Kansas (band)
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Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock music, rock band formed in Topeka, Kansas in 1973. They became popular during the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums (''Leftoverture'' 5x, ''Point of Know Return'' 4×, and ''The Best of Kansas'' 4×), one other platinum studio album (''Monolith (Kansas album), Monolith''), one platinum live double album (''Two for the Show (Kansas album), Two for the Show''), and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997. Jason Ankeny of AllMusic referred to Kansas as "staples" of classic rock radio ...
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Rich Williams
Richard John Williams (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist, primarily known for being one of the only consistent original members of the Rock music, rock band Kansas (band), Kansas alongside drummer Phil Ehart. Both have appeared on every Kansas album to date. Career Williams shared guitar duties with keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren until 1984 when Kansas first broke up, and later from 1990 to 1991 and 1999 to 2000. From 1985 to 1991, he shared guitar-playing with Steve Morse, and later with Zak Rizvi from 2016 to 2021. Since April 2021, Williams has served as the band's only dedicated guitarist, as he also did from 1991 to 1999, and 2000 to 2016. In live performances, violinist Joe Deninzon serves as a second guitarist when the song being played contains little or no violin, as did his predecessor, David Ragsdale. Williams and Phil Ehart are the only two founding members of Kansas who have never left the band and have played on all Kansas albums. Among the son ...
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Seventh Key
Seventh Key is an American rock band formed by Mike Slamer of City Boy and Streets and Billy Greer of Streets and Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a .... They record and perform live during Greer's downtime from Kansas. The current lineup consists of Greer on bass and lead vocals, Slamer on guitar, bass, keyboards and drums (under the pseudonym "Chet Wynd"), Pat McDonald on drums, David Manion on keyboard, and Terry Brock on guitar and backing vocals. Jamie Thompson (2004) previously played drums, as well as guest appearances by Robby Steinhardt of Kansas on the violin (2005) and Johnny Greer on the mandolin (2005). Discography Studio albums *2001 - '' Seventh Key'' *2004 - ''The Raging Fire'' *2013 - ''I Will Survive'' Live albums *2005 - ''Live in ...
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Dust In The Wind
"Dust in the Wind" is a song recorded by American progressive rock band Kansas and written by band member Kerry Livgren, first released on their 1977 album '' Point of Know Return''. The song peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week of April 22, 1978, making it Kansas's only single to reach the top ten in the US. The 45-rpm single was certified Gold for sales of one million units by the RIAA shortly after the height of its popularity as a hit single. The song was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA on November 26, 2019, which makes it the second song by the band to reach platinum after " Carry on Wayward Son." Inspiration The title of the song is a Bible reference, paraphrasing Ecclesiastes: A meditation on mortality and the inevitability of death, the lyrical theme bears a striking resemblance to the biblical passages Genesis 3:19 ("...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.") and Ecclesiastes 3:20 ("All go to one place. All are from the dust, an ...
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Carry On Wayward Son
"Carry On Wayward Son" is a song by American rock band Kansas, released on their 1976 studio album, '' Leftoverture''. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band's first top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in early 1977. The song has since remained a classic rock radio staple and a signature song for the band. Background While Kansas' previous three albums had split songwriting duties between lead vocalist Steve Walsh and band member Kerry Livgren, the latter essentially provided all the material for the band's fourth album release, ''Leftoverture''. According to Livgren, "On the very first day of rehearsals, Stevesaid that he had nothing – not a single song. I don't relish that kind of pressure, but with hindsight it really brought out the best in me." Although based in Atlanta, Georgia, Kansas had returned to its Topeka, Kansas, home town to work up material for what would be the ''Leftoverture'' album, the band rehearsing in a va ...
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Album-oriented Rock
Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock. US radio stations dedicated to playing album tracks by rock artists from the hard rock and progressive rock genres initially established album-oriented radio. In the mid-1970s, AOR was characterized by a layered, mellifluous sound and sophisticated production with considerable dependence on melodic hooks. The AOR format achieved tremendous popularity in the late 1960s to the early 1980s through research and formal programming to create an album rock format with great commercial appeal. From the early 1980s onward, the abbreviation AOR transitioned from "album-oriented radio" to "album-oriented rock", meaning radio stations specialized in classic rock recorded during the late 1960s and 1970s. The term is also commonly conflated with " adult-or ...
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Rock Music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in rock and roll, a style that drew from the black musical genres of blues and rhythm and blues, as well as from country music. Rock also drew strongly from genres such as electric blues and folk music, folk, and incorporated influences from jazz and other styles. Rock is typically centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar, drum kit, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a Time signature, time signature and using a verse–chorus form; however, the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political. Rock was the most p ...
