""When I read the fine print, it was 'an experience with REO Speedwagon's music.' It's none of the original members," Fletcher recalls. "I don't want to promote the show unless it's the real thing. I don't know why you would want to see that. It's just a cover band. To me, that's a little bit strange." He adds, with a sigh, "If there are no original members, who cares?""
""It's a question, however philosophical, that many fans are being challenged with in 2026: At what point does a band cease to exist and become something else entirely? The two biggest names so far who have Ship-of-Theseused themselves to extend their legacies are Foreigner and Lynyrd Skynyrd, who will be embarking on a duel \"Double Trouble Double Vision Tour\" this summer - both consistently tour without any original members, instead handpicking and training other musicians to perform their material on the road.""
A veteran promoter declined to promote a proposed REO Speedwagon show after the contract described it as 'an experience with REO Speedwagon's music' and revealed no original members would perform. Many fans face a similar dilemma about band identity when groups continue touring with none of their founding personnel. Several major acts, including Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Spinners, the Four Tops, Iron Butterfly, the Grass Roots and Blood, Sweat & Tears, regularly tour with replacement musicians. Reasons for lineup changes include illness, death and retirement. Those running these lineups aim to keep the music alive, while some fans remain skeptical.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]