When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on Castle Records, which also experienced financial troubles. He currently lives in Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. REO Speedwagon had several hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including two chart-toppers written by Cronin: "Keep on Loving You" (1981) and "Can't Fight This Feeling" (1985). Music video by REO Speedwagon performing Roll with the Changes. The commercial failure of the band's newer material with its revised lineup demanded a change in marketing strategy. Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down the position for lead vocals due to his conversion to Christianity. With Richrath on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. They were the last songs recorded with Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer. Kevin Cronin came back again in the year 1976 and replaced Murphy as the lead singer of the band. "I had no intention of writing a book. Gary Richrath, a former guitarist for the classic rock band REO Speedwagon who also co-wrote the group's hit song "Take It … Gary was both a unique guitarist and songwriter, and the embodiment of the tough guy with a heart of gold. Their most famous album, Hi Infidelity, sold over 10 million copies. The title refers to the Westport, Connecticut address, where the band stayed while recording in Leka's studio in Bridgeport and remains an in-concert favorite. The first lineup consisted of Doughty on keyboards, Gratzer on drums and vocals, Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, Mike Blair on bass and vocals. Epic agreed to let them produce their first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For, which was eventually certified platinum. As a consequence, Epic began re-releasing recordings from older albums with updated artwork and design. Back up singers Carla Day and Melanie Jackson were also added. [6] Hi Infidelity spawned four hit singles written by Richrath and Cronin, including the chart-topping "Keep On Loving You" (Cronin),[3] plus "Take It on the Run" (#5) (Richrath), "In Your Letter" (#20) (Richrath), and "Don't Let Him Go" (#24) (Cronin), and remained on the charts for 65 weeks, 32 of which were spent in the top ten, including 15 weeks atop the Billboard 200. In 1979, the band took a turn back to hard rock with the release of Nine Lives.[3]. [2]. On March 11, 2012, Kevin Cronin appeared on the Canadian reality TV series Star Académie. Doughty began to follow Gratzer's band, eventually sitting in on a song or two. REO Speedwagon performing on Feb. 5, 1981 in Chicago, Il. [22], You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish, The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon, You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish, Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon, List of artists who reached number one in the United States, "Now It's Cheat to the Beat, as Reo Speedwagon Finally Arrives with 'Hi Infidelity, "REO Speedwagon Will Dedicate Every Show to Late Guitarist Gary Richrath 'Probably Forever, "REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin on Louisville, power ballads and if my wife's a slut", "Styx, REO Speedwagon Team Up For "Rockin'" Tour, Single", "REO Speedwagon Plans 'Hi Infidelty' 30th Anniversary Reissue, Tour", "Live Nation Announces REO Speedwagon And Chicago Summer Tour", "Def Leppard Announce Summer Tour With REO Speedwagon and Tesla", "UK TOUR WITH STATUS QUO & THE LOUNGE KITTENS ANNOUNCED", "Styx, REO Speedwagon, Don Felder Ready for 'United We Rock' U.S. Tour, Starting June 20th", "REO Speedwagon's 'Hi Infidelity' receives 10X Diamond Award", "REO Speedwagon drive back into the charts thanks to Ozark appearance", Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon, The Yule Log DVD, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=REO_Speedwagon&oldid=1001182724, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Alan Gratzer – drums, percussion, backing vocals, Mike Murphy – lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar, This page was last edited on 18 January 2021, at 16:12. 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