Kerry Livgren Net Worth

What is Kerry Livgren's Net Worth?

Kerry Livgren is an American musician and songwriter who has a net worth of $10 million. Kerry Livgren is best known as one of the founding members of the rock band Kansas, with which he recorded the hit 1970s songs "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind." He has also released albums as a solo artist and with his bands AD and Proto-Kaw.

Early Life and Education

Kerry Livgren was born on September 18, 1949 in Topeka, Kansas as the first son of Betty and Allen. He got into music at an early age, building his own electric guitar and beginning to write songs. After graduating from Topeka West High School in 1967, Livgren attended Washburn University but did not graduate.

First Bands

During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Livgren formed and played in a number of bands. His first band was the Gimlets, which he formed with some of his high school friends. The band performed original compositions in venues throughout Kansas and in neighboring Missouri. After the Gimlets, Livgren joined the mostly black R&B band the Mellotones. Along with that band's keyboardist Don Montre, Livgren went on to join the group the Reasons Why. However, the two soon left that group and briefly reestablished the Gimlets, which was then renamed Saratoga.

(Photo by Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.)

Kansas

In 1970, Livgren and Saratoga drummer Phil Ehart formed a new band called Kansas with members from Saratoga and Ehart's band White Clover. This Kansas lineup, however, lasted for just a year. Another lineup was formed after that, lasting until 1973. Livgren subsequently joined Ehart in the re-formed White Clover, which soon began using the name Kansas after signing with Don Kirshner's eponymous record label. Consisting of Livgren, Ehart, Dave Hope, Rich Williams, Steve Walsh, and Robby Steinhardt, the new Kansas released its self-titled debut album in March of 1974. That was followed by the albums "Song for America" and "Masque," both released in 1975.

Kansas had its commercial breakthrough with its fourth album, "Leftoverture," which came out in 1976. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Livgren-penned hit "Carry On Wayward Son," which became one of Kansas's signature songs. Kansas continued its success with its next album, 1977's "Point of Know Return," which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and launched the band's highest-charting single, "Dust in the Wind." In 1979, Kansas released the album "Monolith," which was heavily influenced by Livgren's recent conversion to evangelical Christianity. It was another top-ten hit for the band.

Livgren recorded three more albums with Kansas — "Audio-Visions," "Vinyl Confessions," and "Drastic Measures" — before leaving in 1983 amid rising tensions and disagreements about the group's increasingly Christian bent. He would later return to the band on occasion for live tour appearances in the 1990s. At the end of that decade, the original Kansas lineup recorded its first studio album in almost 20 years, entitled "Somewhere to Elsewhere." The album was released in the summer of 2000 to strong reviews but disappointing sales. Livgren later made a guest appearance on Kansas's 2009 live album "There's Know Place Like Home."

AD

After leaving Kansas, Livgren formed the Christian rock band AD with fellow former Kansas member Dave Hope as well as Warren Ham, Michael Gleason, and Dennis Holt. The band was featured on Livgren's 1984 album "Time Line," and in 1985 released the album "Art of the State." Following the release of "Reconstructions" in 1986, AD unofficially dissolved amid financial issues. The band's final album, "Prime Mover," came out in 1988.

Proto-Kaw

In 2002, Cuneiform Records released a collection of material that had been recorded by the second Kansas lineup in the early 1970s. The release credited the band under the name Proto-Kaw. After this, the band re-formed using that name and released the album "Before Became After" in 2004. Proto-Kaw went on to release "The Wait of Glory" in early 2006. The group's next album, "Forth," came out in 2011.

Solo Work

In 1980, while still a member of Kansas, Livgren released his first solo album, "Seeds of Change." His follow-up, "Time Line," featured his new band AD. In 1989, Livgren released his first all-instrumental album, entitled "One of Several Possible Musiks." The next decade, he moved back to his hometown of Topeka and set up Numavox Records and the production company Grandyzine. On his new label, Livgren released the solo album "When Things Get Electric." Later, in the early 2020s, he released "Cantata: The Resurrection Lazarus" and "Q.A.R.," both on his label.

Personal Life

In 1983, Livgren published his autobiography "Seeds of Change: The Spiritual Quest of Kerry Livgren," which he co-wrote with Kenneth Boa.

In 2009, Livgren suffered a stroke and underwent surgery. He eventually recovered.

Who's Richer?

Kerry
Livgren

Compare!

Steve
Walsh