Former members of REO Speedwagon were back where it all started last week, visiting the Townsend Hall dorm rooms on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Where Are REO Speedwagon Members’ Dorm Rooms?
The University of Illinois has a longstanding tradition denoting former dorm rooms of some of the college’s most famous alumni. Gold plates have been attached to the doors where people such as actor Nick Offerman, NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus and financial expert Suze Orman, once lived.
Founding members of REO Speedwagon have also received the honor.
According to the Champaign News-Gazette, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer met while attending the University of Illinois in the mid-1960s. Gratzer was studying aeronautical engineering at the time.
“Between chemistry and physics, I didn’t have a clue,” Gratzer told the News-Gazette. “I went for five semesters and changed majors every semester. All I wanted to do was play rock and roll.”
Today, you can find gold plates outside of each of their former dorm rooms. Doughty’s plaque hangs outside room 250 in Townsend Hall, while Gratzer’s is not far away outside of room 252.
REO Speedwagon Members Return to College Campus
Doughty and Gratzer, along with former REO Speedwagon bass player Bruce Hall, returned to the college’s campus last week. Hall is a Champaign native who joined the band in 1978.
The trio was in town for the Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon event at the University of Illinois’s State Farm Center on June 14. Former members Terry Luttrell, Mike Murphy and Steve Scorfina were also scheduled to attend.
In addition to visiting the dorm, the trio also stopped by the building that formerly housed Vriner’s Confectionery. The business can be seen on the back cover of REO Speedwagon’s 1972 album, R.E.O./T.W.O.
“They’ve got us busy,” Doughty told the News-Gazette about the week’s activities leading up to the event. “I think they’re even making a documentary about the whole thing. It’s the most work I’ve done in one week (for quite a while).”
REO Speedwagon Albums Ranked
REO Speedwagon’s catalog and career have been marked by dizzying highs and big setbacks. Here’s a ranked look back.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso