Profile of Kerry Livgren on Famous Like Me

Kerry Livgren (born September 18, 1949) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and primary writers for the 1970s supergroup, 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' hits Carry On Wayward Son and Dust In The Wind as well as a large portion of their most well-known songs.

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' 1979 Monolith album. While on tour with the band in support of that album, Livgren converted to Christianity. He would record three more albums with Kansas, but increasing dissatisfaction with the band's musical direction (at least in part due to his new found faith) led to Livgren's exit from Kansas in 1983 and the formation of a new band called AD with Dave Hope, Warren Ham, Michael Gleason and drummer Dennis Holt.

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

Livgren continued to appear occasionally with Kansas on various tours in the 1990s, and contributed new songs to the Kansas' 1994 Box Set and 1995 release Freaks of Nature. In 2000, the original members of Kansas reunited at Livgren's studio to record a new album written entirely by Livgren, entitled Somewhere to Elsewhere.

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. Proto-Kaw is currently touring and preparing to release their second studio album.

Discography (see also Kansas)

• Kerry Livgren Seeds of Change, 1980
• AD Time Line, 1984
• AD Art of the State, 1985
• AD Reconstructions, 1986
• Kerry Livgren Prime Mover, 1988
• Kerry Livgren One of Several Possible Musiks, 1989
• Kerry Livgren Decade, 1992
• Kerry Livgren and Corps de Pneuma When Things Get Electric, 1995
• Kerry Livgren Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye (soundtrack), 1996
• Kerry Livgren Prime Mover II, 1998
• AD AD Live, 1998
• Kerry Livgren Collector's Sedition, Vol. 1, 2000
• Kerry Livgren Best of Kerry Livgren, 2002
• Proto-Kaw Early Recordings from Kansas 1971-73, 2003
• Proto-Kaw Before Became After, 2004

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