Bruce Hall recently addressed REO Speedwagon’s origins in a Facebook post.
Hall’s History With REO Speedwagon
He shared a photo from his early music career and clarified how he joined the band. Hall noted, “Hey guys. There’s a whole lotta misinformation getting thrown out there and one thing l’ve got to address is how I joined REO Speedwagon.”
“Long before either one of us were in REO, Gary joined the band I was in called ‘Feather Train.’ This is that band. (I’m sitting on the far left and Gary’s sitting on the far right) It’s actually how Gary ended up moving to Champaign. REO was the biggest band on campus and when Steve Scorfina quit, Gary immediately joined,” Hall continued.
The musician stated, “When he left Feather Train, he promised me we’d play again. I was in high school when Gary and I recorded demos for REO. I also co-wrote the title track ‘Lost in a Dream’ in 1974 BEFORE Kevin replaced Mike Murphy.”
“Make no mistake, Gary brought BOTH Kevin and I into REO Speedwagon. We both should honor his legacy with the truth and continue to be grateful,” he ended his post.
Hall Has No Solo Plans
In the comments, a fan suggested Hall should go solo if he couldn’t work out his differences with REO. Hall responded, “I don’t have any desire to go solo at this point. We all deserve the real REO Speedwagon and that includes Kevin as our lead singer. I won’t stop hoping he has a change of heart. Our legacy deserves a better ending.”
Last month, music journalist Mitch Lafon asked Hall about forming a new REO without Cronin. Hall rejected the idea, stating, “Mitch, I don’t want to honestly. REO is our band and Kevin should always be our lead singer. Fans deserve the real deal, not another tribute band.”
Hall was supposed to return in 2025 after health issues, but Cronin opposed it. This led to a deadlock, and the band decided to retire the REO Speedwagon name after a final show on December 21. Since Hall and Neal Doughty outvoted him, Cronin chose to tour under his own name with the band’s final lineup.
