Born September 18, 1949, in Topeka, Kansas; guitarist and keyboard player for Kansas, probably my all-time favorite rock band. Even today, their music still sounds fresh, exciting, and inspirational, due in large part to the songwriting and musical ability of Kerry Livgren.
The Gimlets I
Kerry Livgren - guitar Timothy Scott Strauss - guitar Karl Geiss - Scott Kessler - bass John Pribble - drums
The Gimlets II (1967 - 1969)
Kerry Livgren - guitar Timothy Scott Strauss - guitar Karl Geiss - Scott Kessler - bass Dan Wright - organ Carl Corona - drums
The Gimlets III
Kerry Livgren - guitar Karl Geiss - Scott Kessler - bass Dan Wright - organ Carl Corona - drums
The Mellotones
Kerry Livgren - guitar Don Montre - keyboards Others?
The Reasons Why
Kerry Livgren - guitar Don Montre - keyboards Others?
Saratoga
Kerry Livgren - guitar Don Montre - keyboards Scott Kessler - bass Dan Wright - keyboards Zeke Low - drums
Kansas I (1970)
Kansas II (1971 - 1973)
White Clover III (1973 - 1974)
Kansas III (1974 - 1981)
Kansas IV (1981 - 1983)
AD(1983 - 1984)
Kerry Livgren - guitar/keyboards Dave Hope - bass - b. October 7, 1949, Kansas; formerly with Plain Jane and Kansas. Dennis Holt - drums Warren Ham - vocals/woodwinds - former member of Bloodrock. Michael Gleason - vocals/keyboards
Albums: "Art of the State" (1983) "Time Line" (1984) Following AD, Dave Hope becomes youth minister in a church in Destin, Florida.
Solo Albums:
"Seeds of Change" (1980) "Reconstructions" (1986) (out-of-print, but reissued in 1998...see below) "Prime Mover" (1988) (out-of-print; reissued in 1998 with 5 new tracks) "One of Several Possible Musiks" (1989) "When Things Get Electric" (1994) "Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye" (1997) "Reconstructions Reconstructed" (1998) - reissue of the 1986 album. "Prime Mover II" (1998) - reissue of 1988 album, with 5 new tracks. "Collector's Sedition Vol. 1" (2000)
Compilations:
"Decade" (2-CDs) (out-of-print)
Recommendations:
Kerry Livgren is a great songwriter, and extremely talented musician overall. And he can really wail on guitar...if you have any doubts, just listen to any of the stuff he recorded with Kansas. Livgren's 1989 album "One of Several Possible Musiks" is all-instrumental and very nice. My personal favorite is "When Things Get Electric" released in 1994.
Kerry's book (co-authored with Kenneth Boa) "Seeds of Change" (1983, Crossway Books, Westchester, Illinois) is the story of his quest for truth, culminating in his finding God and becoming a Christian. It is inspirational and contains a lot of information about his years with Kansas, including some nice photos. This is a must-have for any Kansas fan.