Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son Kansas is an American
rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on
album-oriented rock charts and later with
hit singles such as "
Carry On Wayward Son" and "
Dust in the Wind".
[4] The band has produced eight gold albums, three multi-platinum albums (
Leftoverture,
Point of Know Return,
The Best of Kansas), one platinum live album (
Two for the Show) and a million-selling single, "
Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the 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.
[5]1970–73: Early yearsIn 1969
Lynn Meredith, Don Montre,
Dan Wright and
Kerry Livgren (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers) were performing in a band called The Reasons Why in their hometown of
Topeka, Kansas. After changing the band's name to Saratoga, they started playing Livgren's original material with Scott Kessler playing bass and Zeke Lowe on drums.
In 1970 they changed the band's name to Kansas and merged with members of rival Topeka
progressive rock group White Clover. White Clover members
Dave Hope (bass) and
Phil Ehart (drums, percussion) joined with Livgren, vocalists Meredith and Greg Allen, keyboardists Montre and Wright and saxophonist Larry Baker.
[4] This early Kansas group, which lasted until 1971 when Ehart, Hope and some of the others left to reform White Clover, is sometimes referred to as Kansas I.
Ehart was replaced by Zeke Lowe and later Brad Schulz, Hope was replaced by Rod Mikinski on bass, and Baker was replaced by John Bolton on saxophone and flute. (This lineup is sometimes referred to as Kansas II, and 30 years later would re-form under the name
Proto-Kaw).
In 1972, after Ehart returned from England (where he had gone to look for other musicians), he and Hope once again reformed White Clover with
Robby Steinhardt (vocals, violin, viola, cello),
Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion) and
Rich Williams (guitars). In 1973 they recruited Livgren from the second Kansas group, which then folded.
[6] Eventually they received a
recording contract with
Don Kirshner's eponymous label, after Kirshner's assistant,
Wally Gold, heard one of their demo tapes and came out to check out the band at one of their local gigs in March 1973. After signing with Kirshner, the group decided to adopt the Kansas name.
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