With a legendary career spanning five decades, KANSAS has firmly established itself as one of America’s iconic classic rock bands. This “garage band” from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 after being discovered by Wally Gold, who worked for Don Kirshner, and have gone on to sell more than 30 million albums worldwide.
Composing a catalogue that includes sixteen studio albums and five live albums, KANSAS has produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-Platinum albums (Left overture, Point of Know Return, Best of KANSAS), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), one quadruple-Platinum single ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ and another triple-Platinum single ‘Dust in the Wind.’ KANSAS appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the ‘70’sand ‘80’s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ continues to be one of the top five most played songs on classic rock radio, and ‘Dust In the Wind’ has been played on the radio more than three million times!
The summer of 2020 marked the release of “The Absence of Presence,” KANSAS’s sixteenth studio album, which debuted at #10 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart. The wide-ranging progressive rock album, released by Inside Out Music, follows-up 2016’s “The Prelude Implicit,” which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. Throughout 2016-2022, the band celebrated the anniversaries of multi-Platinum breakout albums “Left overture” and “Point of K now Return” with anniversary tours for both albums. Both tours were commemorated with live album releases “Left overture Live & Beyond” (2017) & “Point of Know Return Live & Beyond” (2021)
The band is currently comprised of original guitarist Richard Williams, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, guitarist Zak Rizvi, violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, bassist/vocalist Dan McGowan, and original drummer Phil Ehart. Drummer Eric Holmquist is currently performing on drums while Phil Ehart continues to recover from a major heart attack. With no signs of slowing down, KANSAS continues to perform in front of large and enthusiastic audiences.
Along with constant touring, KANSAS continues to remain a fixture of Classic Rock radio and popular culture. The band continues to reach a whole new audience through their unmistakable presence in various commercials, live sports broadcasts, popular video games Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Grand Theft Auto; the band’s documentary film “KANSAS: Miracles Out of Nowhere,” and a guest appearance on The CW’s television show ‘Walker.’ The band’s songs have also been included in various television shows such as ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Reacher,’ ‘All Elite Wrestling,’ ‘South Park,’ ‘The Office,’ and ‘The Simpsons;’ as well as blockbuster films including ‘Old School,’ ‘The Suicide Squad,’ ‘Anchorman,’ ‘Pitch Perfect,’ and ‘Happy Gilmore.
About Jefferson Starship:
Jefferson Starship is one of the most successful arena rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s, earning 3platinum and 8 gold records, as well as numerous Top 40 Billboard singles. As they celebrate their 50thanniversary, the band reaches a rare milestone that only a few bands ever achieve. Founded by Paul Kantner in the ’70s, Jefferson Starship was conceived as a collective of musical adventurers contributing to his epic concept albums and eventual catalog of rock classics. When the current lineup came together in 2012, with many members having joined years earlier, Kantner couldn’t have predicted the band would become the road-conquering force they are today. The five members of Jefferson Starship often describe themselves as both a “family” and a “gang,” and this sense of camaraderie shines through in their performances. Over the years, they’ve played in all 50 U.S. states, five continents, and countless countries. A recent tour of New Zealand was noted as one of the band’s favorites, and their live shows continue to offer anon-stop mix of rock hits. The band’s current lineup includes original member David Freiberg, drummer Donny Baldwin (who first joined in 1982), keyboardist Chris Smith (who joined in 1998), guitarist Jude Gold (who joined in 2012), and singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson (who joined in 2008 after Kantner saw her perform with Big Brother and the Holding Company).As Jefferson Starship celebrates its 50th anniversary, the band reflects on the legacy of Paul Kantner, who passed away in 2016. The spirit of exploration and adventure he instilled in the band lives on in their music and performances. As Gold puts it, “Tome, that ‘Paul Kantner thing’—getting on a rocket ship and blasting off into the unknown—is the very essence of Jefferson Starship. And that spirit is very much alive in the band today.”
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