Longtime REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin has announced that he and his solo band will be making a generous charitable donation in honor of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the historic Live Aid concert.
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The star-studded event, which raised money for famine relief in Africa, was held July 13, 1985, and featured simultaneous performances at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia and Wembley Stadium in London. REO Speedwagon was one of the many acts that performed in Philadelphia that day.
The singer’s current group, the Kevin Cronin Band, is currently on the road with Styx and ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder. In a social media post, Cronin explained that his band is planning to donate proceeds from one of their upcoming concerts to a local food bank to commemorate the milestone anniversary.
“Hi Friends, I’m feeling nostalgic as I was just interviewed about the 40th anniversary of Live Aid approaching on July 13th,” Kevin wrote on his social media pages. “It was an incredible, monumental, and unifying day—a global effort from Philadelphia and London to fight famine in Africa through music.
He continued, “To honor that powerful legacy, the Kevin Cronin Band is proud to say that we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from our show closest to the anniversary—July 12th at Jiffy Lube Live in VA—to [Haymarket Regional Food Pantry] to aid in ongoing efforts to address food insecurity.”
Cronin added, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if many of the other Live Aid performers would join in and consider a similar gesture? Every little bit helps, as the need is still there.”
More About the July 12 Concert and the Charity It Will Benefit
Jiffy Lube Live is an amphitheater located in Bristow, Virginia. The July 12 show is part of The Brotherhood of Rock Tour featuring Styx, the Kevin Cronin Band, and Felder.
The trek kicked off May 28 in Greenville, South Carolina, and is scheduled through an August 24 performance in Milwaukee.
Haymarket Regional Food Pantry is a nonprofit organization made up of volunteers who provide food to individuals and families in and around Haymarket, Virginia. The charity is reliant on donations of food and money from businesses, churches, organizations, and caring individuals.
About REO Speedwagon’s Live Aid Performance
REO Speedwagon played a two-song set at Live Aid, performing between Rick Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash. The band played its then-recent No. 1 hit “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and its 1978 classic “Roll with the Changes.”
Members of The Beach Boys and Paul Shaffer contributed backing vocals to the latter performance.
More About The Brotherhood of Rock Tour
During The Brotherhood of Rock Tour, Styx and the Kevin Cronin Band are showcasing full-album performances during their respective sets.
Styx is playing its multi-platinum 1977 album The Grand Illusion, while Cronin and his group are performing REO Speedwagon’s chart-topping 1980 smash Hi Infidelity. Both bands are also playing select other hits and gems from their back catalogs at the shows.
As previously reported, Cronin’s backing group features the same lineup that performed as REO Speedwagon as recently as December 2024. Starting in 2025, Cronin was no longer able to tour as REO Speedwagon because of a conflict with the band’s longtime bassist, Bruce Hall. In September 2024, REO Speedwagon issued a statement explaining that the band would be retiring from touring because of “irreconcilable differences” between Hall and Cronin.
Hall had taken a hiatus from touring with REO after undergoing back surgery in the fall of 2023, and bassist Matt Bissonette was brought in as his replacement while he recuperated. Bruce eventually felt he was ready to rejoin REO, but Cronin and other members of the group apparently wanted to continue with the lineup as it was.
Hall and founding REO Speedwagon keyboardist Neal Doughty then apparently proceeded to block Cronin from using the REO Speedwagon moniker.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
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