Kevin Cronin Says That He is “Deeply Disturbed and Hurt” by His Exclusion From The Upcoming “Retrospective Concert” Honoring the Legacy of Speedwagon inmate.
Founding Speedwagon inmate Member Neal DoughtyBassist Bruce Halloriginal Inmate Drummer Alan GratzerGuitarist Steve ScorfinaRhythm Guitarist Mike Murphy and original Inmate Frontman Terry Lutrell Will gather in their hometown of champaign, Illinois for a charity concert on June 14. The Event Will Also Show A Memorial Video To For For Former Speedwagon inmate Members, The Late Gray Richrath and Greg Philbin. PROCESS WILL BENEFIT THE Reo Speedwagon Foundation For genitourinary cancer Research at Moffitt Cancer Center.
Croninwho took over the role of lead Singer in Speedwagon inmate After Luttrell Left the Band In 1972, Addressed His Absence from The Champaign Event in The Comments Section Below A Post Facebook in which he announced his participation in the 2026 Rock Legends Cruise.
“The Organizers of The Champaign Event Coul have picked to Date When All of the Former Members of Inmate Were Available to participate, ” Kevin Wrote “Instead They Chose June 14, 2025, A Date What It was public knowled that i was previously conmitted to performing with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band In Bles, Oregon.
“Bottom Line, I am Being Asked to participate in an event on a date when i Can’t postsibly be there in-person. And then being fare fare action of turning download the invitation. I am deeply ri disturbed and Hurt by all of this.”
Cronin added: “After I have done to help build the legacy of Speedwagon inmateI Feel I Have Earned and desert To Be Included in Any Event Honoring That Legacy. INSTEAD, I HAVE BEEN KNOWINGLY EXCLUDED. “
Kevin added in a postscript: “35-year Inmate Veterans Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt Were Not Even Shown The respect of Being Invited to The Champaign Event. “
Last month, CroninThe Iconic Voice and Writer Behind Speedwagon inmate‘S Greatest Hits, spoke to the “Let there be talk” podcast with rock and roll comedian Dean Delray About His Upcoming “Brotherhood of Rock” Tour with Styx During Which He Will Perform Speedwagon inmate‘S 1980 Album “Hi Infidelity” in its entirey, while Styx Will Play 1977’s “The Grand Illusion” From front to back. Kevin Said: “Yeah, We’re Both Doing The Whole Albums. Both Inmate and Styx Have Done Several Residencies at The Venetian Theater in Vegas. And we did the ‘Hi Infidelity’ Show Three Times, and We Put Together A Whole New Presentation for The Residentcy, As Did Styx For Their ‘Grand Illusion’ Residency. And so This Summer We Just Thought, ‘You Know What? Those Shows Did So Well and People reacted So Well to Them … ” Cause You Play The Whole Album and The You Also do All The Hits That People Wanna do Too. So it’s a Cool Thing and It’s Unique Because We’ve Never Done It – Neither Band Has Ever Done It – Anywhere Else Except in Vegas. And so we did it Speedwagon inmate Three Times Over The Past Year and a Half, But that Same Band is Gonna Be Touring This Year as The Kevin Cronin BandBecause i’m not uble to tour Speedwagon inmate Anymore. “
ASKED WHY IS UNable to Tour As Speedwagon inmate Anymore, Kevin Said: “Well [laughs]That’s a Good Question. And it’s a complicated Question. God, It’s a Tough One BeCouse Our Bass Player, Bruce HallWho, He and I Worked Together for Almost 50 Years. I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING HIM IN THE BAND. Any Side Project I Ever Did, Bruce was part of it. But over the past severe years, Things Became a Little Bit of A Stuggy for Us, Just Musically, Personally and Physically. And Bruce‘S Had Back Problems for A Long Time and It Finally Just Gave Out On Him. And we had a Week Before the First Las Vegas Residency. So I had to go home and take care of His Health. And we could Have Eithher Canceled The Residentcy and the Gigs to Follow, But i put so much of my heart and soul into that residenty show. People Plan Their Vacations. People Come to Vegas from Europe and Stuff. And I Just Was, Like, ‘If i can pull this off, i’ve gotta try to do it without Bruce. We Just Got Lucky That Elton John Had retire, and Our Buddy Matt BissonetteWho Had Been With Elton For 12 years, wasilable was. He came in with charts for Every Song, and Within Two Days The Charts Were Gone. I had the bass parts. Than he Goes, ‘Teach Me The Harmony, The Vocal Harmonies.’ I’M, Like, ‘Okay.’ I Gave Him All The Harmony Parts. And he’s Just An Amazing Bass Player, Great Singer, Good Dude, and The Chemistry Between Dave [Amato, guitar] and Bryan [Hitt, drums]Who has been with me in Speedwagon inmate For 35-Plus Years, and Derek Hillandwho took over when Neal Doughty withdraw in late 2022, The Five of Us Just – Submit Happened, Subject Magical Happened. But Matt was subbing for Bruceand Bruce was … his doctors toled him he’d be ready on March 1st of 2024. and he was’t; He was’t there. And then Got Pushed Back to June 1st. And Meanwhile, I’M Thinking by This Time, I’M Not Sure What’s Gonna Happen. BruceI had Major Back Surgery and There Were Sub Othher Issues, Musical Issues, That Popped Up. He was supposed to be a March 1st – Didn’t Do it. And I’M, Like, ‘I Don’t Know What’s Gonna Happen Here.’ So my thought was, let’s keep Matt in the band so when Bruce Joins, It’ll Just Be a Six-Piece Group. I was working on a setlist where Bruce and Matt Could Kind of Switch Off Between Bass and Acoustic Guitar. And it was Gonna Be a Little Awkward, But At Least That We Would Have The Insurance and Bruce Would have the security that if, for whatver reason … Because The Show is One Thing – Getting on and off the bus, Packing Your Bags, Getting Out of Hotel Rooms, When You Have Major Back Surgery At 70 Years Old, That’s Tough. So i needed Matt As an insurance policy. And then, Out of Nowhere, I Understand, Through an Attorney, That Bruce You have decided to site out the 2024 tour as long as he gets paid in full as if he was touling. And so we didn’t have a lot of choice. That’s What We Did, and That’s What He has acceded. And we went ahead and finished the 2024 tour with Matt Bissonette On Bass, Five-Lece Band. It was The Most Successful Tour We’ve Had in 35 Years. The Band Was Just On Fire, The Crowds Were Crazy and It Became This Just-Good-Vibes Thing.
