REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin has shared a heartfelt message of gratitude with his fans and fellow musicians. The post has sparked renewed calls for a band reunion.
Cronin stepped back from touring as REO Speedwagon earlier in 2025. He took to social media to thank the musicians, bookers, and fans who have supported him throughout his solo journey.
“Hi Friends, the invitations and support I’ve been receiving as of late leaves me incredibly humbled,” Cronin said. “I’m so grateful to my community of musical brothers and sisters who have asked me to join them on stage, the bookers who choose me, and the audiences who continue to bring their love and support to us all.”
The message also extended a warm acknowledgment to the fans who have followed him beyond his time with REO Speedwagon.
“I’m having a blast!” he continued. “Huge thanks to all of you, the fans, whose continued love, support and positivity mean the world to me, my wife Lisa and our family. It always has, and it always will.”
The post quickly drew responses from devoted REO Speedwagon fans eager for more than solo performances. One fan commented, “Hey KC, love that you’re doing these little side gigs and having a good time, but what we really want is an REO tour. I hope you guys can work it out for 2027.” Another added, “Would love to see a small reunion tour if ever possible. Hit some of REO’s favorite places as a farewell to the fans. You’d all be well received I’m sure.” A third fan echoed the sentiment, writing, “Please let’s do the same with Neal, Alan, and Bruce. They’re waiting. We fans are waiting.”
The outpouring of fan sentiment reflects a deeper story. It began with a painful split, continued through a solo chapter marked by both triumph and difficulty, and now finds itself at a crossroads that the rock community is watching closely.
REO Speedwagon announced in September 2024 that the band would cease touring effective January 1, 2025. The decision cited irreconcilable differences between Cronin and longtime bassist Bruce Hall. Hall’s absence from the band’s final touring period due to back surgery, combined with keyboardist Neal Doughty’s retirement from the road in 2023, had already significantly altered the band’s classic lineup before the formal dissolution was announced.
Following the breakup, Cronin continued performing under the Kevin Cronin Band banner. He retained longtime collaborators including guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt, both of whom have been part of the REO Speedwagon touring family since 1989. By August 2025, Cronin described the decision to wind down even that touring operation as “heartbreaking.” He stated that keeping the full road machine together was no longer tenable after the final Brotherhood of Rock Tour concluded on August 24, 2025. The loss of the right to use the REO Speedwagon name for touring was a key factor in that difficult decision.
Despite the challenges, Cronin did not close the door entirely on the band’s future. He stated that he was not opposed to a reunion of every living person who had ever been a member of REO Speedwagon, though he made clear it was not something he wished to pursue in the immediate term. In September 2025, Cronin and members of the classic REO Speedwagon lineup reunited onstage at an event in Illinois. The emotional appearance reignited fan hopes, even as the participants themselves remained uncertain about whether it would lead to anything more permanent.
The reunion moment, however brief, demonstrated that the chemistry between the band’s core members has not faded. With fans now rallying loudly around Cronin’s latest social media post and calling specifically for Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, and Alan Gratzer to come together once more, the pressure for a more formal reunion continues to build. No official announcement has been made, but the conversation is clearly far from over.
