Kerry Livgren

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Kerry Livgren (born September 18, 1949) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and primary writers for the 1970s progressive rock band, Kansas.

Livgren was a member of numerous bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including two bands carrying the name Kansas. Shortly after the dissolution of the second Kansas band in 1973, Livgren joined White Clover, a band that also included vocalist Steve Walsh and violinist Robby Steinhardt. They soon renamed themselves Kansas, becoming the third band to use this name - and the ones who would make it famous. Livgren penned Kansas's hits "Carry On Wayward Son" (#11) and "Dust in the Wind" (#6) as well as a large portion of their most well-known songs.

Livgren quickly developed a reputation for complex compositions and poetic lyrics that explored spiritual themes. His investigations into various religions are reflected in the lyrics of his songs on Kansas' first six albums. He explored themes such as reincarnation, astral travel, apparitions, and human frailty, among others.

In the late 1970s, Livgren became involved with The Urantia Book, a series of papers that claim to be a revelation authored by supernatural beings, and its influence can be felt in the lyrics of Kansas's 1979 Monolith album (#10). Livgren subsequently rejected Urantia doctrine. While on tour with the band in support of Monolith, Livgren converted to Christianity as a result of a series of debates with Jeff Pollard of Louisiana's Le Roux, an opening act for Kansas during the tour. The discussions between Livgren and Pollard concerned whether the Bible or The Urantia Book was the accurate record of the life of Jesus Christ. Because of the debates, Livgren became convinced that the Bible was the genuine record of Christ and that he had been mistaken in following the teachings of The Urantia Book.

Livgren recorded three more albums with Kansas, but increased dissatisfaction with the band's musical direction (at least in part due to his newfound faith) led to Livgren's exit from Kansas in 1983 and the formation of a new Christian rock band called AD with Dave Hope, Warren Ham, Michael Gleason, and drummer Dennis Holt.

In 1980, both Livgren and Walsh released solo albums. Livgren's album, Seeds of Change, featured several members of Kansas, along with Ambrosia singer David Pack and noted heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, who sang on the tracks "To Live For The King" and "Mask Of The Great Deceiver." Dio, who was between stints as singer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Black Sabbath, later proved somewhat controversial among Livgren's evangelical Christian fans, as Sabbath and Dio were erroneously perceived as "satanic." Dio said in an interview that he did not consider the album to be a "Christian" album, and performed as a favor to Livgren. After Dio left Black Sabbath in 1983, he said in a summer 1983 interview in Hit Parader magazine that he had considered working with Livgren again.

Livgren's keyboard and guitar playing can also be heard on the 2nd Chapter of Acts albums Rejoice (1981), Singer Sower (1983), and "Night Light" (1985).

AD released three albums, Time Line, Art Of the State, and Reconstructions. In 1988, Prime Mover, a collection of previously unreleased AD songs recorded by Livgren and Ham, was released.

In 1983, Livgren published his autobiography (co-written by Kenneth Boa), Seeds of Change: The Spiritual Quest of Kerry Livgren. A revised and expanded edition was released in 1991.

Livgren has continued to appear occasionally with Kansas on various tours in the 1990s to the present, and contributed new songs to Kansas's 1990 Box Set ("Wheels"), and 1995 release Freaks of Nature ("Cold Grey Morning") and . In 2000, the original and current members of Kansas reunited at Livgren's studio to record a new album written entirely by Livgren, entitled Somewhere to Elsewhere. Somewhere to Elsewhere's sales were not comparable to past successes, which were notable. During Livgren's time with Kansas, the band produced eight gold albums, one platinum album, two triple platinum albums, one platinum live album, and a one million-selling gold single, "Dust in the Wind," according to the Kansas State Historical Society. The platinum record awarded to Livgren for the Kansas album Monolith hangs in the Kansas Museum of History.

Following the 2003 album release of early material from the 1971-73 (pre-White Clover) Kansas lineup (which included members Livgren, Lynn Meredith, Dan Wright, John Bolton, Don Montre, Rod Mikinski, and Brad Schulz), the band reformed under the new name Proto-Kaw and released Before Became After in 2004. They released their second album, The Wait of Glory, on January 31, 2006.