Richrath split over disagreements on the band’s direction.
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Guitarist and songwriter Gary Richrath helped co-write some of REO Speedwagon’s biggest hits, including “Take It on the Run”.
The band’s front man, Kevin Cronin, posted a heartfelt message to the band’s official Facebook page after he learned of Richrath’s death and paid tribute to his band mate and friend.
REO Speedwagon guitarist Gary Richrath has passed away, aged 65. Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Richrath, Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall were the band’s lineup in 1981.
REO Speedwagon formed loosely in 1967 in the university town of Champaign, Illinois but the band found its sound several years later with the arrival of Richrath, a skilled guitarist from Peoria elsewhere in the state.
Richrath wrote the band’s hit “Take It On The Run” and also occasionally handled lead vocals, including “Find My Fortune“, and “Only A Summer Love“. “These words do not come close to expressing the depth of emotions I am feeling at this time”.
In the late-80’s, the band’s popularity started to decline and Richrath and Cronin were regularly in disagreements over the direction of the band.
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Erik Stein confirmed the death but offered no details about the cause or location of death. He was with REO Speedwagon until 1989 and was a central figure on the late 1980 release Hi Infidelity, an album that spent 15 weeks atop The Billboard 200 and ranked as the No. 1 album of 1981.
