REO Speedwagon Singer Miraculously Survives Car Crash

Early REO Speedwagon vocalist Terry Luttrell was involved in a scary automobile accident after participating in this weekend’s reunion show at a venue operated by the University of Illinois in Champaign, where the band got their start.

He said he fell asleep on Sunday night and crashed on Interstate 57. “It just happened,” Luttrell told The News-Gazette. “I nodded off. I rolled the car over, and I woke up and I was in a cocoon [of airbags]. Unfortunately, it totaled the car.”

Luttrell was frontman for REO Speedwagon’s 1971 self-titled debut, earning a co-writing credit on all eight of its songs. He continues touring with his own tribute group, called the REO Classics Band, and recently reissued his Live at Shock City Studios album on limited-edition red vinyl.

READ MORE: Back For Reunion, ex-REO Speedwagon Members Visit Their College Dorms

Saturday night’s reunion show, dubbed “Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon: A Concert Event – Back Where it All Began,” found Luttrell on stage once more with keyboardist Neal Doughty and Alan Gratzer from the R.E.O. Speedwagon sessions. Also taking part were turn-of-the-’70s guitarist Steve Scorfina, long-time bassist Bruce Hall and early-’70s singer Mike Murphy, among others.

“This event was created to provide the founding fathers, original singers and classic REO lineup a chance to reunite and say a proper goodbye,” Hall earlier explained. He also called the concert a “chance to honor [late band members] Gary Richrath and Gregg Philbin’s memory.” Kevin Cronin, their longest-serving frontman, was performing with Styx that night in Bend, Oregon.

As for Luttrell, he somehow only suffered a cracked sternum from the deployment of his vehicle’s airbag and was recuperating for a couple of days at a local hospital. “I was able to get up and get out of the car,” he told The News-Gazette. “I have a little back pain and neck pain. It’s nothing that can’t be overcome.”

He blamed his lack of sleep on long autograph sessions, both at the concert after-party and then later at the hotel, where Luttrell said some 40 more fans awaited. “It was just sign-sign-sign,” said Luttrell, who estimated that he didn’t get to bed until 4:30AM He was back on the road at 7.