Kevin Cronin: REO Speedwagon Reunion 'Exceeded My Expectations'

Kevin Cronin reflected on his recent reunion with his former REO Speedwagon bandmates and expressed his hopes for a more long-term reconciliation in the near future.

"The ice has got to melt," Cronin said on a new episode of Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg, which you can hear below. "Because to have REO Speedwagon sitting there with people that really want to come out and see an REO Speedwagon show and to not be able to do it, there's just going to have to be some meeting in the middle somewhere. Some melting of some ice, some getting over some hurdles."

Why Isn't Kevin Cronin Touring Under the Name REO Speedwagon?

REO Speedwagon ceased touring at the end of 2024 due to "irreconcilable differences" between Cronin and longtime bassist Bruce Hall. Cronin has since been touring with the same lineup under the name the Kevin Cronin Band, which he admitted has been challenging.

"I feel proud of and blessed by the fact that REO Speedwagon has become an American institution," Cronin said. "When people see that wing logo and they hear the name REO Speedwagon, it kind of tells them all they need to know. They know that REO delivers, and I'm really proud of the fact that if you come to an REO Speedwagon show, your expectations will be exceeded. That's always been my intention.

"On the other hand," Cronin continued, "what I learned since the disputes that arose between a few of us of the kind of quote-unquote original lineup, [is] that boy, oh boy, that name, REO Speedwagon — you can have the same guys, the same songs, the same crew, the same production, but the name REO Speedwagon is so important. People relate to it."

Kevin Cronin: REO Speedwagon Reunion 'Exceeded My Expectations'

Despite the recent disagreements between classic-era members of REO Speedwagon, fans have held out hope for reconciliation, especially after Cronin, Hall, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer reunited last September for a special performance in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois. The band members were tapped as grand marshals for the Illinois Homecoming Parade and performed with the University of Illinois marching band, the Marching Illini.

The reunion left Cronin feeling hopeful about the future of REO Speedwagon.

"I'm not sure exactly how things are going to shake out," he said. "I know that Bruce and Neil and Alan and I all gathered in Champaign, Illinois, a couple of weeks ago to be honored by the Marching Illini at the halftime of the Illinois football game. ... We did prove that our history and all that we shared and the friendship between us kind of [overrode] the issues that we've been having. ... It exceeded my expectations. We kind of fell into the roles that we all had back in the day, and we didn't really get hung up on what's happened over the past couple of years, the problems that have arisen, and everybody got along fine. I take that as a win."

The same four classic-era band members reunited again last weekend in Peoria, Illinois, to honor late REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath. The tribute prompted Hall to write on Facebook that "good things are happening. Long Live REO Speedwagon!!"

Watch Kevin Cronin on 'Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg'

Kevin Cronin Says 'Something's Gotta Give' With REO Speedwagon

In the meantime, Cronin said he's got a televised New Year's Eve special in the works with his solo band, which made him yearn for an REO Speedwagon reunion even more.

"I was working this past week on a TV special that will air on New Year's Eve on the Nexstar network of local TV stations as the Kevin Cronin Band, but it's six of the big REO Speedwagon hits," he said. "And just seeing that video — 'Time for Me to Fly,' especially — I was just looking at that and I'm like, 'This can't be the last time people see me sing "Time for Me To Fly" in a big room with a big crowd and a big band.' Something's gotta give. And as they say, I can't press the river. I gotta just see what happens."

See our ranking of every REO Speedwagon album below: