Hire REO Speedwagon for Your Event

We Help You Hire, Book and Produce a REO Speedwagon Performance

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Hire REO Speedwagon For Your Event

Celebrity Direct Inc. will help you select, book and hire REO Speedwagon to perform at your corporate event, nonprofit event or private performance.

We are always uniquely positioned as your advocate throughout the hiring process and we won’t let you overpay.

Contact us for availability, price and other production details at:

Tell Us About Your Event

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REO Speedwagon Songs

  • “Can’t Fight This Feeling”
  • “Don’t Let Him Go”
  • “Keep On Loving You”
  • “I Don’t Wanna Know”
  • “In My Dreams”
  • “Take It On The Run”
  • “One Lonely Night”
  • “Music Man”

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REO Speedwagon Bio

Three bands were the undisputed arena rock kings of the early ’80s — Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon — yet all weren’t overnight success stories (in fact, each group began pursuing different musical styles originally — prog rock, fusion, and straight-ahead hard rock, respectively, before transforming slowly into chart-topping mainstream rockers). REO Speedwagon first formed in 1968, via a pair of University of Illinois students, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. After graduation, the group signed on with then-unknown manager Irving Azoff (who would later guide the careers of such multi-platinum acts as the Eagles and Steely Dan), which led to the outfit building a devoted following in the Midwest due to nonstop touring. By the early ’70s, Doughty and Gratzer had welcomed aboard guitarist Gary Richrath, who would soon prove to be the group’s spark plug (and one of rock’s more underrated players), in addition to bassist Gregg Philbin and singer Terry Luttrell. It was this lineup to be featured on the quintet’s 1971 self-titled debut recording for Epic Records.

Once more, a frontman change was required, and instead of searching for a fresh new face, REO welcomed back Cronin. The move paid off almost immediately, as REO found their niche by streamlining their sound and focusing on melodic rockers aimed at radio, as well as power ballads aimed at teenage girls’ hearts. Released in 1976, R.E.O. signaled the beginning of the veteran group’s winning streak, as both 1977’s Live: You Get What You Play For and 1978’s You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish were REO’s first to earn gold and platinum certification. Another live album, Live Again, was also issued in 1978, followed up a year later by another gold-certified hit, Nine Lives. Although REO was slowly inching their way to big-time success, no one (not even the band) could have predicted the massive hit that their next album turned out to be, Hi Infidelity. Issued at the tail end of 1980, it became one of 1981’s biggest albums — spawning one of the best-known power ballads of all time, “Keep on Loving You,” as well as such popular rock radio hits as “Don’t Let Him Go” and “Take It on the Run.” Hi Infidelity would eventually go on to sell more than nine million copies — catapulting REO to arena-headlining status.

The ’90s saw the emergence of countless REO compilations, including such titles as The Second Decade of Rock n’ Roll: 1981 to 1991, Only the Strong Survive, The Ballads, and a specially priced three-disc set of Live: You Get What You Play For, You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish, and Hi Infidelity. Additionally, further in-concert releases cropped up — Live: Plus, Extended Versions, and a 2001 live set, Arch Allies: Live at Riverport, split 50/50 between REO and touring mates Styx. In a 2001 episode of VH1’s Behind the Music series that focused on REO Speedwagon, Cronin and Richrath cleared up any misconceptions of ill will existing between either camp and voiced approval of a possible reunion in the future. When REO returned to the studio later in the 2000s, however, it was without Richrath. Find Your Own Way Home, the band’s first studio album of new songs in more than ten years, featured Cronin along with founding member Neal Doughty on keyboards, longtime bassist Bruce Hall, and ’80s additions Amato and Hitt. This lineup also released an unabashed record of Christmas songs in 2009, titled Not So Silent Night.

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How do I hire REO Speedwagon for a private event, corporate event, nonprofit gala or convention?

To hire REO Speedwagon for a private or corporate performance, the event buyer must first determine whether the artist is available and interested in the proposed engagement and then submit an offer through the appropriate authorized representative. The offer typically includes the event date and location, type of event, proposed performance format and fee.

Celebrity Direct represents event buyers throughout this process, including availability inquiries, offer strategy, negotiation, contracting, rider review and production coordination.

How much does it cost to hire REO Speedwagon for a private or corporate event?

There is no single published fee to hire REO Speedwagon for a private or corporate event. The performance fee is negotiated for the specific engagement and can vary based on the date, location, event type, performance format, travel requirements, current touring activity and other circumstances surrounding the event.

Celebrity Direct can obtain current availability and pricing from the appropriate artist representative for a specific event.

What total budget should I expect when hiring REO Speedwagon?

