List of REO Speedwagon members

REO Speedwagon was an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty.^[1] Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, with Terry Luttrell taking his place on lead vocals.^[2] Bob Crownover took over as the band's guitarist, but was replaced after a brief tenure by Bill Fiorio and later Steve Scorfina.^[3] Blair left a few months after Matt, with Gregg Philbin taking his place.^[4] The band also briefly added saxophonist Joe McCabe and trumpeter Marty Shepard to its lineup in 1968.^[3]

REO Speedwagon performing live in 2010 (top) and 2016 (bottom).

By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitarist Gary Richrath in place of Scorfina.^[5] In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band's self-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath.^[6] The vocalist was replaced by Kevin Cronin, who performed on the group's second album R.E.O./T.W.O. before leaving during sessions for the 1973 follow-up.^[7] Mike Murphy took over and recorded Ridin' the Storm Out, Lost in a Dream and This Time We Mean It, but was replaced by a returning Cronin in 1976.^[8][9] Philbin left the following year, with Bruce Hall taking his place.^[10]

The band's lineup remained stable thereafter for more than ten years until Gratzer decided to retire in 1988, with Graham Lear brought in as his replacement.^[11] Richrath also left early the next year, with Miles Joseph filling in for a show before Dave Amato took over in May.^[12][13] Also in 1989, Bryan Hitt replaced Lear on drums,^[14] while Jesse Harms joined as a second keyboardist, performing on the band's 1990 album The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken.^[15] Since the end of Harms's brief tenure with the group, REO Speedwagon has retained a consistent lineup of Neal Doughty, Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, and Bryan Hitt^[16] until 2023 when Doughty announced he was retiring from touring. His touring replacement was announced as former Iron Butterfly and Whitesnake member Derek Hilland.^[17]

In November 2023, Hall was replaced on tour by Matt Bissonette as the bassist had injured his back.^[18] Bissonette continued to play with REO Speedwagon until the group disbanded in December 2024,^[19] due to tensions between Doughty, Hall and Cronin.^[20]

Members

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Neal Doughty[17]	1967–2024 (not touring from 2023)	keyboards organ piano synthesizer	all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)
	Alan Gratzer	1967–1988[21]	drums percussion backing vocals	all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to The Hits (1988)
	Mike Blair[22]	1967–1968	bass backing vocals	none
	Joe Matt[23]		guitar lead vocals
	Terry Luttrell	1968–1972[citation needed]	lead vocals	R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971)
	Bob Crownover	1968–1969[24]	guitar	none
	Gregg Philbin	1968–1977[25] (died 2022)	bass backing vocals	all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to Live: You Get What You Play For (1977)
	Joe McCabe	1968[26]	saxophone	none
	Marty Shepard		trumpet
	Bill Fiorio	1969[27]	guitar
	Steve Scorfina	1969–1970[3]
	Gary Richrath	1970–1989[28] (died 2015)	lead guitar backing and lead vocals	all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971) to The Hits (1988)
	Kevin Cronin	1972–1973 1976–2024 [29]	lead and backing vocals rhythm guitar piano	R.E.O./T.W.O. (1972)|all REO Speedwagon releases from R.E.O. (1976) to Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)
	Mike Murphy	1973–1975[30]	lead and backing vocals rhythm guitar	Ridin' the Storm Out (1973) Lost in a Dream (1974) This Time We Mean It (1975)
	Bruce Hall	1977–2024 (not touring from 2023)[31][32]	bass backing and lead vocals	all REO Speedwagon releases from You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) to Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)
	Graham Lear	1988–1989[33]	drums	The Second Decade of Rock and Roll: 1981 to 1991 (1991)
	Miles Joseph	1989[34] (died 2012)[35]	lead guitar	none
	Carla Day	1989[36][37]	backing vocals
	Melanie Jackson
	Dave Amato[38]	1989–2024	lead guitar backing vocals	all REO Speedwagon releases from The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990) to Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)
	Bryan Hitt[39]		drums percussion
	Jesse Harms	1989–1991[15]	keyboards backing vocals	The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990)

Touring

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	John Aldridge	2005–present	percussion occasional drums	John Aldridge, Bryan Hitt's drum tech since July 2005, performed additional percussion parts live from around July 2005 until the present day.[40] He also performed drums at soundchecks when Bryan was running late.
	Joe Vannelli	2007 (substitute)	keyboards organ piano synthesizer	Doughty was absent from the REO Speedwagon Unplugged Live in Washington XM Radio show in early April 2007, with producer Joe Vannelli filling-in on keyboards.[41] Vannelli also performed piano, Hammond organ, and synthesizer on the 2007 album Find Your Own Way Home.[42]
	Derek Hilland	2023–2024 (substitute)		With Doughty's retirement from touring being announced in January 2023, Derek Hilland been filled-in for Doughty live from January 2023[43] until the group ceased in December 2024.[44]
	Matt Bissonette		bass vocals	With Hall's hiatus to have back surgery in November 2023, Matt Bissonette has been filling in for Hall.[18] He continued to do so until the band ceased touring in 2024.[44]

