REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty.[1] Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, with Terry Luttrell taking his place on lead vocals.[2] Bob Crownover took over as the band's guitarist, but was replaced after a brief tenure by Bill Fiorio and later Steve Scorfina.[3] Blair left a few months after Matt, with Gregg Philbin taking his place.[4] The band also briefly added saxophonist Joe McCabe and trumpeter Marty Shepard to its lineup in 1968.[3]
By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitarist Gary Richrath in place of Scorfina.[5] In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band's self-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath.[6] The vocalist was replaced by Kevin Cronin, who performed on the group's second album R.E.O./T.W.O. before leaving during sessions for the 1973 follow-up.[7] Mike Murphy took over and recorded Ridin' the Storm Out, Lost in a Dream and This Time We Mean It, but was replaced by a returning Cronin in 1976.[8] [9] Philbin left the following year, with Bruce Hall taking his place.[10]
The band's lineup remained stable thereafter for more than ten years until Gratzer decided to retire in 1988, with Graham Lear brought in as his replacement.[11] Richrath also left early the next year, with Miles Joseph filling in for a show before Dave Amato took over in May.[12] [13] Also in 1989, Bryan Hitt replaced Lear on drums,[14] while Jesse Harms joined as a second keyboardist, performing on the band's 1990 album The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken.[15] Since the end of Harms's brief tenure with the group, REO Speedwagon has retained a consistent lineup of Neal Doughty, Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, and Bryan Hitt[16] until 2023 when Doughty announced he was retiring from touring. His touring replacement was announced as former Iron Butterfly and Whitesnake member Derek Hilland.[17]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neal Doughty | 1967–2023 | all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009) | ||
| Kevin Cronin | [18] | |||
| Bruce Hall | 1977–present[19] [20] | all REO Speedwagon releases from You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) onwards | ||
| Dave Amato[21] | 1989–present | all REO Speedwagon releases from The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990) onwards | ||
| Bryan Hitt[22] | ||||
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Gratzer | 1967–1988 [23] | all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to The Hits (1988) | |||
| Mike Blair[24] | 1967–1968 | none | |||
| Joe Matt[25] | |||||
| Terry Luttrell | 1968–1972 | lead vocals | R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) | ||
| Bob Crownover | 1968–1969[26] | guitar | none | ||
| Gregg Philbin | 1968–1977[27] (died 2022) | all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to (1977) | |||
| Joe McCabe | 1968[28] | saxophone | none | ||
| Marty Shepard | trumpet | ||||
| 1969[29] | guitar | ||||
| Steve Scorfina | 1969–1970 | ||||
| Gary Richrath | 1970–1989[30] (died 2015) | all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to The Hits (1988) | |||
| Mike Murphy | 1973–1975[31] | ||||
| Graham Lear | 1988–1989[32] | drums | The Second Decade of Rock and Roll: 1981 to 1991 (1991) | ||
| Miles Joseph | 1989[33] (died 2012)[34] | lead guitar | none | ||
| Carla Day | 1989[35] [36] | backing vocals | |||
| Melanie Jackson | |||||
| Jesse Harms | 1989–1991 | The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990) |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Aldridge | 2005–present | John Aldridge, Bryan Hitt's drum tech since July 2005, performed additional percussion parts live from around July 2005 until the present day.[37] He also performed drums at soundchecks when Bryan was running late. | |||
| Joe Vannelli | 2007 | keyboards | Doughty was absent from the REO Speedwagon Unplugged Live in Washington XM Radio show in early April 2007, with producer Joe Vannelli filling-in on keyboards.[38] Vannelli also performed additional piano, Hammond organ, and synthesizer on the 2007 album Find Your Own Way Home. | ||
| Derek Hilland | 2023–present | With Doughty's retirement from touring being announced in January 2023, Derek Hilland has been filling-in for Doughty live since January 2023.[39] | |||
| Matt Bissonette | 2023–2024 | With Hall's hiatus to have back surgery in November 2023, Matt Bissonette has been filling in for Hall, who is expected to return in 2024.[40] |
| Period | Members | Releases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 1967 – early 1968 |
| none | |
| Early – summer 1968 |
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| Summer – late 1968 |
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| Late 1968 – summer 1969 |
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| Summer – late 1969 |
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| Late 1969 – late 1970 |
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| Late 1970 – early 1972 |
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| Early 1972 – mid-1973 |
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| Mid-1973 – January 1976 |
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| January 1976 – early 1977 |
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| Early 1977 – September 1988 |
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| September 1988 – early 1989 |
| none | |
| Early – spring 1989 |
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| Summer 1989 – early 1991 |
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| Early 1991 – present |
Notes: Derek Hilland is currently the touring replacement for Neal Doughty. Matt Bissonette is currently the touring replacement from Bruce Hall, who plans to return in 2024. |
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