Kevin Cronin Says REO Speedwagon Was Trapped in an “Impossible” Moment

For Kevin Cronin, the unraveling of REO Speedwagon did not happen overnight. Instead, it was the result of slow-building shifts that began during the COVID-19 pandemic—a period that forced many veteran artists into self-reflection.

Speaking on The Magnificent Others, Cronin explained that the unexpected downtime pushed him to reassess his role within the band and his own creative ambitions. “I started kind of reassessing some things. And I started wanting to reach further,” he said. “I was wanting a little more… I wanted to lift the band in some way.”

Rather than disengaging, Cronin doubled down. He began working with a vocal coach and devoted himself to improving his craft with renewed discipline. “I really started putting in 10,000 hours on my voice,” he recalled. When REO Speedwagon regrouped after the pandemic, Cronin returned energized and optimistic. However, he quickly sensed that not all of his bandmates shared that momentum. The imbalance, he noted, created an early but noticeable fracture. “There was a little bit of a chasm opening within the band.”

The Las Vegas Residency Turning Point

While tensions lingered quietly, the real rupture emerged in 2023 during preparations for a Las Vegas residency. Cronin envisioned the shows as a bold reimagining of the band’s legacy—performing Hi Infidelity in full with an expansive audiovisual production designed specifically for a residency setting.

That vision was jeopardized when bassist Bruce Hall suffered a back injury just one week before opening night. With months of planning behind him and fans traveling from around the world, Cronin felt the residency could not be abandoned. “I put a year of work into this,” he said. “And I didn’t want to lose the residency.”

Encouraging Hall to prioritize his recovery, Cronin moved forward by recruiting Matt Bissonette as a temporary replacement. While the shows injected what Cronin described as a “new energy” into the band, the decision widened the emotional distance between longtime collaborators.

“I love Bruce,” Cronin insisted. “I think he might feel like I was out to get him… but it’s just not the case at all. I hold no ill feelings toward him.”

An Ending That Didn’t Match the Dream

Despite Cronin’s belief that it was his responsibility to “keep REO Speedwagon moving forward,” the internal strain proved unsustainable. Touring officially ended on January 1, 2025. Since then, Cronin has continued performing the band’s catalog with his solo group, while the classic lineup briefly reunited—minus late guitarist Gary Richrath—for a one-off performance in September 2025. No formal reunion is planned.

For Cronin, the ending remains bittersweet. “I thought that REO Speedwagon would ride into the barn together,” he admitted. “We would all retire at the same time as friends.”

Instead, the band’s conclusion mirrors the reality faced by many long-running rock institutions: decades of shared history, creative evolution, and personal change do not always lead to a unified farewell. While REO Speedwagon’s songs continue to resonate across generations, its final chapter serves as a reminder that even the most enduring partnerships can struggle to survive the passage of time.