Timeline

Lineups

Period	Members	Releases
Fall 1967 – early 1968	Joe Matt – lead vocals, guitar Mike Blair – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	none
Early – summer 1968	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Bob Crownover – guitar Mike Blair – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals
Summer – late 1968	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Bob Crownover – guitar Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals Joe McCabe – saxophone Marty Shepard – trumpet
Late 1968 – summer 1969	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Bob Crownover – guitar Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals
Summer – late 1969	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Bill Fiorio – guitar Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals
Late 1969 – late 1970	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Steve Scorfina – guitar Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals
Late 1970 – early 1972	Terry Luttrell – lead vocals Gary Richrath – guitar Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971)
Early 1972 – mid-1973	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar Gary Richrath – lead guitar, backing vocals Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	R.E.O./T.W.O. (1972)
Mid-1973 – January 1976	Mike Murphy – lead and backing vocals Gary Richrath – guitar, backing and lead vocals Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	Ridin' the Storm Out (1973) Lost in a Dream (1974) This Time We Mean It (1975)
January 1976 – early 1977	Kevin Cronin – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar Gary Richrath – lead guitar, lead and backing vocals Gregg Philbin – bass, backing vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	R.E.O. (1976) Live: You Get What You Play For (1977)
Early 1977 – September 1988	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano Gary Richrath – lead guitar, backing vocals Bruce Hall – bass, vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Alan Gratzer – drums, backing vocals	You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) Nine Lives (1979) Hi Infidelity (1980) Good Trouble (1982) Wheels Are Turnin' (1984) Life as We Know It (1987) Live in Germany 1982 (2013) Live Chicago 1979 (2013) Metro Center Rockford Illinois (2015)
September 1988 – early 1989	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano Gary Richrath – lead guitar, backing vocals Bruce Hall – bass, vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Graham Lear – drums	none
Early – spring 1989	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano Miles Joseph – lead guitar Bruce Hall – bass, vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Graham Lear – drums Carla Day – backing vocals Melanie Jackson – backing vocals
Summer 1989 – early 1991	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar Dave Amato – lead guitar, backing vocals Bruce Hall – bass, vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Jesse Harms – keyboards, piano, backing vocals Bryan Hitt – drums, percussion	The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990)
Early 1991 – December 2024	Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano Dave Amato – lead guitar, backing vocals Bruce Hall – bass, vocals Neal Doughty – keyboards, piano Bryan Hitt – drums, percussion Notes: Derek Hilland is currently the touring replacement for Neal Doughty. Matt Bissonette is currently the touring replacement from Bruce Hall, who plans to return in 2024.	Building the Bridge (1996) Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (2000) Live Plus (2001) Find Your Own Way Home (2007) "Can't Stop Rockin'" (2009) Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)

References

1. Allen, Craig (July 27, 2013). "Meet REO Speedwagon (Photos, Videos)". New Jersey 101.5. Townsquare Media. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
2. Wright, Jeb. "REO's Neal Doughty: Back on the Road Again". Classic Rock Revisited. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
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4. Graff, Gary (October 23, 2014). "10 Bands that Changed Bass Players..." For Bass Players Only. Notehead Media Group. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
5. "Gary Richrath, guitarist - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. September 21, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
6. Burke, David (September 10, 2013). "Former REO singer has Tons O'Fun". Quad-City Times. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
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16. "The Band". REO Speedwagon. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
17. "REO SPEEDWAGON Announces DEREK HILLAND As New Keyboardist". Sonic Perspectives. 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
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19. Dunworth, Liberty (2024-09-17). ""Heartbroken" REO Speedwagon to cease touring due to "irreconcilable differences"". NME. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
20. Scott, Danni (2024-12-17). "70s rocker blindsided and 'so sad' after band's shock split". Metro. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
21. "Grater Central's Bio Page". gratzercentral.freeservers.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
22. "REO Speedwagon hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
23. "50 Years Later, REO Speedwagon Keeps On Rollin'". The Saturday Evening Post. 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
24. "Bob Crownover - Musician Profile". www.spirit-of-metal.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
25. Johnson, Kevin (26 October 2022). "In Memoriam: Gregg Philbin". No Treble. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
26. Jessica (2021-07-04). "How REO Speedwagon Got Their Name | 80s Music Blog". About the 80s. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
27. "BIO". Mysite. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
28. "FIVE YEARS GONE: REO SPEEDWAGON'S GARY RICHRATH REMEMBERED". Nights with Alice Cooper. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
29. "Kevin Cronin - REO Speedwagon". Retrieved 2023-02-23.
30. H, Amal (2022-03-21). "Who was the original lead singer of REO Speedwagon?". Famuse : #1 Models, Actors, Agencies, Photographers & Talents Booking Platform. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
31. "Bruce Hall - REO Speedwagon". Retrieved 2023-02-23.
32. "Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon - Official page". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
33. "Graham Lear". Graham Lear. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
34. "Miles Joseph - Musician Profile". www.spirit-of-metal.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
35. "Miles Joseph Obituary (2013) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
36. "REO Speedwagon (Music)". TV Tropes. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
37. The Second Decade Of Rock And Roll 1981 To 1991 (liner notes). Reo Speedwagon. Epic Records. 2009. EK 48527.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
38. James Wood (December 4, 2012). "Interview: Guitarist Dave Amato Talks Les Pauls, Touring and REO Speedwagon". Guitar World. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
39. "Bryan Hitt". Conn-Selmer, Inc. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
40. Aldridge, John. "John Aldridge | Linkedin". LinkedIn. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
41. Patel, Nilay. "An Apology to REO Speedwagon Fans". Gapers Block. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
42. REO Speedwagon - Find Your Own Way Home Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-11-17
43. Cronin, Kevin (February 2, 2023). "Introducing Derek Hilland - REO Speedwagon". Retrieved 2023-11-17.
44. Singh, Surej (2024-12-17). "Kevin Cronin says REO Speedwagon split wasn't his choice: "I just got outvoted"". NME. Retrieved 2025-01-04.

External links

• REO Speedwagon official website