REO Speedwagon began in 1967 at the University of Illinois in Champaign, formed by keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. What started as a college cover band soon evolved into a hard work project with big ambitions.

They started jamming in dorm rooms, unaware they were laying the foundation for one of rock’s most enduring acts. Long before the arenas and platinum records, they were grinding it out in dive bars, slowly building a loyal following drawn to their irresistible charm. They hauled their own gear, slept in cramped vans, and every night they played their hearts out for anyone willing to lend their ears to them for a couple of hours.

These early photos capture the band at its core, in its rawest form, when they were just a group of long-haired, wide-eyed, and utterly determined men chasing a sound that would one day define a generation.