cause of death. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Gary Richrath Death: and Cause of Death. Try again later. retrieved. He was 65 years old. Gary was a phenomenal celebrity influencer. He was a local guitarist in Peoria, Illinois, writing material that went on to become REO Speedwagon's catalog. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He graduated from East Peoria Community High School in 1967. All the good memories of him and all the music As much sadness as Garys death has brought, the energy in our concerts since his death has been on a different level, and his spirit and his energy has actually had an energizing effect on us. How William Christopher Died: Date of Death, Age of Death, Birthday, and More! Biography - A Short Wiki Former guitarist and songwriter for rock band REO Speedwagon from 1970 to 1989. He will best be remembered as an American musician, who was the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the band REO Speedwagon from 1970 until 1989. He was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. And thats a blessing right there., Gone But Not Forgotten: Music Stars In Memoriam 2015, Cronin adds that he had not completely ruled out some sort of reunion of REOs heyday lineup, including keyboardist Neal Doughty and Bruce Hall, who are still with the band, and original drummer Alan Gratzer, who occasionally makes guest appearances. William Christopher reached the impressive age of 84 years. Gary Richrath was born in Peoria. He was like the big brother I never had., Though Richraths departure from REO in 1989 was somewhat acrimonious, Cronin says the two had a chance to make peace with each other during three meetings in 2013, including the December 4 Rock to the Rescue benefit concert for tornado victims in Bloomington, Ill., when Richrath joined REO to play Ridin the Storm Out., We did have that cathartic moment that a lot of times people dont get the chance to have, Cronin says. Though best known as a guitarist, he was featured as a vocalist on several REO Speedwagon tracks, including (Only A) Summer Love.. Gary Richrath was 65. Try again later. Garys income mostly comes from and basic source was being a successful American musician. Gary Richrath Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Richrath, who joined the band in 1970 and recorded 12 albums with the band before splitting with the group in 1989, is best known for writing REO's second Top 10 hit, the Top Five Hi . During the concert, the families affected by the storm sat near the stage. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Gary Richrath, a former guitarist for the classic rock band REO Speedwagon who also co-wrote the group . His musical career started with playing a saxophone in the school band. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates.