Kevin Cronin released a statement on Facebook following REO Speedwagon’s announcement of their retirement.
“Hi Friends, so, I’m not gonna lie… I was more than a little nervous as I sat alone in my dressing room preparing for Wednesday’s show in Eugene, Oregon,” the singer wrote, sharing a video from the night. “It had been six weeks since our last show, on September 8 at the LA Forum, with our brothers, Train.”
He added, “Fortunately, as soon as I was able, I got back with my awesome vocal coach, Jeffrey Allen. The vocal recovery started out slow, and very challenging. I saw Otolaryngologist Dr Andy Mikaelian in Thousand Oaks, and Dr Joe Sugerman, my voice doc in LA. I worked with Jeffrey Allen nearly every day.”
“My wife Lisa listened in on my vocal sessions and added her advice and love. And guess what … all that support, along with my steadfast effort paid off. I walked out on stage with our awesome band, and we laid it down last, in front of a packed arena in Eugene, Oregon. Rick Springfield warmed up the crowd expertly; we love playing with Rick and his great band,” Cronin shared.
The rocker noted, “And we went on to play a full, high energy REO Speedwagon concert. I had a blast, and can report that the following two shows with Rick, our November tour with Loverboy, and our rescheduled shows through December which end up at the Venetian in Las Vegas will be full speed ahead.”
REO Speedwagon announced last month that they stopped touring due to serious disagreements. The band stated, “To our fans: Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now. If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him. The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect.”
They further explained, “Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt has been around to keep the Wagon rolling through the summer tour. Bruce never had any intention of retiring or walking away from the band, fans, and crew he has loved for almost 50 years.”
“For Kevin’s part, he too has 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, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin,” the group added.
They concluded, “So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025. Neal, Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever.”
Bruce Hall recently shared on Facebook that the band will not continue without Cronin. He expressed that REO is their band and Kevin is their singer, so they all deserve a farewell tour.
