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Neal Doughty

b. 1946

American musician

Keyboardist Songwriter Keyboard instrument
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About Neal Doughty

Born 1946. Neal Doughty is an American keyboardist, songwriter, keyboard instrument and vocals.

Neal Allan Doughty (born July 29, 1946) is an American keyboardist, best known as a founding member of the rock band REO Speedwagon and the only member to have played on every album. He formed the band in the fall of 1967, with original drummer Alan Gratzer (who left REO in 1988).

Although he has never been one of REO Speedwagon's primary songwriters, Doughty has written or co-written several of the band's songs. Songs for which he is the sole composer include "Sky Blues" from 1974, "One Lonely Night" from 1984 and "Variety Tonight" from 1987. The latter two songs charted as Billboard singles, with "One Lonely Night" cracking the top 20.

His most notable playing includes the Hammond organ solo on "Roll with the Changes" and the honky-tonk piano work on "157 Riverside Avenue". He notes the piano track to "Can't Fight This Feeling" was his most difficult studio performance, but is now his favorite part of live concerts.

He was an early adopter of the Moog synthesizer, which can be heard on the opening swoop of "Ridin' the Storm Out". Currently, he is using synths made by Korg and Yamaha and tours with a Hammond B3 organ routed through Leslie speaker cabinets. As of 2023, Doughty no longer tours with REO Speedwagon but remained an official member of the band until their retirement in 2024.

Doughty was born in Evansville, Indiana. He attended the University of Illinois on a scholarship, where he intended to become an electrical engineer due to being good at math. The band started touring the Midwestern United States and started releasing albums in 1971.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Belleville High School-West
Also known as
Neal Allan Doughty

People in Neal Doughty's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Neal Doughty's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Neal Doughty?

American musician

When was Neal Doughty born?

Neal Doughty was born on 29 July 1946 in Evansville.

What is Neal Doughty's occupation?

Neal Doughty is a keyboardist, songwriter, keyboard instrument and vocals.

What nationality is Neal Doughty?

Neal Doughty is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Neal Doughty

· Wikidata: Q6984086

· DBpedia: Neal Doughty

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Neal Doughty. https://biography.guide/neal-doughty/

MLA: "Neal Doughty." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/neal-doughty/.

Chicago: "Neal Doughty." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/neal-doughty/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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