Conflicting ex-REO Speedwagon bandmates to come together as grand marshals for the university's homecoming procession.
REO Speedwagon Members to Return to University of Illinois for Homecoming
Four members of iconic American rock band REO Speedwagon - Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, and Alan Gratzer - will be making a nostalgic return to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as grand marshals for the Homecoming parade on September 26.
The quartet, who formed the band while studying at the university, will take the field with Barry Houser and the Marching Illini band for an REO-themed halftime show featuring a medley of the band's greatest hits.
Neal Doughty, a proud member of the Belleville High School marching band, shared his excitement for the upcoming event. He has fond memories of his time at the University of Illinois, where he founded REO Speedwagon and met his wife. Despite not being as skilled as the members of the Marching Illini, Doughty believes it will be a thrill to play alongside them.
Doughty's bandmate, Kevin Cronin, has announced that he will no longer be touring under the REO Speedwagon banner. The reasons for this decision are due to irreconcilable differences with longtime bassist Bruce Hall. However, the upcoming events might mark the first public step towards a full reconciliation.
Bruce Hall, who shared his excitement for the event on Facebook, expressed his honor to be a part of the Illinois Homecoming weekend. Alan Gratzer, who has many great memories from his college days at the University of Illinois, also expressed his gratitude for being invited.
The musicians are looking forward to hearing the Marching Illini playing REO songs. Alan Gratzer, who is unsure why his wife left her doctoral program to move to California with a rock drummer, is equally curious about the band's performance.
Kevin Cronin's tour under his own name has not been as successful as he had hoped. Meanwhile, the musician who stated that he did not have a successful career under his own name is Billy Joel, who, after the lack of commercial success of his debut album and a dispute with his label, said he "hid" under the pseudonym Bill Martin in various bars.
The musicians will also be a part of the football matchup between the Fighting Illini and the University of Southern California Trojans on September 27. Neal Doughty, who was a trumpet player during his time in the Belleville High School marching band, considers the Marching Illini with great respect for their hard work.
As the grand marshals of the Homecoming parade, the band members will lead the procession through campus, reminiscing about their college days and the beginnings of a career that has spanned over four decades.
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