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Steve Morse
Steve J. Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist and songwriter. A seven-time Grammy nominee, he is best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the longest serving guitarist for Deep Purple. Morse also enjoyed a successful solo career and was a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s. Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors. Early life and education Steve Morse was born in Hamilton, Ohio. His family soon moved to Tennessee and then to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Morse spent his childhood. Although familiar with piano and clarinet, Morse ultimately became a guitarist. Morse worked briefly with his older brother Dave in a band called the Plague until the family moved to Augusta, Georgia. In the late 1960s, he played in a band called Three with his older brother and a junior high schoolmate, William Gerald (Jerry) Wooten, who played keyboards. The three performed at a local psychedelic youth club, the Glass Onion, and at ...
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John Elefante
John Elefante (born March 18, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. From 1981-1984, he was lead vocalist of the rock group Kansas and is currently touring with several groups that have featured members from classic rock bands. His credits include writing and singing lead vocals on three multi-platinum albums. He produced albums that have earned numerous GMA Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards (most recently in 2000), and ten Grammy nominations. He has maintained a close working relationship with his brother, Dino, co-writer of several Kansas songs. Early life He was born in Levittown, New York, and his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. He sang and played drums for his family band, The Brotherhood. 1981–1984: Kansas In late 1981, Elefante auditioned for his second band position, as the new lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas, after the departure of its co-founder Steve Walsh. The previous year, Kansas was one of the top-grossing con ...
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Steve Walsh (musician)
Steve Walsh (born June 15, 1951) is an American singer, musician and songwriter, best known for his work as a longtime member of the progressive rock band Kansas. He retired from the band in 2014. He sings lead on four of Kansas' best-known hits: " Carry On Wayward Son", " Dust in the Wind", " Point of Know Return", and " All I Wanted", the last two of which he co-wrote. Career Walsh was in a number of local Topeka groups prior to his joining Kansas, most notably the group White Clover that had reformed after its members had been in 2 earlier bands named Kansas that had split up. White Clover was signed to Don Kirshner's label and the band reverted to the name Kansas (the 3rd line up under this name). During Walsh's time with the band, Kansas recorded two commercially successful albums, 1976's '' Leftoverture'' and 1977's '' Point of Know Return''. With Kansas, Walsh has released 12 studio albums, six live albums, and numerous singles. He has released four solo albums th ...
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Robby Steinhardt
Robert Eugene Steinhardt (May 25, 1950 – July 17, 2021) was an American musician best known for his work with rock band Kansas, for which he was co-lead singer, violinist and MC along with keyboardist Steve Walsh, from 1973 to 1982 and from 1997 to 2006. He and Steve Walsh were the only original members of the band not from Topeka. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1950, Steinhardt grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and was the adopted son of Ilse and Milton Steinhardt. Milton Steinhardt was the director of music history at the University of Kansas. Robby started violin lessons at age eight and was classically trained. When his family traveled to Europe, the young Steinhardt played with some orchestras there. Steinhardt attended Lawrence High School and was the concertmaster during his high school years. Work with Kansas Steinhardt's violin sound, and its interplay with the guitar and keyboards, helped define the Kansas sound. His lead vocals provided a contrast to the high ...
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Dave Hope
Dave Hope (born October 7, 1949) is an American bass guitarist who played with the American progressive rock band Kansas from 1970 (original version) until the band's first split in 1983. When he was in high school, he played the tuba and trumpet in his high school band. In the 1970s, while he was in Kansas, he was known for his heavy drug use. However, in 1980, Hope became a born-again Christian and adopted a much cleaner lifestyle than before. After the band's split, Hope started the Christian band AD with Kerry Livgren, Michael Gleason, Warren Ham, and Dennis Holt. AD released two albums and toured from 1983 to 1986 before splitting up. In 1990, a German promoter decided to reunite the original Kansas band for a special European tour. Everyone but Robby Steinhardt returned. The band decided to tour America as the original lineup again, but Hope left the band prior to the tour. In 2000, the original lineup of Kansas reunited for the album '' Somewhere to Elsewhere''. Every ...
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Kerry Livgren
Kerry Allen Livgren (born September 18, 1949) is an American musician, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the American rock band Kansas. Livgren, raised in Topeka, Kansas, developed an early interest in music and songwriting. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he played in various bands, exploring spiritual themes in his lyrics. Livgren formed bands such as the Gimlets, Saratoga, and eventually Kansas. With Kansas, he achieved commercial success, writing hit songs like "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". In 1979, Livgren converted to Christianity, which influenced his subsequent work. He continued to work with Kansas, formed a new band called AD, and pursued a solo career. Livgren later formed a band called Proto-Kaw, which released new material until 2011. As the primary songwriter for Kansas, Livgren contributed to the band's worldwide success, with numerous Gold and multi-Platinum albums and over 14 million recordings sold. Biog ...
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