I
just got word that original Kansas violinist Robby Steinhardt has
passed away. He was 71 years old. People probably don't think about the
violin as an instrument in rock music, but Robby probably did more to
change that perception than anyone. The sound of Kansas was
unmistakable. The violin set Kansas apart from any other band and played
a big role in helping take them to stardom. It still boggles my mind
that this band hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet.
One
of the first albums I bought as a kid was Point Of Know Return. Who can
forget Dust In The Wind? It's not only one of the greatest songs a rock
band has ever recorded, it's something that's part of pop culture for
the ages. Robby's violin solo set the song apart, and he also did
backing vocals. Throughout the first seven albums of the band, he got to
sing lead vocals on several songs. He helped give this band an edge.
I
can remember thinking about the album cover of Point Of Know Return and
the song Dust In The Wind, but I devoured the music. When I saw the
picture of the long haired guy with the beard, I was mesmerized.
Steinhardt was always my favorite member of this band. He sang lead
vocals on maybe Kansas's hardest rocking song during the classic run of
the band, Lightning's Hand. I understand his favorite song in which he
sang lead vocals was Miracles Out Of Nowhere, which was certainly a good
song.
Some of my favorite songs featured him
either doing lead vocals or sharing the lead vocals with iconic lead
singer Steve Walsh. I loved All The World, which is still one of my
all-time favorites from the band. Sparks Of The Tempest, Apercu, Child
Of Innocence, Down The Road, Hopelessly Human. I'm getting a bit choked
up thinking about Robby and what his role in Kansas meant to me as a
fan. Listen to his violin work on songs like Chasing Shadows, The
Pinnacle and Nobody's Home, but he could also rock out, as evidenced
with songs like Apercu, Down The Road and Bringing it Back.
As
with any band, tensions heat up and the dynamic changes when somebody
leaves. The band was in the midst of recording what became their eighth
studio album, Vinyl Confessions. In fact, the album was pretty much
recorded when Walsh decided it was time to leave. He didn't like the
religious message lyricist Kerry Livgren was putting in the music. As
the lead singer, he felt he would be seen as preaching to the fans.
Steinhardt tried the soldier forward and did the original lead vocals
for Crossfire, though the John Elefante version is what we eventually
got.
Truthfully, you could see his role
diminishing in the band after Point Of Know Return. Yes, he still had a
vocal presence and his violin was present, but his lead singing
opportunities dwindled. I think he lost interest in the band after Walsh
left, and he sort of unceremoniously walked away at the end of the
Vinyl Confessions tour. We didn't hear much from Robby for a long time,
and the band became much different without his presence.
They
went through the remainder of the 1980s without a violinist before
David Ragsdale convinced them they needed to bring it back in the 1990s.
Ragsdale is certainly a fine violinist and has done a good job of
carrying on the legacy of this band that Robby helped create.
We
probably wouldn't have heard anything from him, but the band dynamics
of Kansas changed again when Ragsdale left at the end of the Freaks Of
Nature tour. When Phil Ehart wanted to revisit the classic hits with a
studio album recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, he got an
idea. He had seen Steinhardt perform with the band Steinhardt-Moon, and
he sounded great. Phil was able to convince him to come back, and they
recorded Always Never The Same. It's all the classic songs with a few
new ones, and you get the London Symphony Orchestra.
Though
Steve Walsh had the passion and still sang as hard as ever, his voice
clearly wasn't what it was in the glory days. However, Robby sounded
like he did back then. I'm fortunate that I was able to see the band on
the Point Of Know Return 20th Anniversary Tour. Even more so, Robby's
manager Nick Fakouri was arranging for fans to get to meet him
backstage. I went to two shows one weekend and got to hang out with him,
talk for a moment and got autographs and pictures. It's truly a
treasured memory for me, moreso because I got to share it with my
sister, who has since passed on.
What Robby
was able to bring to the band was his stage presence. He was always the
guy who introduced the songs back in the glory days and bantered with
the crowd a little bit. This is the role he filled for the next decade
or so. Robby got to exercise his vocal chops on the last studio album
that featured all of the original members, Somewhere To Elsewhere.
Distant Vision is a song that stands out to me. However, Kansas was
touring pretty heavily. As the first decade of the 2000s was close to
winding down, you could see that the road was not agreeing with him.
Ultimately, he left again as Ragsdale rejoined the band.
I
think there were certain members of the band who were hurt by his
departure and maybe even felt he was abandoning them. I remember reading
a few things, but it's not worthy of getting into the details. The
bottom line was Robby's health wasn't so good. I do believe he would
have been ready to get back up on stage with the guys for the 40th
Anniversary Show they had planned, but there was bad news. He suffered a
stroke and was unable to be there. Much like Livgren when he had a
similar health issue, Steinhardt battled back.
You
could tell that he still had the passion to be involved in music, and
he was hanging out with the guys of Stormbringer and occasionally
playing and singing with them. At first, you could tell he was still
suffering the effects of the stroke, and it was a bit sad to watch. What
it did illustrate, however, was his desire to do what he loved to do
and his determination to get better. Gradually, you could see him
getting healthier and stronger. He was again playing the violin and
singing, and I'm sure the fans who came to see him in Florida and
surrounding states enjoyed his performances.
By
all accounts, Robby was one of the nicest guys you would want to meet.
He was friendly and outgoing as a person. I can only go by my
interaction with him. When he came back to the band, you could tell he
was happy to be there again. I was not aware that his health was in
decline again, and I don't have all the details. I understand he was
even recording new music again, which is nice. Maybe we'll get to hear
that as I'm always curious what band members record when they are out on
their own.
Robby Steinhardt will always be
one of my all-time favorite musicians. He was an important part of why I
have become a lifelong Kansas fan. Some of the songs he sang and played
on are my favorites to this day, and I'm glad that he was able to touch
my life and others with his music. There's not much else that I can say
about this other than the fact that he will be missed. I think we
should all appreciate any of the classic groups and artists that are
still out there performing while we still have them. My condolences go
out to his family.
