Legendary rock band calls it quits
A rift between REO Speedwagon’s singer Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall has prompted the band to stop touring next year.
The band, which consists of Cronin, Hall along with Derek Hilland, Dave Amato, Bryan Hitt and Matt Bissonnette, laid out the entire explanation in a post on Facebook on Monday.
In a letter to their fans, the band explained that Bruce intended to be “Back On the Road Again by now” and “if it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him.”
In November, the band announced that Hall was undergoing back surgery and that Bissonnette would fill in as bassist. Despite his health issues, Hall wanted to go back on tour, but the band felt that he hadn’t fully recovered.
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“The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect. Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt (Bissonnette) 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.”
The statement then turned its direction to Cronin.
“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,” the statement continued.
“Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin. 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.”
Hall released a statement of his own explaining that he was “heartbroken” and that he “never ever thought it would end like this.”
“Please know Neal and I did everything in our power to try and keep the Wagon rolling. I am so appreciative of ALL the amazing love and support,” he explained. “You guys have been very vocal and clear in your wishes for me to return to the stage. Trust me…that’s all I wanted too. We all deserved a farewell tour.”
He cleared the air saying, “For the record, I wanted REO Speedwagon to continue to tour with the lineup of Kevin, myself, Dave, Bryan and Derek. Just as it was prior to my necessary, planned and successful back surgery.”
Exactly what happened between Hall and Cronin is not clear.
The band is set to perform 19 more dates through the rest of the year. They just finished a co-headlining tour with Train this past summer. REO Speedwagon is set to resume touring on Sept. 27 in Rancho Mirage, California. Their final show is slated for the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on Nov. 23.
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