Roll With The Changes was personally about me moving from Chicago to L.A.I was quite literally rolling with the changes. Scott Weiland, lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died December 3 at age 48. I had the verses already written. I know there are many writers who come up with the title and then write the song around the title. No. Even our (REO) song Take It On The Run which Gary Richrath wrote, Heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend, who heard it from another youve been messin aroundwhen I heard that line that Gary wrote, I said this song is amazing. I was determined to do everything I could possibly do to get that song finished and help Gary in any way, so we could record that song, because that opening line just killed me. So when the Hi Infidelity album came out and Keep On Loving You went to number one, then suddenly people started looking back and realized, Wait a minute, that was REOs 11th album, maybe I should check out their earlier albums because there might be some good songs on it after all (laughs). It was basically Garys responsibility to write the songs, and I think he realized thatyou know what they saythat you have your whole life to write your first album but only a year to write your second albnm. I just really felt like it was a two-person job [this past year] more than ever. Youre with another person, youre bouncing ideas around and I enjoy that. I was really focused on my wife, my children and my homemy children are all in high school now. They sent me the script. I had written some songs before that were okaythey were passable. Gary, Posted by REO Speedwagon onSunday, 13 September 2015, Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. And there were some radio stations in the Midwest that were playing those songs. In addition to REO's jaunty 1978 hit Time for Me to Fly being used during a drug cartel kidnapping sequence, the group also makes a cameo, playing a concert at the casino and entering into a money laundering arrangement with Marty (Jason Bateman). They are Do you love animals? When youre writing a song, you have no idea where that songs going to end upyou dont know whats going to happen. And sure enough, it ended up working out. For our episode, they had me on stage delivering a couple of lines. It's a time when many young people feel like they are finally becoming adults. [REO band member] Gary Richraththe late, great Gary Richrath who unfortunately passed away this past yearwas my partner in crime, so to speak. "It means so much," LaTonya said. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. Classic Rock at the best online prices at eBay! Its kind of a blessing and a curse. As my father always used to say, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and in songwriting thats ityour opening line. I feel songs are kind of the same way. So when theres chaos in your personal life, then you look to the band for that security. But then looking back on it, and now seeing the impact that Cant Fight This Feeling has had on my life, the life of everyone in the REO Speedwagon family, the lives of people whom Ive never met all over the worldpeople have played that song at their weddings. So I called up and cancelled the songwriting session. But I was probably over halfway finished with Cant Fight This Feeling, and I felt that it was something special. Ask me about my collection of M:TG cards! You know, I went through some fictional years there in the past! https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/cantfightthisfeeling.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/keeponlovingyou.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/takeitontherun.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/rollwiththechanges.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/timeformetofly.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/dontlethimgo.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/keepthefireburnin.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/inmydreams.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/onelonelynight.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/inyourletter.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/keeppushin.html, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reospeedwagon/backontheroadagain.html, Rock Music: 49 Different Types and Their Characteristics, Loverboy Greatest Hits: The 17 Best Songs of All Time, 42 Songs About the Experience of Being 17, 48+ Songs About Good Times and Memories to Look Back On. Last year, we called our tour the Family First Tour. They also have pleaded not guilty. In the episodes opening sequence, Time for Me to Fly is used, then its on the car radio and Laura Linneys character Wendy is singing along. Im finding myself waking up in the middle of the night with ideas, and writing them down and recording them. Andrew Baena was born on July 18, 1992, in Canada. Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, September 10, 1982. A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. She covers numerous genres of music but her favorites are Pop, Rock, Heavy Metal, Rap, and even the classics. He has written many classic hit songs for REO, including Cant Fight This Feeling, Keep On Loving You, Roll With The Changes, Keep The Fire Burnin, Time For Me To Fly, Dont Let Him Go, That Aint Love, Keep Pushin and In My Dreams.. Next year is set to be a big one for Cronin and the rest of REO Speedwagon. LaTonya Floyd, at right, with sister Zsa Zsa Floyd at their brother George's funeral June 9, 2020. When you write a song, you have no idea the journey that song may or may not take you on. He was 65. Additionally, I've been playing music for the better part of 14 years. Another one like that is Keep Pushin, which I wrote a little after Music Man. That was another one where I felt likeit was soulfulI wrote it right from the heart. Gary Richrath, a former guitarist for the classic rock band REO Speedwagon who also co-wrote the group's hit song . I didn't know what to make of it. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. But I think it served its purpose because people at the record company heard it, REO Speedwagon fans heard itif they didnt hear it on the radio they heard us playing it live. Time for Me to Fly has taken me on an amazing musical journey that started when I wrote it in 1970. It was monumental.". REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. I've been singing since kindergarten. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It's a different feeling, because I'm not used to it. Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon performs at the Illinois Bicentennial party at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, December 3, 2018. It took a long time, and I wrote that song before I finally got the guts to tell her. