06/16/2025
Martin in the Morning's Rock News
Six of REO Speedwagon's 20 former members since forming in 1967 came together Saturday night for a "retrospective" concert in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois.
Back Where It All Began - Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon, held at the State Farm Arena on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, featured band founder and keyboardist Neal Doughty, drummer Alan Gratzer, bassist Bruce Hall, guitarist Steve Scorfina, and singers Terry Luttrell and Mike Murphy, with an in memoriam segment for guitarist Gary Richrath and bassist Gregg Philbin.
With longtime frontman Kevin Cronin noticeably absent due to being at odds with Hall as well as being on tour with Styx and Don Felder, the ex-members played lots of deep cuts to go along with their hits with vocal help from Levon, a trio who have toured in the past with REO, as well as Hall's kids -- Sara and Timmy -- and Gary Richrath's son Eric who played guitar on "Ridin' the Storm Out."
Band co-founder Alan Gratzer addressed the audience, saying, "I've been very happily retired. Neal and I started this band in 1967, which many of you already know, over in Townsend Hall [on the] second floor. After our freshman year, we went home over the summer and I said, 'Let's come back in the fall when we go to school and form a band.'"
And bassist Bruce Hall added, "As hard as it's all been for everybody, including me, don't forget that love will cure you. I'm counting on that. It should hopefully make a difference in somebody close that you know, because I miss you too. I think these songs belong to all of us and it's fun playing them... In all reality, this is REO's last show."
The decision to retire the REO name last year came about after Cronin wanted to continue without Hall, who was sidelined with a back injury that required surgery. Doughty and Hall voted against Cronin's continuing under that name unless Hall was part of the lineup. In photos Hall posted on Facebook, he was hunched over and looked frail.
Gregg Allman’s son with his third wife, Cher, 48-year-old Elijah Blue Allman, was rushed to the hospital Saturday morning after overdosing in Joshua Tree, California. He has been battling addiction.
Black Sabbath’s 13th and first album with singer Tony Martin, 1987’s The Eternal Idol, will be re-released on CD and vinyl on July 25th following its release on limited-edition translucent red vinyl this past Record Store Day. It will include two bonus tracks, "Some Kind of Woman" and "Black Moon," and will come with a new booklet for the CD and a lyric sheet for the LP.
