Whatever Happened to the Band Kansas? The Rockers Are Still Going Strong Thanks to ‘Supernatural’

Kansas, l-r: Rich Williams, David Ragsdale, Billy Greer, Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart, Greg Robert, ca. 1980s — Everett Collection

What To Know

Kansas, known for hits like “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” has continued to release new music and tour.
The band’s signature song gained renewed popularity through its association with the TV show Supernatural.
While original members Rich Williams and Phil Ehart remain involved.

If you grew up hearing “Carry on Wayward Son” on classic rock radio, Kansas may still be a part of your weekly rotation of nostalgic music. Although they sometimes feel stuck in the ’70s, the band released a new album as recently as 2020 and is about to head out on tour. After more than 50 years of lineup changes, health setbacks, reunions, and farewell moments for longtime members, let’s find out what happened to Kansas and learn more about their upcoming tour.

Kansas formed in Topeka, Kansas, in the early ’70s and broke through with a unique sound. They added the violin, keyboards, and long, dramatic arrangements to many of their songs, which made them stand apart from many of their arena rock peers of the time. The classic lineup included Phil Ehart, Rich Williams, Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Steve Walsh, and Robby Steinhardt, and that version of the band helped define their most famous era.

Richard Williams, Tom Brislin, Ronnie Platt, Joe Deninzon and Billy Greer of the band Kansas perform at the Ryman Auditorium on August 19, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Their big breakthrough came with Leftoverture, released in 1976, which included “Carry On Wayward Son.” The song became one of the band’s signature hits and helped turn Kansas into a major live act. A year later, Point of Know Return gave them another lasting classic with “Dust in the Wind” and became one of their most recognizable recordings.

Like many long-running bands, Kansas went through plenty of changes after its peak commercial years. Walsh left in the early ’80s, John Elefante came in as lead vocalist, and Livgren and Hope eventually left as well. The band disbanded for a time in the mid-’80s, then returned with Ehart, Williams, Walsh, bassist Billy Greer, and guitarist Steve Morse. Steinhardt, whose violin and voice were such a major part of the classic Kansas sound, died in 2021 at age 71.

Kansas, l-r: David Ragsdale, Billy Greer, Phil Ehart, Rich Williams, Steve Walsh, ca. 1980s.

Everett Collection

The band has continued releasing music in the modern era, including The Prelude Implicit in 2016 and The Absence of Presence in 2020. They also marked their 50th anniversary with the 2022 compilation Another Fork in the Road: 50 Years of Kansas, which looked back on the band’s long catalog.

Kansas became deeply tied to the TV show Supernatural because of the song “Carry On Wayward Son,” which became the unofficial anthem of the series and its fandom. It introduced the band to a new legion of fans and gave the 1976 classic tune a whole new cultural life. During a Zoom meeting between the cast and the band, Kansas bassist Billy Greer said: “It was really strange, a few years ago all these young girls started showing up at Kansas shows, and we didn’t know what was going on. I said, ‘How are you a fan of this band? You’re too young to really, you know…’ They said, ‘No, we know about you from Supernatural… they play your song on there.” Singer Ronnie Platt thanked the cast for “restoring our faith in the youth of America.”

The current version of Kansas looks very different from the classic ’70s lineup, but it still has direct ties to the band’s history. Original guitarist Rich Williams remains an active member, though he has started scaling back touring because of macular degeneration, which has made travel more difficult. Original drummer Phil Ehart also remains part of Kansas. Still, he stepped away from live drumming after suffering a major heart attack, with Eric Holmquist performing on drums while Ehart continues to recover.

Rock band Kansas performs onstage at the "Supernatural" panel during Comic-Con International 2017 at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2017 in San Diego, California

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The band’s current performing lineup includes Ronnie Platt on lead vocals and keyboards, Tom Brislin on keyboards and vocals, Zak Rizvi on guitar, Joe Deninzon on violin and guitar, Dan McGowan on bass and vocals, and Scott Bernard on guitar and vocals. Bernard officially joined Kansas full-time in 2025 after filling in for Williams at several shows, while McGowan succeeded longtime bassist Billy Greer, who retired after nearly 40 years with the band. Even with all of those changes, Kansas remains busy on the road. Their official 2026 tour schedule includes solo dates, co-headlining shows with 38 Special, and a run with Deep Purple in the United States and Canada.

Will you be attending one of their upcoming shows?