Longtime REO Speedwagon bassist Bruce Hall wanted to return to touring after a difficult recovery from back surgery. He was reportedly told he couldn’t because of problems with his posture.
Neal Doughty, the group’s final remaining original member, had already announced his retirement from the road. Then frontman Kevin Cronin began having his own health problems. By Monday, the group had apparently imploded.
Hall says it didn’t have to be this way.
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“Never, ever thought it would end like this and I’m heartbroken,” he admitted in a social media post. “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. 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.”
REO Speedwagon’s most recent concert, on Sept. 8 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, featured fill-ins Derek Hilland on keyboards and Matt Bissonette on bass. Their final shows on a shared bill with Train in Chula Vista, California, and Phoenix were subsequently called off while Cronin was under doctors’ care.
“I recently had an emergency surgery and it was a complete success,” Cronin wrote in a note to fans. “I am on the mend and will be up and rockin’ as soon as the good docs here say it’s okay. Until then, I am 100% focused on recuperating.”
REO Speedwagon Abruptly Leaves the Road
That was before REO Speedwagon suddenly retired. Cronin’s ailment is still unconfirmed, but an official statement indicated the impasse was related to Hall’s recovery: “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.”
Citing the “complex situation” and “irreconcilable differences,” the band said “it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025.”
Doughty co-founded REO Speedwagon in 1967 along with drummer Alan Gratzer, then appeared on 16 consecutive studio albums beginning with 1971’s R.E.O. Speedwagon. Cronin joined prior to 1972’s R.E.O./T.W.O. and took over again with 1976’s R.E.O after leaving for some four years. Hall came on board for 1978’s breakthrough You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish.
What’s Next for REO Speedwagon?
REO Speedwagon’s final lineup also included guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt, both of whom had been with the group since 1989. They still have two more shows scheduled in California and an October residency at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, among other dates through November.
Hall said he’d hoped to move forward with them. “For the record, I wanted REO Speedwagon to continue to tour with the lineup of Kevin, myself, Dave, Bryan and Derek,” Hall added. “Just as it was prior to my necessary, planned and successful back surgery.”
It’s also unclear if REO Speedwagon will ever return to the studio. Their most recent album remains 2009’s Not So Silent Night … Christmas With REO Speedwagon. Meanwhile, Cronin is hinting at plans to work with others.
“I have so much more life to live, and have re-examined what I want to do with the rest of my time here, and who I want to be surrounded by while I do it,” Cronin wrote. “I need to be lifted by those around me, and in return, to lift them. I feel excited at the prospect of creating and playing the best music I have in me, with the best artists, musicians, and people who will have me.”
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