Did drummer Alan Gratzer really leave the band in 1988 to open a restaurant? Speedwagon sometimes conjures up images of nothing but slow songs. Neal: Alan lived right across the hall in my dorm at The University of Illinois. Thats what I like about R.E.O. He was born on Tuesday November 9th 1948, in Syracuse, New York, USA,. After putting in 21 years with the group, in 1988 Gratzer said goodbye to life on the road to spend more time with his three grade school-age children. Anyway, we got to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. REO and Chicago once again teamed up for tour dates during the summer of 2018. Though it did not chart as an album, it produced two singles which appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio chart. That same year, the band moved to Los Angeles, California. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. as they are didnt make it to the printed page. There were a lot of bands in Champaign at that time, and R.E.O. Gary Richrath reunited with REO one final time for a performance of "Ridin' the Storm Out" to end REO's set at the sold-out concert. Alan Gratzer left in September 1988 after he decided to retire from music to open a restaurant. Questions Post Question There are no questions yet for this company. A. but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out because of internal conflicts. Because he was an organizer by nature, Gratzer was the one that got everyone together for practice sessions. To contact Kim Midboe, e-mail kmidboe@TheUnion.com or call (530) 477-4251. In the end we decided the idea wasnt entirely in the celebratory spirit of the mag, but had already asked former Kerrang! Personality Profile. Apr 30, 2012 - Find best value and selection for your 1981 LUDWIG REO SPEEDWAGON ALAN GRATZER DRUM PRINT AD search on eBay. They named the band REO Speedwagon, from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck Doughty had studied in transportation history, and the initials are those of its founder Ransom E. Olds. Shortly after his departure, Richrath assembled former members of the Midwestern band Vancouver to form a namesake band, Richrath. Pages homage to the great and eternal drummer Reo Speedwagon But we made the most of it! On November 22, 2013 they announced a benefit concert with Styx titled "Rock to the Rescue" to raise money for the affected families of the tornadoes in central Illinois. The album was them re-recording their original songs from their late 60's/early 70's output. Although the rest of the band's lineup remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists three times for their first three albums. LA Fredrickson and Dave Leake talk to the original drummer of REO. Yeah, I've been tempted a number of times of the years and I never quite get round to it. It was also the first album wed produced ourselves and that was a big deal for us, because we never really felt any of the producers wed worked with previously could then horror. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Funny you should ask that question, because just yesterday a fan sent in a piece of video from I believe he said was from 1985, filmed at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The most popular track on this record was "157 Riverside Avenue". is fucking awesome man! Theres nothing better well there is, and I think you know what that is!. TO READ THE FULL STORY: Subscribe Now LOG IN Read this article +get instant access TO 45 YEARS of Modern Drummer issues Their set is suffused with diamond ditties, not least Shoot Shoot, Doctor Doctor, Let It Roll, Rock Bottom and the mighty Lights Out the 1977 album of that name cemented their legend, but for many fans last years double album Strangers In The Night is the score to beat. william doc marshall death. Voters say yes. : . | Epic Records All rock 'n' pop respect to REO Speedwagon, but I cannot climb aboard . When I bring a song to the soundcheck or to a rehearsal its like throwing a big piece of red In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty entered the electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, as a junior. From there on we kinda hit our stride.. Thinking readers would also enjoy sharing their photos from the time led us create the Rock Candy websites Rogues Gallery. alan gratzer restaurant. alan gratzer restaurant. The keyboard player was the leader, but several other band members were unhappy with the situation. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Harms, disenchanted by the album's failure, left the group in early 1991. ALAN GRATZER Chief Executive Officer 1530 Lingate Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93108 Reviews Write Review There are no reviews yet for this company. What does it take to be a Big Brother or Big Sister? University of Illinois, playing at the Red Lion, the eventual . Speedwagon, was released on Epic Records in 1971. couldnt fit anything like of all his words into a two-page Q&A in Rock Candy Mag issue 2. Punk. A lot of anti-war music appeared, a youth movement was slowly taking over, and music was a big part of it. these days? Long-Runner Line-up: Type 2; the line-up of Alan Gratzer, Neal Doughty, Gary Richrath, Bruce Hall, and Kevin Cronin lasted from 1977-88. This lineup did only one show, on January 7, 1989 in Via del Mar, Chile, where it won the award for best group at the city's annual International Song Festival. He formed the band in the fall of 1967, with original drummer Alan Gratzer. So I watched it and was totally blown away. The yellow undershirt was from a store on Melrose in Hollywood called Flips. Their reply to Stallone was the successful song Eye of the Tiger (Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 1 for six weeks and maintaining a position in the Top 40 for eighteen weeks). Who is Alan Gratzer? the ultimate rush and it puts me in a position where I want to give that back to the people. Lutter & Wegner. From 1995 to the present, the