Kevin Cronin has detailed the events that led to REO Speedwagon’s demise.
“Shit happens in bands, especially bands that have been together as long as we have,” the rocker admitted during a conversation with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “And, there had been a little trouble brewing internally.”
Cronin went on to detail bassist Bruce Hall’s decision to step away from the group while recovering from back surgery. Though he initially expected to only be sidelined for only a few months, Hall eventually decided to stay off the road for all of 2024. During his conversation with Trunk, Cronin admitted he saw Hall’s decision coming.
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“I saw the X-ray and I’m like, dude, ‘I don’t see how you’re going to be ready by March 1st, June 1st,’” the singer explained. “I said, ‘If I were you, man, I would just sit out the year.’ And he didn’t take very kindly to that.”
Kevin Cronin Describes Bruce Hall’s Demands as ‘Irresponsible’
Cronin and Hall remained in contact even as REO Speedwagon toured in 2024 with a replacement bassist. At one point, the longtime bandmates discussed Hall’s return to the group, but Cronin deemed his demands were too much to handle. “I found the two main demands… one of them would have been irresponsible for me to go along with. And the other one was just impossible for me to go along with,” Cronin explained while declining to directly reveal what Hall’s demands were.
Making matters worse, rumors regarding the turmoil within REO Speedwagon began spreading online.
“The specifics and the details of what goes on in rock bands, it’s meant to stay within the band,” Cronin remarked to Trunk. “What I’ve heard has been circulated online is that I somehow prevented Bruce from touring, from coming out on the road last year. And that’s just inaccurate. It’s just not the truth.”
With the sides unable to reach an agreement, REO Speedwagon announced it would retire from touring. The band’s final show took place on Dec. 21.
‘I Never Quit REO Speedwagon’
Cronin further lamented that Hall’s return “could have been a smooth transition” if “people around Bruce” hadn’t leaked details about the discourse. “It just got ugly,“ the singer noted, while also dismissing a theory that he wanted REO Speedwagon to end so that he could pursue a solo career.
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“That’s the exact opposite of what happened,” Cronin declared. “I never quit REO Speedwagon. I would never quit REO Speedwagon. I’ve spent my adult life working to enhance REO Speedwagon and always lift the bar on REO Speedwagon to make the band better and better and better.”
Cronin’s account of REO Speedwagon’s dissolution stands in contrast to Hall’s. “No one forced [Cronin] to rebrand. He decided he wanted to tour with the sub bassist instead of me,” Hall wrote on social media in January, stating that the frontman “quit.” “He and he alone did this. I wanted nothing more than to continue to tour after my scheduled, successful back surgery. I’ve been cleared to play since January.”
Kevin Cronin Wishes Bruce Hall ‘Nothing But the Best’
Cronin is poised to hit the road this summer alongside Styx and Don Felder for the Brotherhood of Rock tour. Though he’s being billed as the Kevin Cronin Band, he promises the shows will still deliver “an REO Speedwagon experience.”
Despite the acrimonious ending, the singer still holds out hope that he and Hall could one day share the stage again for an official REO Speedwagon farewell.
“I wish Bruce nothing but the best,” Cronin insisted. “We were friends for a long time. But what are you going to do? This is where we’re at.”
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening