Kevin Cronin Biography
Kevin Patrick Cronin Jr. (born October 6, 1951) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band REO Speedwagon. The band had several hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including two chart-toppers written by Cronin: "Keep On Loving You" (1980) and "Can't Fight This Feeling" (1984).
Early life
Cronin is from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. He was born in north suburban Evanston, Illinois but grew up in southwest suburban Oak Lawn, where he learned to play guitar. He attended St. Linus Catholic Elementary School. Cronin went on to graduate from nearby Brother Rice High School in Chicago.
Career
Cronin joined REO Speedwagon shortly after the group recorded its debut album in 1971. He recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O., but left the band soon after because of missed rehearsals and creative disagreements. Following a brief solo career, Cronin returned to the fold in 1976.
Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down the lead vocal position due to his conversion to Christianity. Even though the band's success hit its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it still released records in the 2000s such as Find Your Own Way Home in 2007. Its most famous album, Hi Infidelity, sold over 10 million copies. Cronin has stated in various interviews that they "play for free but get paid for the traveling". He has written or co-written many of the band's hit songs such as "Keep On Loving You", "Can't Fight This Feeling", "Keep the Fire Burnin'", "I Do' Wanna Know", "Keep Pushin'", "Roll with the Changes", "Time for Me to Fly", "Here with Me", "In My Dreams", and "Don't Let Him Go". Cronin possesses the vocal range of a dramatic tenor.
Cronin in 2001Cronin was a celebrity contestant on Don't Forget the Lyrics! in March 2008. He reached $350,000 before forgetting the lyrics to "Last Dance" by Donna Summer.
He appears on an infomercial advertising Time Life's Ultimate Rock Ballads, which feature tracks by REO Speedwagon, mostly from the 1980s, when the band enjoyed their greatest success.
The 2007 REO Speedwagon album Find Your Own Way Home was written during “the journey through, and emergence from, the darkest, yet most fulfilling, chapter of my life.” His son Paris had been fighting a drug addiction. Cronin says, “Perhaps the emotional centerpiece of the album is this simple lyric: ‘I needed to fall, and come back stronger. I needed to crawl, to find my way.’ I believe we all need to fall, and allow our children to fall, as well. Falling is inevitable. It is an essential leg of the journey to adulthood.”
Cronin appeared on the Netflix original series Ozark along with bandmates from REO Speedwagon in S03E03. The episode was *led "Kevin Cronin Was Here", and they performed "Time for Me to Fly". The popularity of the show led to a resurgence on the Billboard charts for the band in April 2020, as well as a placement onto the digital charts not in existence at the time of the initial hit songs.
Cronin is known for his down-to-earth, connected presence in concerts. In a 2016 interview with Parade, he was asked about remembering so many cities while touring. He said, “If you don’t know what city you’re in when playing a concert, shame on you. The people that are coming to your concert expect that you’re connected with them. Hey, they’re connected with you! I go out of my way in every city to go out for walk, read the local paper and talk to people.”
In May 2022, Cronin looked back on 50 years of playing music. "It didn't dawn on me 'til we played some shows earlier in the year and that came up and I was like, 'Wow!' But, yeah, 50 years ago now is when I joined the band. I can't even believe it. I was 20 years old. I was a baby! It's pretty cool."
In January 2024, the band announced that REO would tour with Train in the Summer Road Trip tour, hitting 44 cities. Cronin said the bands had done benefit shows for years. “I love the idea of bringing together people of all ages, who share a common love for well-crafted songs and high-energy live performances. The REO boys are stoked about this tour.”
Personal life
Cronin's mom was a social worker; his dad was in newspapers. When he was seven, his parents adopted three children. He started playing guitar in bands when he was 14. His first professional band was Fuchsia.
Cronin’s first marriage resulted in a son, Paris, born May 14, 1977. The band was beginning to have success, but the family was still struggling. Four years later, he had the number 1 album in the world, Hi Infidelity, including his iconic ballad, “Keep on Loving You.” In an interview with Cl*ic Rock in 2019, Cronin talked about his relationship with his band and the stresses that touring has on personal relationships, especially after the success of Hi Infidelity: "I don’t know that anyone could have foreseen what was gonna happen with that record. I guess the stars were lined up. But we’d toured so much that all of our relationships at home were kind of shredding, and that bonded us as a band. Everything else was falling apart around us, so the band became our primary relationship."Cronin married Lisa Marie Wells on April 25, 1992, and they have three children, Holly and twins Josh and Shane. In 2019, Cronin performed “Can’t Fight This Feeling” with his daughter Holly at the Kaaboo Festival in Southern California.
Gear
Guitars
- 1952 Fender Telecaster
- 1958 Fender Broadcaster
- Gibson Les Paul
- Ovation Viper Series 6 & 12 String
Amps
- Vox AC-30 Combos
Accessories
- Ernie Ball Acoustic & Electric Guitar Strings
References
External links
- Media related to Kevin Cronin at Wikimedia Commons
