How REO Speedwagon Got Their Name

Formed in 1967, REO Speedwagon built up their reputation through the 70s and dominated throughout the 80s, with their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), at over 10 million copies. Throughout their career, REO Speedwagon has sold over 40 million records and charted 13 Top 40 hits, including “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep on Loving You”. Their popularity began to decline in the late 1980s, but they still perform at summer festivals today.

You probably knew them well at the height of their popularity in the early 80s, listening to them non-stop on the radio on the way to work or grocery store. But did you wonder how on earth they got their name? In fact, many bands from the 80s had some pretty strange names like Styx, Guns N’ Roses, Tears for Fears, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, etc. So the answers to those other questions are separate topics, but here I wanted to explain just where REO Speedwagon got their name. So here it is!

How REO Speedwagon Got Their Name

The band name was found when one of their members, Neal Doughty, saw the name written across the blackboard in his History of Transportation class at the University of Illinois (U of I) in Champaign, IL. This was on the first day he and the rest of the band decided to look for a name.

REO Speed Wagon was a 1915 truck that was designed by Ransom Eli Olds, but the company pronounced it as “REE-oh” like one word whereas the band pronounced each letter individually. And wallah! The rest of the band went with it as their first advertisement went out in their school newspaper at a frat party, which later turned into a food fight.

Beginning of REO Speedwagon

Before REO Speedwagon was formed, Neal Doughty had entered the electrical engineering program as a junior in 1966. On the very first night, he met who would be his lifetime friend and bandmate, Alan Gratzer, and the two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dorm. Right away, they formed a rock band.

Before they met, Gratzer was a drummer in high school and played in a local group on the weekends while Doughty was studying the Beatles songs closely using his parents’ piano.

It was actually Doughty who first followed Gratzer’s band, listening to them play songs. Their keyboard player was the leader, but the others wanted out. So on the last day of school that year, band guitarist Joe Matt called the leader and informed him that he, Gratzer and Mike Blair chose to leave and join a new one with Doughty.

The group compiled a list of songs that summer while Doughty worked a summer job to buy his first keyboard, a Farfisa organ. On this he learned to play “Light My Fire” by The Doors. The following semester of 1967, they had their rehearsals before classes started, naming the band REO Speedwagon.

New Members of the Band

Fast forward to 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer and Bob Crownover replaced Joe Matt on the guitar. Mike Blair also left the band later that year as Gregg Philbin filled his spot. Marty Shepard also came in as trumpet player with Joe McCabe playing the saxophone until he moved to Southern Illinois University. Crownover only lasted two years when Bill Fiorio replaced him before also leaving in late 1969, taking the name Duke Tumatoe and forming the All Star Frogs. Steve Scorfina was also part of the band for a year, composing and performing live with the band for a year and being replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970.

Richrath was from Peoria, IL and was an amazing songwriter who wrote fresh material for the band, even driving 100 miles to see and become a part of the band. He said, “I’m going to be a part of that band whether they like or not” before making it happen. After he joined, their popularity began to explode throughout the Midwest. They also gained a strong supporter in the St. Louis, MO-based radio station, KSHE, one of the United States’ most influential rock stations.

In 1971, REO Speedwagon signed a contract with Epic Records. Paul Leka, record producer, brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport, CT where it recorded original material for the first album, which included Richrath, Gratzer, Dought, Philbin and Luttrell.

Major Success in the 80s

Fast forward to November 21, 1980, Epic Records released Hi Infidelity, which represented a change in sound that went from hard rock to pop-oriented music. The album spawned four hit singles that were written by Cronin and Richwrath, including “Keep On Loving you” (Cronin), “Take It on the Run”(Richrath), “In Your Letter” (Richrath) and “Don’t Let Him Go” (Cronin). These singles were on the charts for over a year, selling over 10 million copies.

Their next album, Wheels Are Turnin’, was released two years later and included the #1 hit single “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and three more big hits: “I Do’ Wanna Know”, “One Lonely Night”, and “Live Every Moment”.

The band toured the country again in 1985 which included a sold-out concert in Madison WI. On July 13, on the way to a show in Milwaukee, they made a stop in Philadelphia to perform at the US leg of Live Aid, which broke a record for number of viewers in person and TV. They performed “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Roll With the Changes” which featured a few members from the Beach Boys, their families and Paul Shaffer for backing vocals.

REO Speedwagon’s popularity began to decline in 1987 when the album Life as We Know It didn’t sell nearly as many as the others. Although it still managed to make the top-20 hits with the songs “That Ain’t Love” and “In My Dreams”. Their compilation album, The Hits, included “Here With Me” and “I Don’t Want to Love You”, but unfortunately after that, they lost Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer.

REO Speedwagon Today

REO Speedwagon’s most recent updates are performing with Pitbull in the song “Messin’ Around” live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016. They also toured the UK arena circuit with Status Quo in December 2016. They then went on the “United We Rock” tour with Styx and Don Felder, which debuted June 20, 2017 at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. Their album Hi Infidelity received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over 10 million copies. In 2018, REO Speedwagon and Chicago toured again.

Finally in 2020, the band appeared in an episode in the third season of Ozark, which was released on March 27, 2020. Shortly afterwards, four of their songs reentered the Billboard rock charts.

What Do You Think of REO Speedwagon?

My favorite songs were “Keep on Loving You” and “Messin’ Around”. What did you like about REO Speedwagon? They did have a lot of members leave, but they stayed together during their prime years, for which I have to give them credit. A lot can go on between the band members after working together for so long, so they have to make some difficult decisions before coming and going.

But what about you? What’s your opinion of this band? Was there any personal experience you had with them? What do you think of their name? I’d love to know in the comments below!