Pollstar Live! Confirms Kevin Cronin Q&A With CAA’s Rob Light

Kevin Cronin, the voice of REO Speedwagon, will be joining CAA managing director Rob Light at Pollstar Live! for a special Rainmakers Q&A.

The April 16 conversation will cover Cronin’s 50-year touring career both as a member of REO Speedwagon and with his current outfit, the Kevin Cronin Band. Cronin is also currently finishing up his memoir, “Roll With The Changes… my life within and without REO Speedwagon.”

“Looking back on my 50-plus-year music career, it’s a true honor to share stories and insights with Rob Light, my longtime friend and agent, at Pollstar Live! Rob has been a guiding force throughout much of my journey, and I’m thrilled to recount my career memories with REO Speedwagon while highlighting my new chapter with The Kevin Cronin Band,” Cronin said in a statement.

Cronin’s split with REO Speedwagon was announced in September 2024, following the wrap of the band’s last tour. With the Kevin Cronin Band, he’ll be touring throughout 2025 and beyond.

The group features lead guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt, with Derek Hilland on keyboard and Matt Bissonette on bass. The “Brotherhood of Rock” tour will also feature Styx. Hitt and Amato played in REO Speedwagon since 1989, while Hilland had previously toured with Foreigner, Rick Springfield, Whitesnake and more, and was REO Speedwagon’s touring keyboard player since January 2023. Bisonntte formerly played with Elton John from 2012 through 2023, and joined The Kevin Cronin Band in late 2023. The group has played at The Venetian Theater in Las Vegas for three residencies.

The Kevin Cronin Band will perform songs from REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity album in full, as well as hits such as “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Roll with the Changes,” “Time for me to Fly,” “Keep Pushin’” and more.

Last year, longtime CAA head of music Rob Light was named the managing director as Emma Banks, Darryl Eaton and Rick Roskin were promoted to Co-Heads of Global Touring.

At the 2024 Pollstar Live! conference, he sat down with Jon Bon Jovi for a 45-minute interview covering Bon Jovi’s award as the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year, his documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” and how the band became a global touring act.

REO Speedwagon has reported 751 dates to Pollstar’s Boxoffice since 1999, with the band having sold 3.6 million tickets grossing $151 million.

Ahead of their split, Cronin and the band performed the “Summer Road Trip” tour with Train, with stops in 44 cities.

The tour ran from July 8 in Somerset, Wisconsin, and was expected to run until Sept. 11 in Phoenix with stops in amphitheaters across North America, but the tour wrapped earlier following Cronin’s emergency surgery that led to the cancelation of dates in Chula Vista, California and Phoenix. On Sept. 18, the band announced their retirement.

REO Speedwagon bassist Bruce Hall was also unable to join the band on tour due to back surgery, with Bissonette joining in during Hall’s absence.

In a 2016 interview with Parade, Cronin said he enjoyed going for walks in each city the band toured in, reading the local paper and talking to locals.

He emphasized the importance of connecting with each city while out on the road, noting that it was important for the audience to feel the band knew the area and could understand where they were playing.

Pollstar Live!, the world’s largest gathering of live entertainment professionals, will take place April 15-17 at the Beverly Hilton. The three-day conference is the flagship event for Pollstar and offers engaging discussions and keynote conversations led by the top visionaries and executives in the live business along with plenty of networking opportunities. Pollstar Live! starts with Production Live!, the one-day companion conference that features insightful panels and discussions from industry professionals on all topics related to putting on live events including lighting, video, concert production and more. Pollstar Live! also includes the 36th annual Pollstar Awards celebrating the live entertainment industry’s most innovative artists, venues, companies, tours and executives.

Pollstar Live! 2025 is presented by Lockton and Ticketmaster.

Visit https://www.pollstar.live/ for more information and to register for Pollstar Live!