Description
SHOW DETAILS: Artist: REO Speedwagon
Date: Fall 1971 Location: Carbondale, Illinois
Venue: WSIU Studios (PBS) Program: The Sessions
Label: None Title: The Sessions
SONGS:
01. Gypsy Woman’s Passion
02. London Branch (program’s host)
03. 157 Riverside Avenue
04. Lay Me Down
05. Be A Big Man Someday
06. Anti-Establishment Man
REO Speedwagon, formed in 1967, stayed pretty much the same as far as members of the group went throughout the years with a few exceptions. This video was shot before members Kevin Cronin (vocals) or Bruce Hall (bass) were in the band. And years later, as they were transitioning from a more classic rock with a lot of guitar type of band to a more ballads type of band, Gary Richrath did not like this. I personally like both eras of the band’s music but I really like the 1981 and earlier REO Speedwagon the best where Richrath played awesome solos in the songs.
In 1989, after the band decided to stop the partying and clean up their act, Gary Richrath did not want to go the direction the rest of the band was going. He was upset by the music and he had been getting more and more heavily into drug use which the rest of the band had reportedly stopped doing at this point. So the band fired him and replaced him with Dave Amato.
Richrath made an attempt at playing his own solo music and tours briefly, but that was short lived. He just sort of disappeared from the public eye and not much was heard of him or from him after that. He did appear on stage and plat with REO Speedwagon once more in 2013 at a benefit show to the surprise of the crowd. But two years later, he’s now gone for good sadly.
This is a superb capture of the band when the lineup had Terry Luttrell on vocals and Gregg Philbin on bass. The other members were future and even present members that stuck with the band for a long time through the years and they include Neal Doughty on keyboards, Alan Gratzer on drums, and of course the now late Gary Richrath.
I’m not 100% sure who is with REO Speedwagon today, but I do know a few of the early and possibly original lineup is still with them. And most members have been there from the 1970’s I believe. Either Doughty or Gratzer recently retired I believe but I know Kevin Cronin, Bruce Hall, and Dave Amato (joined in 1990 I believe) are definitely with REO Speedwagon today and they are constantly touring and rocking. I’ve seen them so many times and recorded so many shows of them over the years I cannot even remember how many times it has been.
So as a tribute to Gary Richrath, here is an early look into REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon – Live Carbondale IL 1971 DVD