The total cost of presenting REO Speedwagon can be higher than the negotiated artist performance fee. Depending on the engagement, additional expenses can include airfare or private aviation, hotels, local transportation, sound, lighting, staging, backline, labor, hospitality and other requirements contained in the artist’s rider.

For this reason, event buyers should evaluate the all-in cost of the performance, not simply the artist fee, before making an offer.

How can I find out if REO Speedwagon is available for my event date?

REO Speedwagon’s availability for a private or corporate event must be confirmed through the appropriate authorized representative. Availability can depend on touring and recording commitments, personal scheduling, event location, travel requirements and whether the artist is interested in the particular engagement.

Celebrity Direct can submit the event details, check availability and determine whether an offer is appropriate.

How do I contact REO Speedwagon’s booking agent about a private performance?

A corporate, nonprofit or private-event buyer generally does not need to locate REO Speedwagon’s booking agent personally. An experienced talent buyer can identify the appropriate authorized representative, present the event professionally and manage the inquiry and offer process on the buyer’s behalf.

Celebrity Direct handles this process for its clients and represents the event buyer rather than the artist.

How do I contact REO Speedwagon’s manager about hiring them for an event?

Artist management is not necessarily the appropriate first contact for negotiating a private performance. Celebrity engagements are generally handled through the artist’s authorized booking representation, management or another designated representative depending on the circumstances.

Celebrity Direct determines the appropriate contact for the proposed engagement and handles the communication and negotiation for the event buyer.

Will REO Speedwagon perform at a corporate event, convention, nonprofit gala or private party?

Whether REO Speedwagon will consider a particular private or corporate performance depends on their availability, the nature and location of the event, the proposed performance, the financial offer and artist approval. Celebrity artists are not simply available for every event at a published price.

A legitimate inquiry should therefore include enough information about the event for the artist’s representatives to evaluate the opportunity.

What information do I need before asking about hiring REO Speedwagon?

Before requesting availability or pricing for REO Speedwagon, an event buyer should ideally know the event date, city and venue, type of event, expected attendance, desired performance format and approximate entertainment budget.

Providing these details allows the artist’s representatives to evaluate the engagement and allows an experienced talent buyer to recommend the most effective offer strategy.

Does the quoted artist fee include travel and production?

Usually, the artist’s performance fee should not be assumed to represent the complete cost of the engagement. Travel, hotels, ground transportation, production, equipment, labor and hospitality requirements may be additional obligations of the buyer depending on the negotiated contract and rider.

The contract and rider should be reviewed before the event buyer determines the final entertainment budget.

Can Celebrity Direct handle the complete REO Speedwagon booking and production process?

Celebrity Direct can represent the event buyer throughout a celebrity entertainment engagement, including determining availability, developing the offer, negotiating with the artist’s authorized representative, reviewing contracts and riders, coordinating production requirements and assisting with the performance through event day.

Unlike an artist’s agent or manager, Celebrity Direct works on the buyer’s side of the transaction, helping the event planner understand the financial, contractual and production obligations involved in presenting celebrity talent.

The Celebrity Booking Process

How Do I Hire a Celebrity for a Corporate or Private Event?
Submit a request

Submit our website form. We’ll ask you to provide a few key event details and budget goals

Consultation call 

We’ll schedule a call to discuss your event goals, offering our expert guidance on expectations

Talent Curation

We Identify a shortlist of available talent, factoring in tour schedules, to ensure accurate recommendations

Narrow it Down

We’ll help you rank and narrow down your top 3 priority picks

The Firm Offer

We craft a formal offer and present it to the Artist

Contract + Deposit

If the offer is accepted, we issue your agreement. If declined, we move to your next preferred choice.

Why Work With Us

Not Just a Booking. A Full-Scale Production.
Booking a celebrity is only part of the equation. We build the entire experience around it.
We handle:
  • Artist negotiation and contracting
  • All production: staging, lighting, sound, technical riders
  • Event logistics and show advancement
  • VIP coordinators, security, and confidentiality
You get:
  • A seasoned producer and booking advisor in one
  • A direct line to the decision-makers behind the artist
  • A one-stop solution from inquiry to showtime
  • Peace of mind knowing every detail is managed

Turn Our Expertise Into Your Dream Event

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • We welcome all requests for proposals and we understand that not everyone knows the various costs involved when booking celebrity talent. We know some ideas will not be realistic but surprisingly, others will be.

    The important thing is to let us know your thoughts and desired outcome and we'll do the necessary work for you. You'll receive a response with suggested talent, costs, availability, other similar talent choices and our commitment to stand by our service until the last note is played!

    NOTE: Celebrity Direct Inc. is a celebrity booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle media requests, song license requests, music collaboration requests, donation requests, interview requests and we never provide celebrity contact information.