So, we're going to take advantage of that. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. REO Speedwagon no longer headlines stadiums, but they're not playing small-town dives, either. First Name Neal. In 1989, Richrath, who'd long butted heads with Cronin, left the band. In the summer of 2018, REO Speedwagon and Chicago joined forces for a co-headlining tour of North America. I always enjoyed playing the shows and looking out to see all the loyal fans who allowed me to do this for so long.. We could always come back to college if this band doesn't work out.' You know, Roll With The Changes, Ridin The Storm Out, and all those deeper cuts that over the years have become live favorites. A Chat With Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon, Part 1. Discover Neal Doughtys Wikipedia Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. REOs big album Hi Infidelity (1980), which contained the massive hit singles Keep On Loving You and Take It On the Run, spent 15 weeks in the No. The band toured relentlessly throughout the Midwest and in 1971 began a string of album releases for Epic Records. "We had the harmony parts worked out so that, on the last repetition [of 'Keep on rollin', oooh'], the singers hit a high C, which is the . Yeah, and well, maybe, I mean, we've done recordings of our live show. In the summer of 1981, REO headlined sold-out shows at the Houston Astrodome, the New Orleans Superdome, New York City's Madison Square Garden and Chicago's Soldier Field, among other venues. Actually, my wife married me because I know Cheap Trick. LAS VEGAS - JULY 24: REO Speedwagon keyboardist Neal Doughty (L) and his wife Darya Gemmel arrive at an after-concert party at the Rok Vegas nightclub at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino early July 24, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After 55 years with REO SPEEDWAGON and having spent his entire adult life on the road, keyboardist and founding member Neal Doughty has decided the time was right to retire from touring and begin enjoying the fruits of his years of hard work. He was an early adopter of the Moog synthesizer, which can be heard on the opening swoop of "Ridin' the Storm Out". Were all still in top form. "We just got busy with the band," Doughty remembers, "and at one point we went, 'Let's go for it. Neal Doughty was a 21-year-old student at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, when he formed the band REO Speedwagon in 1967 with fellow student Alan Gratzer, a drummer. So, we think in terms of one song at a time. Well, there's a lot of cases where we arent remembered that way. So, that's how much we missed doing it, and I think the first month or so that we're back on the roadto quote a Bruce Hall song that we will be singing, we're just going to be like little kids, I think. By the early 1990s, the grunge scene had exploded, catapulting acts like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden into the public consciousness. Whos the richest Pianist in the world? We were all just looking around at stuff.". And so that, to meif that's the only major award we ever get, I will be fine. I kind of sat around the house not knowing what to do, Doughty said. Wife, Net Worth, Family, Age, He Where is Sheree J. Wilson now? What is he doing tod Who is Joker Xue? Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Its gotten to the point where a good chunk of classic rock groups that still tour and record have evolved into original member-approved tribute bands. We just said, 'Hey this thing could go on for a while. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He is currently single. ", "Neal will always be a member of the REO brotherhood," says bassist Bruce Hall, "and we all wish him well as he enters this exciting phase of his life.". I think most of the guys I know do that, but it's good to have a little bit of a, not necessarily a science background, but just a science-minded personality where the technical stuff is as much fun as playing the instrument. Further overdubs back at Sound City included Neal Doughty's uplifting B-3 parts, which were carefully arranged to interact with the gospel-style backing vocals on the song for maximum impact. We even had at one point like, three guys playing trumpet. Doughty is often asked how he's managed to remain a cornerstone of such an enduring musical institution, one that has survived its share of personnel changes over the years. Doughty, who today makes his home in Austin, Minn., says he's no stranger to his old hometown. In a phone interview with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Doughty reminisced about his newfound joy in band rehearsals, his love for science, and a very special award that the band behind Time For Me To Fly was recently awarded. Yeah! Were approaching 15,000 people just about every night and you look out at that and you go, wow, bless their hearts, he said. Gaining popularity in the 70s and 80s, the band has sold over 40 million records with hits such as Keep On Loving You and Cant Fight This Feeling.. You won't meet many rock musicians who can match REO Speedwagon's Neal Doughty when it comes to consistency. Coming back on tour in 2021 was great. REO SPEEDWAGON will continue as the unstoppable touring machine the fans have come to expect, with 50-plus shows already on the books for 2023. