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Core American progressive rock band Kansas rose to fame during the mid 1970s selling out large arenas and concert halls. Although often condemned by music critics, the band proved to be one of the most popular of their era while their hits continue to receive generous radio airplay today.

Kansas’s career experienced numerous lineup changes throughout the years as well as name changes. The Reasons Why was formed in 1969 and included members Lynn Meredith (vocals), Don Montre (keyboards), Dan Wright (keyboards), and Kerry Livgren (guitar). When Scott Kessler (bass) Continued...

and Zeke Lowe (drums) joined the band, their name was changed to Saratoga. In 1970, the band renamed themselves Kansas after their hometown of Topeka, Kansas. The new lineup included Dave Hope (bass), Phil Ehart (drums), Livgren, Meredith, Montre, Wright, and Larry Baker (saxophone). Ehart departed from the band in 1971 and was replaced by the previous drummer Lowe. Hope and Baker, who also split, were replaced by Rod Mikinski and John Bolton respectively. Ehart and Hope formed their own group, White Clover, along with Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals), Steve Walsh (keyboards, vocals), and Rich Williams (guitar) further switching their name to Kansas when united by Livgren (the previous version of Kansas had parted).

The newly formed Kansas soon received a record deal with Don Kirshner’s label. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1974 featuring material written mostly by Livgren and Walsh. Both the first album, and the second, Songs for America, were moderately successful, yet the group continued to tour heavily promoting their music. Their third release Masque in 1975 began to experience greater sales, however it was the single “Carry on Wayward Son” from the 1976 album Leftoverture which sparked their rise to fame. Point of Know Return followed a year later generating hits “Dust in the Wind” and the title track. The album proved to be an even bigger success than the previous album selling over four million copies solely in the US. Their self-produced album, Monolith was issued in 1979 performing well on the album charts in the number ten position, however failed to produce any hit singles.

The 1980s brought about significant changes to the band as Hope and Livgren both became born-again Christians which was greatly evident in the lyrics on the Audio-Visions album. Due to the changing musical content, Walsh no longer felt aligned with the group eventually leaving to form his new band Streets. Walsh was replaced by Elefante, a fellow born-again Christian. Vinyl Confessions was released in 1982 which featured the top twenty hit “Play the Game Tonight”. Steinhardt also grew tired of the band’s Christian affiliation causing him to split at the end of their 1982 tour. Following the release of Drastic Measures in 1983, the band split up until the reformation in 1986.

Walsh revived the Kansas name in 1986 along with Ehart, Williams and new members Billy Greer (bass), and Steve Morse (guitar). The group released Power which received some praise due to the hit single “All I Wanted”. 1988’s In the Spirit of Things failed to gain any commercial success causing Morse to quit at the end of their tour. From 1992 to 1997 the lineup consisted of Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale, Robert Williams, and Walsh. During the five years they issued one live album, Live at the Whiskey in 1992, and one studio album, Freaks of Nature in 1995. In 1997 Steinhardt returned upon the departure of Robert and Ragsdale for the recording of Always Never the Same. The 1970s original Kansas lineup along with Greer reunited to release Somewhere to Elsewhere in 2000.
The second original lineup otherwise known as Kansas II regrouped under the name Proto-Kaw and has released several albums since.