As I write this article, I am almost certain that “Carry On My Wayward Son” is playing on the radio somewhere in the world. Simultaneously, “Dust In The Wind” must also be playing somewhere in the world. And those two songs — featured on 1976’s Leftoverure and 1977’s Point Of Know Return, respectively — are only two of the dozens of hit singles that Kansas has brought unto the world since signing their first record deal in 1973.
Earlier this year, Kansas released their first-ever documentary, Miracles Out Of Nowhere. Miracles — which featured Garth Brooks, Queen’s Brian May, Pearl Jam producer Brendan O’Brien and Rolling Stone‘s David Wild talking about the band’s influence on them — told the little-known story of how a six musicians from small-town Kansas grew from a struggling local band into international superstars. But unlike most rock documentaries, Miracles ends with the group at their peak, never delving into the changes that occurred for Kansas in the 1980s.
As set up with J.R. Rees from Kansas’ management team, I had the opportunity to talk with Kansas guitarist Richard Williams, one of two band members to appear on all of the band’s albums. Richard — who directly answered my call with “this is Rich” — and the rest of Kansas will be making two appearances with the New York metropolitan area this month: October 9th at Westchester’s Tarrytown Music Hall and October 10th at Long Island’s Patchogue Theater.
For those unable to make it to those gigs, Kansas is also scheduled to perform locally in 2016. Already confirmed are gigs at Staten Island’s St. George Theater on April 9th and New Jersey’s Bergen Performing Arts Center on April 30th. After getting Rich’s “last words” during our chat, I asked about the likelihood of a proper New York City gig — the most recent Manhattan appearance was last April at the Concert Hall at the Ethical Cultural Center — which he did his best to answer.
Photo by Mark Schierholz
I really enjoyed the Miracles Out Of Nowhere documentary. Something that I enjoyed about it was that it defied most rock documentary story arcs, where they go from the highs to the lows to the highs to the legacy and so forth. Was this the intention of the band to do a documentary that had a different sort of arc to it?
Richard Williams: Well, yes, for many reasons. With a bunch of guys in bands, “they do bad things, they do stupid stuff, insert band name and it happened.” How many times do we have to hear the same story over and over again? Naughty boys doing naughty things, it’s kind of boring. And it really doesn’t have anything to do with our band — a band makes music, it was about the music of Kansas and how all that happened. Not about everybody just being naughty. And then part two of that was, some of the guys haven’t been in the band for 30 years, they have other lives. They really weren’t interested in airing all of their indiscretions for the world to see, they have families and children. We weren’t interested unless everyone was on-board and it wasn’t going to be a Behind The Music exposé of all our shortcomings…So we’ve always been about the music, and the other stuff has just been background noise and a distraction to that. Once it was understood by all that this is going to be our goals, an inspirational story of us coming from the Midwest.
You said earlier that Kansas has always been all about the music. Was that always the intention, where the band members didn’t wan’t a lot known about their personalities and such?
R: It wasn’t a conscious effort, it was just kind of the way we are. I don’t walk in and go, “Richard Williams from Kansas is here.” Fame was never a goal and was probably the least comfortable part of doing what we do. I’m just a guitar player, I love to play with these guys, I get to travel and play music, it’s fun. That’s just kind of an unfortunate consequence.
So there’s nothing that you wish more people knew about you, like your favorite football team or band?
R: No, not really. I’m just not…I just get up and go about my day. I don’t feel misunderstood…To be put on a pedestal in any way, some people really thrive on that…
Was there a person or band that especially inspired you to not be about the fame?
R: No, living with Midwestern values, I’m loyal to what I do. It’s more of my upbringing than anything, I think. My dad went to work for a company, went to war, came back from the war, went back to work for the company, retired from the company, [he was] married to one woman, even in his retirement he’d been loyal to the company he’d been with for all those years. This is what I do, and so I just go do it. I guess it’s a different mindset, the grass has never been greener for me anywhere else. I’ve found my profession, I enjoy in what I do and I understand how lucky I am to get to do this, and I’m grateful for it. It’s not about me…The examples you’re looking for in a band, it didn’t really come from that, it came from where I grew up.
That makes sense. So if it’s not about the fame and it’s about the music, does Kansas not being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ever bother you?
R: Every year it comes around [and the list of inductees comes out], it’s like, “Wow, really? Seriously?” It’s not so much for that we’re not in it but for some of the choices they do make a lot of times. It’d be great, I’d be honored, but we’re in really good company. Deep Purple’s not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I mean, are you kidding me? That makes no sense to me.
Sure, there’s a long list. Cheap Trick…
R: Oh yeah, we’re in very good company. For my children, for the fans, for our legacy, for my daughter who one day takes her unborn child and shows what their grandfather did, that means something to me. I would be honored…but I don’t require it, it’s not something I’d need to feel better about myself. We’ve done this for 43 years now, I’m quite aware and grateful that our foot’s in the door and we’ve made a mark. I’m good with that.
Looking ahead, I hear that Kansas will have a new album out in 2016…
R: We start recording in January and February.
So the plan is to have it released before the end of 2016?
R: A Fall [2016] release.
I know you haven’t recorded it yet, but is it intended to be more of a classic sound? Or are you trying to go in a different direction in any way?
R: No, we are what we are. We’d be foolish to try and be something other than that.
Although you are who you are, are there any artists today who might have inspired Kansas?
R: In listening, we just become influenced by different production ideas and different approaches to things, you just kind of by osmosis absorb some of these things. But at the end of the day, I play the way I play.
Given all of the changes there have been in the music business over the years, if someone in your family wanted to pursue a career in music, is that something that you would encourage?
R: Well, sure. It can keep you out of trouble, it can get you into a lot of trouble, too. It occupies a lot of time. You can’t just buy a guitar and be a guitar player, you have to dedicate a lot of time and energy into doing that. It’s good for the soul in every way. You learn how to be part of a team and you learn how to work together with people and you get to travel. People need to see beyond their own boundaries. You see people from a little town that never leave it, and the world is very small to them. Travel is good, it makes you more well-rounded and appreciate the differences in people and places. I have nothing but good things to say about playing music and being in a band. Of course you have to watch out for a lot of pitfalls. I’ve been around the block, and I’d tried to drink every town I’ve been in dry until that didn’t work for me anymore. But I learned a lot in the process about me, about life, and about other things. At this stage in my life and in our career, I can just look at where I stand today and look back at this trail and a lot of debris and it makes sense. I’m very happy with where I’m at now, and it needed all of that to get me here.
So looking back at the tough times you had, including the bad contract with Don Kirshner, it was all worth it to get here?
R: Absolutely.
I’m glad to hear you say that. So finally, Rich, any last words for the kids?
R: Don’t be a jerk. If you want to be in a band, leave your attitude at the door, leave your ego behind. Make music with your friends, surround yourself with people like that and you will have a tremendous experience. You might get lucky and actually make a living at it, but if you don’t, you will have had experience that will last a lifetime…The odds are that this isn’t going to work out for you, a lot of luck got me here, but I’m a firm believer that you make your own luck, too. Determined to do what we do, you take the next step and the next step and the next step. Suddenly it’s 43 years later and you look behind and go, “Wow, this been a long ride.” You keep moving forward.
Hopefully we’ll see a New York City gig from Kansas soon. Any idea when there will be one?
R: I’m leaving tomorrow for Panama City, Florida and that’s about as far ahead as we look. (laughs)
-by Darren Paltrowitz
