What is Kevin Cronin's Net Worth?
Kevin Cronin is an American musician who has a net worth of $10 million. Kevin Cronin is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band REO Speedwagon. He had many hit songs with the band throughout the 1970s and 80s, including "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling," both of which he also wrote. Cronin later made some appearances on television, including in an episode of the Netflix series "Ozark" in 2020.
Early Life and Education
Kevin Cronin Jr. was born on October 6, 1951 in Evanston, Illinois and grew up in Oak Lawn. He was educated at St. Linus Catholic Elementary School and Brother Rice High School.
REO Speedwagon in the 1970s and 80s
Cronin joined the rock band REO Speedwagon shortly after the group released its self-titled debut album in 1971. He replaced Terry Luttrell as lead vocalist. Cronin went on to record with the band for its second album, "R.E.O./T.W.O.," which was released in 1972. However, due to internal conflicts, he left during the recording sessions for REO Speedwagon's next album, 1973's "Ridin' the Storm Out." Cronin returned in 1976 to record the band's sixth studio album, "R.E.O." The year after that, he was featured on REO Speedwagon's live album "Live: You Get What You Play For." In 1978, the band released its seventh studio album, "You can Tune a piano, but you can't Tuna fish," which peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200. The album featured the successful singles "Time for Me to Fly" and "Roll with the Changes," both of which were written by Cronin. REO Speedwagon's next album, "Nine Lives," came out in 1979 and reached number 33 on the Billboard 200.
REO Speedwagon hit the pinnacle of its success in the 1980s, starting with the album "Hi Infidelity" at the start of the decade. Peaking at number one on the Billboard 200, the album spawned the hit singles "Keep On Loving You," "Take it on the Run," "In Your Letter," and "Don't Let Him Go." REO Speedwagon's most popular album, "Hi Infidelity" spent 65 weeks on the Billboard charts and became the best-selling album of 1981. The band followed up that success with the album "Good Trouble," which reached number seven on the Billboard 200 in 1982 and launched the hit singles "Keep the Fire Burnin'" and "Sweet Time." REO Speedwagon's subsequent studio album, 1984's "Wheels Are Turnin'," spawned the number-one hit single "Can't Fight This Feeling," written by Cronin. The band's final two albums of the decade were 1987's "Life as We Know It" and the 1988 compilation album "The Hits."
(Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Further Career with REO Speedwagon
By the late 1980s, REO Speedwagon was starting to decline in popularity. The band struggled commercially with its 13th studio album, 1990's "The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken," which yielded its last single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100: "Love is a Rock." It wasn't until 1996 that the group released its next studio album, the self-financed "Building the Bridge," which was another commercial disappointment. However, REO Speedwagon saw a resurgence in popularity throughout the latter half of the 90s and into the 00s thanks to tours, live albums, and various compilation albums. In 2007, the band released its 15th studio album, "Find Your Own Way Home," which produced the singles "I Needed to Fall" and the title track. An online video game of the same name was released in late 2009. REO Speedwagon has continued to tour since then. The band also appeared in an episode of the Netflix television series "Ozark" in 2020, performing the song "Time for Me to Fly."
Musical Gear
As a guitarist, Cronin has commonly used a 1952 Fender Telecaster, a 1958 Fender Broadcaster, a Gibson Les Paul, and Ovation Viper Series 6 & 12 String. For his amps, he typically uses Vox AC-30 Combos.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Other Media Appearances
Among his other notable appearances in the media, Cronin was a celebrity contestant on the television music game show "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" in 2008. He ultimately reached the $350,000 round before forgetting the lyrics to Donna Summer's "Last Dance." Elsewhere, Cronin appears in an infomercial for TimeLife's "Ultimate Rock Ballads" CD collection.
Personal Life & Real Estate
In 1992, Cronin married Lisa Wells. Together, they have four children: son Paris, daughter Holly, and twin sons Josh and Shane.
In 1998 Kevin and Lisa paid $1.065 million for a home in Thousand Oaks, California. The 5,300 square foot home sits on a little over one acre and is likely worth around $4 million today.
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