REO Speedwagon Has Combusted

That feeling they were trying to fight? A divorce. Nearly 50 years into their reign as a Doric column of the rock circuit, REO Speedwagon will cease touring at the end of the year due to “irreconcilable differences” and a “complex situation” between two key members. In a September 17 social-media post, the band wrote that retirement became necessary due to bassist Bruce Hall’s continued recovery from back surgery, which has kept him off the road for the entire year. “If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour but it’s not up to just him,” the statement reads. “The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect.” Hall and frontman Kevin Cronin, the band’s sole remaining member from the classic era, disagreed about the bassist’s timeline to return. “Never ever thought it would end like this and I’m heartbroken,” Hall said in his own statement. “You guys have been very vocal and clear in your wishes for me to return to the stage. Trust me, that’s all I wanted too. We all deserved a farewell tour.” Cronin has also been plagued by health issues and a recent hospitalization, which forced REO Speedwagon to cancel its final summer shows. If only there was … an appropriate song to bookend this moment.

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