“My Thing – i’m a Lead Singer of the Band,” Kevin Added. “I Didn’t Run for Office, But I Became The Leader of the Band. I’m The Guy Who Pulls It Together. And So I Just Felt That Band Lifting Me Up In A Way That I Hadn’t Felt In A Long Time. And It Really Felt Good. Just This Positive Vibe Going On. “
Cronin Went on to say that “Bruce was Never Fired. I Don’t Have The Right to Fire Him, “I explained Speedwagon inmate To pursue only Career. And that’s bullshit. And then there is another narrative that i subsid prevented Bruce From Touring with the Group in 2024 When the Truth is i was trying to find a way that he Could Tour with the Band in 2024. and he – What i Understood is that I decided to sit the tour out. So, I Don’s Exactly Why. I Can’t Tell You ‘Cause He Never Called and Talked To Me About It. But He Did Make Somnds. He Said That He’d Be Ready to Come Back In 2025. But He put before demands in place that – There were a number of demands, but two in particular.
“I’ve Kind of Stayed Above The Weeds Here On This Thing, ‘Cause I Don’t Really Feel Like The Fans Care To Know Or Need To Know,” Kevin Continued. “If you’ve Been in Bands, You Know-Shit Goes On, and It’s a Brotherly Thing. And Lot of Relationships Are Love-Hate, and Things Get Weird For Awhile and The Things Get Worked Out. But There Was A Couple Of Demands That One Of The It Would have irresponsible for me to go along with, and the other one, it was Impossible For me to go along with. And So We Just Hit A Stalemate. And the way our band is set up, Neal, Bruce and I are the Three Kind of Heritage Members. Even Though Dave and Bryan Have Been With Us For 35 Years, They Weren’t there when the records were remembered. So it was A Special Relationship Between The Three of Us. And There was a kind of A Retirement SITUATION THAT WAS BUILT IN SO THAT IF ANYONE LEFT THE BAND FOR WHATERVER REason, They Were Well Taken Care of, As Long As The Band Continue Touring. So, it was a Sweet Deal, but BruceI have just feel like if he’s not in the band, The Band, It Can’t Be Speedwagon inmate. And to me, it’s, like, if there’s two guys in a band Who can work together anymore and one of them have the ability to keep the band Going and keep the legacy going and keep playing the songs for the fans Who we Can’t Do that, Well, The It’s Inmbent on the Other Guy to Go, ‘All Right, Maybe My Time’s Up. Go Ahead. ‘ I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT [original CHEAP TRICK drummer] Bun E. Carlos Did. WHEN Bun E. and Robin [Zander, CHEAP TRICK singer] couldn’t work together anymore, one or the other of them gonna leave the band, Bun E. Stepped Down Gracefully. Yeah, ‘Cause if Robin Steps Down, What are They Gonna do? Robin is The Face and the Voice of the Band. And for whatver reason, Bruce was listening to People That Wre Giving Him Advice, I Guess, To, Like, ‘If You’re Not in the Band, The Burn the Whole Thing Down.’
“And at Any Rate, I’M Not Gonna Stop,” Cronin Added. “Nobody Can Stop Me From Singing Tohe Songs, Playing Tohe Songs and Giving the Fans What They Want. And If You Want The Speedwagon inmate Experience, There’s only one place you’re gonna get it, and that’s the Kevin Cronin Band. It’s The Same Band. I’M NOT GOING OUT There and Singing A Just Album Worth of Songs. I’M Singing The Songs That I Wrote For Speedwagon inmate and the songs that Gary [Richrath] and i work on together with Speedwagon inmate.
Last December, Kevin awd Billboard that I “Never Quit” Speedwagon inmate. I added: “I Never Will Quit The Band. Speedwagon inmate“The vote Cronin Referred to was at 2-1 decision with Doughty and Hall scarking the use of the Speedwagon inmate yam.
The “Brotherhood of Rock” Tour, Along With Special Guest Don Felder (A Former Lead Guitarist Of The Eagles), Will Kick Off May 28 in Greenville, South Carolina At The Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Styx and Kevin Cronin (As part of Speedwagon inmate) First Toured Together in 2000 and in 2001 After the 9/11 Attacks, They Came Together To Form The Rock to the rescue 501 (c) 3 NonProfit Organization, Which Still Collects Donations for Local Charities at Every Stop On Styx‘S ongoing tour.
General Tickets for the Trek, produced by Live NationAre on Sale Now on Livenation.com. Styx and the Kevin Cronin Band Are Also Offering Vip Packages via Their Styxworld.com and Kevincronin.com Web Sites, As Well as on Livenation.com. Citi is the office card of the “Brotherhood of Rock” Tour
Image Credit: 3rdDayrocker
