REO Speedwagon bassist Bruce Hall has recently replied to a fan who suggested the band go on without singer Kevin Cronin.
“Replace Kevin then. [The] rest [of the] band is more important than him. Never thought I would need [to] say that,” the fan wrote under a post of the bassist.
“I would never do that to him. He’s our lead singer just as I am the bassist. Together we are REO. I can’t stop him from leaving though,” Hall replied.
The fan comment came just some time after the band announced that they were putting an end to their touring career.
“To our fans: Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now. If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him,” the band members wrote on Facebook. “The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect.”
REO Speedwagon decided to stop touring due to a disagreement about bassist Bruce Hall’s return after his back surgery in November. Matt Bissonette has been filling in for him in 2024.
“Just like Disney, REO has always been a family,” Hall’s wife, Kimmie Sue posted on social media. “What you all witnessed on stage was real all those years. The ‘Brotherhood’ was real. [Bruce] loves Neal, Kevin, Bryan, Dave and Derek. From what we’ve heard, I’m sure we’d love Matt too. The love & support he has for his crew has always been unwavering. Our entire family love them and their families so very much.”
According to their website, REO Speedwagon has about 20 more concerts planned for 2024, with their last show set for November 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, alongside Loverboy.
REO SPEEDWAGON bassist, Bruce Hall, responded to a fan that suggested the band continue minus singer, Kevin Cronin.
Saying emphatically, “He’s our lead singer, just as I am the bassist. Together we are REO.”#love #music pic.twitter.com/0CiOah7KGB
— Mitch Lafon (@mitchlafon) September 17, 2024