label released over a dozen compilation albums featuring greatest hits, including 1999's The Ballads. REO Speedwagon - Nine Lives. Gratzer left REO Speedwagon in 1988, leaving Doughty as the sole original member. Hey, this brings up a great REO Trivia opportunity. The timing was right, it just made perfect sense, said Gratzer. Whenever you put a magazine together there are always feature ideas that dont make the final cut. You can also limit feeds to specific categories. Hi Infidelity (1980) contained four US Top 40 hits and is the group's best-selling album, with over ten million copies sold. We were just about the only hippies on the Engineering campus, and the only two guys with long hair in a very large dormitory complex; a minority of two against the world. So either the band would break up or something would happen between Gary and I. I knew to Cardiff the drum set was back in the stage centre where it belonged. huge success. Chicago has sold over 40 million units in the U.S., with 23 gold, 18 platinum, and eight multi-platinum albums. In 1968, Gratzer and roommate Neal Doughty started REO Speedwagon in their residence hall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Today. Menu They continued to perform cover songs in campus bars, fraternity parties, and university events. My fiance at the time, Kerrie Lynn, was at the photo shoot. In 1977 bassist Gregg Philbin left the band. made them look like right berks and none more so than at the time of 1986s Rage For Order. Did you ever eat there and was it any good? The first few shows were a little mixed up production-wise, because the small stage space we were given was something we werent counting on. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Their brilliant all-white image and shiny glam/rock/pop hybrid was made for MTV, but the band threw in the towel in 1981, just as the cable TV station was gearing up to change the face of music forever by pumping out Spending the first two years being a stay-at-home dad, he then opened a restaurant, featuring California cuisine and a chef from New York. In 2004, Gratz adapted Washington Irving's famous short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" into a stage play that premiered at the Knoxville Actors Co-Op. L. o R. Neal Doughty, Gary Richrath, Wilbur Fruity, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer and Bruce Hall . When we were first brainstorming feature ideas for the dbut issue of Rock Candy Mag the editorial team liked the idea of tracking down our old musical heroes, the ones who had moved on and opted to do something different with their lives. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on Castle Records, which also experienced financial troubles. Epic agreed to let them produce their first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For, which was eventually certified platinum. After a successful 8 year run, Gratzer decided to leave the seven-day work weeks behind and went in search of the next chapter. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Musicians Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath, Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall of the rock band REO Speedwagon backstage at their show at Jou Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on March 27th, 1981. He sang a sampling of REO's hits with the show's singing finalists. Gratzer is in his third year as board president for the organizations local chapter and has also served as a mentor. Did drummer Alan Gratzer really leave the band in 1988 to open a restaurant? I saw this line forming REO drummer Alan Gratzer was born in Syracuse, New York, and almost immediately displayed an interest in drums. But we know youll enjoy reading it all the same. The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. [6] On July 13, on the way to a show in Milwaukee, the band made a stop in Philadelphia to play at the US leg of Live Aid, which broke a record for number of viewers. I havent heard that record in a long time, but that was us at our most raw. albums, Nine Lives was a very different beast from the previous record. You climb up the mountain, reach the peak The REO portion of the show was released again under three separate titles: Live - Plus (2001), Live Plus 3 (2001) and Extended Versions (2001) (which was certified gold by the RIAA on April 26, 2006). Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Neal Doughty Net Worth, Salary, Biography, Age, Career, Wiki. Speedwagon, Alan Gratzer, about the early days of the band at the. Sadly, Angel became rock also-rans. Huge fan of Lost in a Dream. We all have photos of ourselves looking faintly (or not so faintly) ridiculous and wanted to celebrate our preposterous looks. He knew he wanted to settle in a small, but interesting town, so he and his wife began taking weekend trips. Menu studio and there was a good vibe in the band; we were all getting along really well. The Vietnam War was raging Just LIKE the Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). Gratzer says that it does not involve a large time commitment. On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Last Updated on Mar 4 2023, 2:51 pm CST. Gratzer graduated from Arlington High School with the Class of 66. As mentioned above, the deeper toms were in favor then. 9. I think I was fighting the managements instructions a bit, trying The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. [19], In 2017 the Hi Infidelity album received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over ten million copies.[20]. After relocating in 2001, Gratzer realized he missed interacting with children and gave the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters a call. Thats a complicated question Xavier, but the short answer is that the creativity just wasnt there anymore, and it just wasnt working. We made 16 albums, sold 40 million copies and got to see the world.. | We had a lot in common and became close friends pretty fast. He then opened a restaurant in Santa Barbara, Calif., which featured California cuisine cooked up by a chef from New York. Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. Alan played drums with REO Speedwagon until 1990. Explore. In London our drum kit was pushed over stage left. Them guys are crazy, man. Giuffria formed two more bands, Giuffria and House of Lords the latter releasing albums on Kiss bassist Gene Simmons label before quitting in 1993, disenchanted with the music business. I believe it was the final show of the Wheels Are Turnin tour and that was a real high point for the band because after Hi Infidelity wed gone down Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. I loved the fact you sang Whats New Pussycat in Cardiff, in recognition of Welsh crooner Tom Jones. The commercial failure of the band's newer material with its revised lineup demanded a change in marketing strategy. Although leaving behind life on the road was his ultimate decision, he missed playing music, but not the seemingly endless hotels, airports and nights spent riding on a bus. What year, and in what city was the last show which featured . I used to eat there a lot. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell. What about Survivor with 1982 hit Eye of the Tiger (Jim Pterik, Frankie Sullivan). The band formed when drummer Alan Gratzer and keyboardist Neal Doughty, a couple of students at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, got together to jam after class.They worked their way through small clubs and venues, as well as through more than a few personnel changes. After a successful 8 year run, Gratzer decided to leave the seven-day work weeks behind and went in search of the next chapter. Alan Gratzer holds great compassion and seeks to be of service to others. The restaurant was gourmet American food and it was very good. A lucky kid living near Grass Valley, Calif., has one of the coolest surrogate brothers around former, REO Speedwagon First Drummer Rolls With The Changes. So when I go out onstage and play those chords I can REO Speedwagon - Lost In A Dream. Say for example Styx, whom weve toured with quite a lot over the past few years. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the All Star Frogs. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. taylormade tp putter weights. The band played in Champaign area bars in its early years. Not musically, but In 2000, REO teamed up with Styx for an appearance at Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis, which was released as a live concert video Arch Allies: Live at Riverport. he moved to Santa Barbara and opened a restaurant called 'The Mona Lisa Caf'. going to Vietnam. Gratzer and family moved to Santa Barbara. View Public Record Results ✓ Addresses. Weve all matured over the years and each one of us respects what each brings to the party. he was the most level-headed of all of us, so if [guitarist] Gary [Richrath] and I were arguing or fighting over an overdub or a song, Alan would be the one to calm the situation down and help bring us back together again.. REO Speedwagon's mainstream popularity waned in the late 1980s, but the band remains a popular live act. In 1977 REO convinced Epic Records that their strength was in their live performances. UFOS major failing is their inability to turn up at gigs on time. [14], Gary Richrath died on September 13, 2015, due to complications from surgery. It's so easy to write an HM clich album, bung down a few riffs, and holler a few lyrics about killing babies and rocking after midnight, yknow, he says, judiciously dropping you a clue as to who hes on about. Alan Gratzer (November 9, 1948) American drummer, o.a. What about the Ides of March and Jim Pterik from Berwyn, Illinois with Vehicle? Cher must have been in a jungle mood recently when she bought a leopard-print, hand-painted purse and a zebra-stripe ceramic bowl at the Taylor-Gratzer Boutique on Sunset Plaza. How did you meet Alan Gratzer? The Alan, 18 Princess Street, Manchester M1 4LG (0161 236 8999). Snacks and small plates 3-6.50, steaks and chops 16-28, desserts 7, wines from 25 First impressions matter. Im out there still rocking, a sixty five year old man doing the same thing hes been doing since he was 12 years old. UFO? he yelps. Watch. Ides of March Vehicle Live at Song House of Blues 2014. The 1990 release The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, with Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) on drums, was a commercial disappointment. He founded the band, along with a roommate, in 1967 while in their sophomore year at the University of Illinois. Original drummer Alan Gratzer left in September 1988 after he decided to retire from music to open a restaurant. There was definitely more guitar and the songs were a lot heavier. After 21 years with the band, he left in 1988 to spend more time at home with his family. I think it would probably work better if we came back to the UK with another band where the pairing is a little better. The makeup artist on the day put full foundation with eye shadow on me, and everything else that a Hollywood actress would wear! Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. On his first night, he met another student, Alan Gratzer. Despite all this, though, Queensrches image has occasionally Register here to be able to buy the magazine or subscribe - and to stay in touch too! gcse.src = 'https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx; The idea of revisiting images of sartorial inelegance from the 80s made us laugh. thing. Weve maintained a fan base so we can always tour. Their top song Vehicle is credited with being Warner Bros. Records fastest selling single in WB Records history. We were all young and hungry, and we didn't This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Which raises the question of what led to Gary leaving the band in '89? stage gate model advantages and disadvantages.