Kevin Cronin recently released a statement from the official website of REO Speedwagon and opened up about why he lost his place in the band during the early 1970s.
The singer initially talked about how excited he is about their upcoming ‘An Evening of Hi Infidelity… and More’ shows and the progress they’ve made with their songs. He then thanked his vocal coach, Jeffrey Allen, for improving his singing and continued:
“It was rough going for a while as Jeffrey fundamentally changed everything I thought I knew about singing. Plus, he continues coaching me through some of the emotional hurdles which are hold-overs from the early 1970s, when I lost my spot in REO due to vocal problems.”
Cronin also discussed the other difficulties he has faced during the preparation process for the concerts:
“Anyway, the challenges of singing the entire ‘Hi Infidelity’ album in sequence are many. Plus, there is plenty more singing in Act Two (the unplugged portion) and Act Three (other deep cuts and hits). I am currently holed up in an undisclosed location, working with Jeffrey via Zoom and practicing singing through this all-new concert presentation.”
The rocker added, giving further details of the forthcoming show:
“‘An Evening of Hi Infidelity …and More’ is set to debut on November 10 and 11 at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas. I could not do this without the support of Jeffrey Allen, another of the unsung heroes (get it?) of the REO team.”
In another account, it is known that after stepping in for vocalist Terry Luttrell, Cronin departed from the band due to a disagreement with lead guitarist Gary Richrath, in addition to his vocal problems. The singer said the following about that period and his issues with Richrath in a 2022 interview with WECT News:
“I think both of us were really driven, and I think that was part of what drew us to one another. There was always a level of competition between us, friendly competition, but it made both of us better. Then it got to a point where the competition became unhealthy, you know, so I think we needed to get away from each other for a while. I tried to make it as a solo artist.”
REO Speedwagon’s ‘An Evening of Hi Infidelity…And More,’ will feature their greatest hits, including ‘Keep On Loving You,’ ‘Don’t Let Him Go,’ ‘Take It on the Run,’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling.’
