writing session with Eric Carmen, who was the lead singer of the Raspberries. Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. Gary Richrath, a former guitarist for the classic rock band REO Speedwagon who also co-wrote the groups hit song Take It on the Run, died Sunday, according to a publicist for the band. This song, even though it wasnt finished yet, meant so much to me and it was such a big part of who I am, that I just knew that I wanted to finish this song myself. 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. REO Speedwagon singer pays tribute to George Floyd at Houston vigil "It's like a direct connection with my brother that was our song," LaTonya, 52, told PEOPLE afterward. So to me, my experience has been that my strongest songs are the ones where it all kind of happens at once. 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. But Ive written some of our biggest hits on the piano. In the REO Speedwagon band, there are two lead singers, and one is Kevin Cronin and Terry Luttrell. George Floyd (center) with LaTonya Floyd and her stepson Treyshawn Barker. 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: 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? Stevie Wonder wrote the Rufus funk classic "Tell Me Something Good. 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? Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon Guitarist, Dead at 65 - Yahoo! We are pleased to do a new interview with Cronin, about how he wrote his classic REO songs, and his creative songwriting process. 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. Night Ranger original guitarist formed in 1980. I kind of operate under the brand name of REO Speedwagon. 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.". Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Then I thoughtyou know what, so be it, then thats how it has to be, because thats what this songs name is. Kevin Cronin net worth, biography, married, divorce, husband, children Additionally, I've been playing music for the better part of 14 years. He realized that the band needed songs. How did it come about? 12 best REO Speedwagon songs 1. She doesn't hold back. DK: When you write, do you usually create the melody or the lyrics first? REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. George Floyd's Sister Says Trial Reminds Her of Suffering He Endured: 'He Felt Every Ounce of Pain'. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. So thats going to be a lot of fun. Considering the band has toured with everyone from Def Leppard to Status Quo and Chicago, it promises to be unmissable. "AOR poll part 2: Which lead singer's voice do you like best? I was really focused on my wife, my children and my homemy children are all in high school now. Tell me about being on set to film your scene. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. He might still occasionally enjoy the odd glass of wine at dinner, but he makes sure to drink it by the glass rather than the bottle. My biggest inspiration in music is the Beatles, and Lennon & McCartney in my mind are the great songwriting duo in the history of the world, and I owe everything that I know about being in a band, writing a songI owe it all to the Beatles. 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? Id just started to write a couple little silly songs. REOSpeedwagonPlans HiInfidelty30thAnniversary Reissue, Tour. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. If you catch Linda at a wedding be sure to check out the dance floor. When the call came in for us to appear in Ozark,my reaction was, Theyre going to have REO Speedwagon playing on a riverboat in the Lake of the Ozarks? When I have a question, I bring it up at the dinner table. Ozark, a dark, violent drama about family both the crime and blood variety is not the kind of show where youd expect to hear the light classic rock stylings of REO Speedwagon. I sat down and started playing those chordsthat was what the song came from. DK: These days, so much of the songwriting process is co-writing, particularly in Nashville. I was writing [the words] on this brown paper bag as I was rolling down the road. "I had my eyes closed the whole time picturing my brother. You have entered an incorrect email address! Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. [REO band member] Gary Richraththe late, great Gary Richrath who unfortunately passed away this past yearwas my partner in crime, so to speak. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. REO Speedwagon CD Lot! 4 CD Lot! Classic Rock 74643598828 | eBay Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The cause of death has not yet been. REO remains a popular live band which tours steadily throughout the U.S. and worldwide. When they wrote those songs, they were just trying to write good . 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. 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). As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. REO Speedwagon, Boz Scaggs Latest To Sue Sony Music Over Digital Downloads, I feel so sad. In the original script there was a shot of a banner that has a big REO Speedwagon logo and says "Welcome to the Missouri Dental Association Convention." Biggest hit "Sister Christian" (1984) took the band to . We didnt set out to write a concept album, but the songs do hang together conceptually, because we were all going through similar things. He refused to bail him out, something he credits with putting Paris, whos now sober, on the road to recovery The songs on the album were written about the experience, which Cronin has described as the darkest, yet most fulfilling, chapter of my life.. It just has this huge history to it. List of REO Speedwagon members - Wikiwand Your email address will not be published. In the episodes opening sequence, Time for Me to Fly is used, then its on the car radio and Laura Linneys character Wendy is singing along.