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Like, Have you been on the cover of Rolling Stone? I mean, if we ever do get it, I will consider it an honor. In July, the members of REO were voted the top musicians in Illinois history by participants in the Illinois Top 200 project, a part of the states bicentennial celebration. Doughty's journey to a life in rock started in Evansville, where he was born in 1946 and where he still has an aunt, uncle, cousins and many friends. GENE HOGLAN And STEVE DIGIORGIO: Fan-Filmed Video Of North American Tour Kickoff, MAX CAVALERA Names His Top Three Thrash Metal Albums Of All Time. Instead, the band was just getting started. And it's a beautiful award that they give youa diamond looking thing. The band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The band got so busy and I wasnt able to fit classroom things into my schedule anymore, he said in a Tuesday interview of his Illinois college days. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. Discover what happened on this day. Neal Doughty - Wikipedia He started freelancing with the paper in 2020 at the age of 18, and has since covered, announced, and previewed numerous live shows in Tampa Bay. REO Speedwagon's Neal Doughty is still rolling with the changes REO Speedwagon Announces 2023 Tour | Society Of Rock Neal Doughty - Wikiwand But by the late 1990s, however, the remaining members of REO Speedwagon reached a crucial realization: Although the band's commercial heyday had ended, its core 1970s and 80s audiences had grown up and those fans still possessed an appetite to experience the band live and hear those enduring 1980s hits. REO SPEEDWAGON remained busy throughout the pandemic before the band was able to return to the road. Neal Doughtys age is 76. As a child, his family lived near Downtown on. Famous Neal Doughty was born on July 29, 1946 in United States. 76 Year Olds. "That record came at the right time," recalls Doughty, noting that the band at that point still hadn't had a hit radio single. Wiki, net worth, hu Where is Kiami Davael now? Engineering slowly took a back seat. The only founding member of REO Speedwagon that is still playing with the band since its inception in 1967. By , Local reps co-sponsor anti gay marriage bill, Learn boating safety with the Corps of Engineers, Police say no threat to community after man dies, Mid 50s to open March, with winter system on the, Major work planned for Kennedy Expressway, No injuries in fire, $10K in damages estimated, Get tax prep help with WIU-QC and United Way, 2023 Big Ten womens basketball tournament bracket, Clark, Hawkeyes pull away from Purdue late, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And so that intimate setting is still something that we really enjoy. Since REO Speedwagon was formed in 1968, one band member has remained in the line up the whole time..Neal Doughty. "There are a lot of bands that way now," Doughty says. I haven't been out of my house in a yearI'm surprised my wife didnt kill me. He is known for being a Pianist. It went on to become the biggest-selling LP of 1981 and ultimately sold nearly 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. 1 for like four months. The two hit-making bands rocked 30 cities along the run. We will continue to update information on Neal Doughtys parents. I mean, that was a long time off! We were doing the Doors and Youngbloods. Said Doughty. But unless youre a total stickler, nobody seems to care about whos onstage, but rather about what theyre playing. Going back, before REO Speedwagon came around, you were a student in engineering at the University of Illinois. It was keyboard player Neal Doughty who came up with the name, which embodied the rebellious spirit of Ransom Olds and also stood out . "That was our 11th full album. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Bettye was one of a kind. Once it's out there's nowhere to hide! Neal will always be a member of the REO brotherhood, says bassist Bruce Hall, and we all wish him well as he enters this exciting phase of his life., Singer Kevin Cronin added, It will be a big change to look around and not see Neal behind the keyboards and we will miss his quick wit and interesting conversation on those long bus rides. Neal Doughtys mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. You know, we started out as a bar band, so the intimate places are still what's deep in our blood. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. I'm fine, I'm fine. Does that irritate you? We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 July. Michele "Miki" Gemmel - Austin Daily Herald We got some good DVD-video of the entire concerts. Neal Doughty Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family *chuckles* New Orleans style, and you could kind of hear that New Orleans thing show up in my piano playing, too. So, we will play what were our hits, especially some of them from Hi Infidelity, but we also are going to play the ones that the audience expected from us. "I've never wanted to be the frontman. Theyre so great and have so many songs and all three bands know each other and like each other, he said, noting theyve toured with Styx for 20 years now. "Not only the sales of the record, but just the way we were treated in general was not even real," he says. I'm going, 'Wow, where were these people for the last 10 years while we were killing ourselves trying to get a hit record?' I mean, without the big hit Keep On Lovin You, we probably wouldnt still be working today. EVANSVILLE, Ind. But to me, a greater honor is that our Hi Infidelity album just got the Diamond Award for selling 10 million copies. After the first time REO and Styx toured together, they released a live album (in September 2000) called Arch Allies, recorded in suburban St. Louis. "We actually did think it was over," says Doughty, who auditioned for several other bands in anticipation of REO's demise. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. At one point, "Hi Infidelity" was selling some 250,000 copies per week. We still are perfectly happy. But this is what Neal needs, and we support him.". "After 55 years with REO Speedwagon and having spent his entire adult life on the road, keyboardist and founding member Neal Doughty has decided the time was right to retire from touring and begin enjoying the fruits of his years of hard work." Doughty added: "I want everyone to know that it was all that traveling that finally got to me. *laughs* Thanks! See Photos. But then, the end of my trumpet career: One night, we were in Chicago, we had gone there to listen to Joe Cocker in a very small venue. So, she had a reason to get out of the house, along withher daughter, my stepdaughter, had a baby, and so my wife is doing grandmother mode, and is over there two or three days a week to babysit. By Kathy Stockbridge On Aug 12, 2015. Pianist Born in Indiana #2. It went on to help define what fans and critics today call "arena rock." "It will be a big change to look around and not see Neal behind the keyboards," says singer Kevin Cronin, "and we will miss his quick wit and interesting conversation on those long bus rides. Yeah, I do all my own programming. And it's almost a different kind of musician that plays keyboardskind of a mixture of music and science goes into it and, and a lot of keyboard players I know are just like that. But this is what Neal needs, and we support him.. It was it was a flatbed truck but they often outfitted it as a firetruck because it was the first truck that could go fast enough to and carry heavy duty, all the equipment, to be a fire engine., The REO was considered a milestone in transportation history, he said. But we can't do nothing but Hi Infidelity, because there's crowd favorites from other records. They're not afraid of the hardships in life, but they also tend to worry too much sometimes. Watch: MIKKEY DEE Performs MOTRHEAD Classics In His Hometown Of Gothenburg, Sweden, DEATH TO ALL Feat. They hadnt been to a big concert in over a year. REO Speedwagon's Neal Doughty: 'We can still walk up and down - mlive He is the only member to have played on REO Speedwagon's every album. Cronin and Doughty with bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Dave Amato (guitar), and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with fan favorites such as Ridin The Storm Out, Cant Fight This Feeling, Time For Me To Fly, Roll With The Changes, and many more. Lives in Paynesville, Liberia. They are associated with a rejection of traditional values. Doughty may join them on select concert stops. Never played keyboard excepts for my parents beat up piano. Doughty said. Neal Doughty is a Leo and his 77th birthday is in, The 76-year-old American was born in the Baby Boomers Generation and the Year of the Dog. From 1977 to 1989, REO SPEEDWAGON released nine consecutive albums all certified platinum or higher. That was very big back when we first started, and we had to have some kind of brass on it. We were a cover band. Daughter of Indiana Sharecroppers. Some 45 years later, he's still playing with that band, remarkably untouched by the seemingly endless personality conflicts and creative battles that routinely accompany life in a rock 'n' roll outfit. The song takes her to task, no so much for the cheating, but for how she broke the news: He was one of the first rock musicians to adopt the Moog synthesizer, which can be heard on the track Ridin the Storm Out. Let's tone down the partying and stay alive for a long time.' 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. After high school, Doughty attended community college for two years, eventually parlaying his aptitude for mathematics and a good SAT score into a scholarship to the University of Illinois, where he intended to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. And of course, we're always happy to get down to Florida. All those nasty things that happened back in the 70s, most of the most bands have wised up about that. First of all, I love 80s ballads, by every band that does themwhich is most bands, and we're a mix of that and our live performance, which is more rock and roll, and our fans know that. Maybe its just an excuse to get out of the house, to get away from me, I don't know. The tour submitted reports for 37 shows with an average gross of $570,513 and an average of 10,701 tickets sold per night.