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Then of course, you refine it from there. It was the first song where I thought, Wow, I kind of like this song (laughs). Cronin: Theres no real formula with it for me. The first time I was introduced to her, when I saw herit was that love at first sight feeling. Hes a real sweet guy and hes written some big hit ballads, and we were supposed to co-write. DK: A couple years later REO released Hi Infidelity, which became your biggest album. So we wrote that into the script. Now Central Louisiana fans will have the chance to hear those songs and more live in concert when REO Speedwagon performs at 7:30 p.m. on March 16 at the Rapides Parish Coliseum. Directed by Arnold Levine, the black-and-white footage was shot at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri at their show on May 13, 1978. All the energy that came back to me was, You might want to think about doing this.. DK: Keep On Loving You from Hi Infidelity is a great song. I am an avid Mac-user, nerd, musician, freelancer, and gamer. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! Cronin: Well, I will tell youI was thinking about this todaythis year (2016) will be the year that I get back to knucklin down. REO Speedwagon has released a number of successful albums, including 1980s Hi Infidelity,which sold 10 million copies in the United States. Who is the lead singer in REO Speedwagon? The opening line may be even more important than the title. Stevie Wonder wrote the Rufus funk classic "Tell Me Something Good. Well, it turns out that the casino is on one lake and the Blue Cat on another. Ive sat down with peopleIve written with some great writers in Nashville, and for whatever reason, none of those songs have really panned out. I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. "It was so inspirational.". Showing Editorial results for kevin cronin of reo speedwagon. With Cant Fight This Feeling, I did not know what the name of that song was. He guards that guitar with his life., The COVID lockdowns havent exactly been pleasant, but through adversity, comes opportunity, and in Cronins case, hes relished the chance to reconnect with his family. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Kodak Black Ordered Into Rehab By Florida Judge, Kodak Black Arrest Warrant Issued in Florida Over Failed Drug Test, Brad Paisley Drops Song Featuring Ukrainian Pres. So to me, my experience has been that my strongest songs are the ones where it all kind of happens at once. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. What are we doing here? I swear to you, all of a sudden from behind one of our road cases pops the ventriloquists dummy. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. During the peak of their success, the band was an almost permanent fixture on the Billboard Hot 100, racking up 13 Top 40 hits, two number 1s, and selling over 40 million records in total. I could have very easily followed that fear that I had about that title and thought Oh Man, I better not call it this, because of some commercial concern. Speedwagon ), or simply REO, is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. When Gary (Richrath) heard that song, it signaled to him that I had some ability as a songwriter. 'Heartland' Actor Robert Cormier Dead at 33 Lead Singer of REO Speedwagon: 'Memba Him? Three other now-former officers on the scene face related charges in George's death, and will be tried later this summer. Id just started to write a couple little silly songs. REO Speedwagon's official music video for 'Take It On The Run'. Turning 17 is a big deal. 2023 Getty Images. On Friday, as the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd's murder continued in Minneapolis, REO lead singer Kevin Cronin joined LaTonya and others for a vigil honoring George, 46, at The Community of Faith Church in Houston, where Cronin and LaTonya stood on stage and sang the song together. written by REO Speedwagon January 22, 2016, As the lead singer & songwriterof the multi-platinum rock band REO Speedwagon, Kevin Cronin has been the bands guiding force since joining the group in the mid-1970s. I feel so sad. Click to listen to REO Speedwagon on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/REOspot?IQid=RUNAs featured on The Essential REO Speedwagon. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. The bands most famous album, Hi Infidelity, which was released in 1980, has sold 10 million copies and became the best-selling rock album of 1981. Afterwards, she spent time with Cronin, his daughter and his manager. I gotta tell ya, I see the name REO Speedwagon all the time, but I don't often see my own name there. DK: I know you play both guitar and piano onstage. About The Lead Singer Of REO Speedwagon Its like the stars lining up. "AOR poll part 2: Which lead singer's voice do you like best? Please subscribe. As a result, hes spent more time with them in the past 18 months than he ever has, and says the bond theyve formed will remain forever.. When REO Speedwagon were at the peak of their popularity in the 1980s, their tours were known to get pretty wild. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The 10 Best Ty Dolla Sign Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best 4 Non Blondes Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Marina and the Diamonds Songs of All-Time, The 10 Best Ruben Blades Songs of All-Time. Thanks to their appearance, REO songs "Keep On Loving You," "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Time for Me to Fly," and "Take It On the Run" have all re-entered Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart. I literally woke up in the middle of the night and I had these three, simple piano chords going through my head. DK: Which album was it, where you started to write a good amount of the songs for the group? Cronin: I first joined the band in 1972. 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Warning: This article contains spoilers forOzarkseason 3. It was one of those albums which was definitely top-heavy with songs that people, to this daythey come to our concerts and we play at least five or six songs from Hi Infidelity every night. There was no way we would get together because she was with my friend. He goes, [Spanish accent] This is bullst. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Kevin Cronin is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and occasional pianist for the American rock band REO Speedwagon. Are you and the band working on a new studio album? How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names. Before we start the interview, here is some information about REO Speedwagons hit discography, and about the other members of the band, both past and present.