Steve Walsh is a musician, singer, and songwriter mainly known for his work with Kansas as the band’s longtime member. Throughout his career with Kansas, Walsh rose to prominence as the lead singer on four of the band’s classic hits titled ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ ‘Dust In The Wind,’ ‘Point Of Know Return,’ and ‘All I Wanted.’ Besides, he is the co-writer of the latter two.
Before joining Kansas, Walsh worked with several local groups, with the most notable one being the band White Clover. Moreover, he also appeared on various other artists’ recordings as a guest vocalist. On June 30, 2014, Walsh sadly decided to retire from Kansas, but we’re here to take a detailed look at the singer’s music career.
Steve Walsh Worked With Kansas For Four Decades
Throughout Walsh’s career with Kansas, the band recorded two remarkably successful albums, which were 1976’s album ‘Leftoverture’ and 1977’s ‘Point Of Know Return.’ The singer released twelve studio albums, six live albums, and several singles with Kansas.
Walsh became a highly influential figure in rock music history with his vocals in ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust In The Wind.’ These songs became staples of Kansas’ career, and they remain classic rock hits that various artists cover. In addition to the song’s contribution to the band, both pieces turned Walsh into an unforgettable voice in rock music.
In 1980, Walsh decided to leave Kansas after releasing the album titled ‘Audio-Visions.’ His main reason for quitting was creative differences between him and Kansas’ primary songwriter Kerry Livgren. The singer then formed a rock band named Streets in 1982 and released two albums with them before their splitting.
The vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist John Elefante joined Kansas in February 1982 as Walsh’s replacement. They then worked with Elefante up until their disbandment in 1984. However, Kansas later decided to reunite in 1986 and recruited Walsh as their lead singer. From then on, Walsh remained with Kansas until his 2014 retirement, after four decades years with the band.
Apart from his work with Kansas, Walsh also made successful solo efforts. He released his solo debut titled ‘Schemer-Dreamer’ in 1980, with contributions from Livgren, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart, and Steve Morse. He then dropped the second solo album ‘Glossolalia’ in 2000.
In 2003, Walsh formed the band Khymera along with Daniele Liverani and sang lead vocals on the band’s debut album. He then released a third solo effort titled ‘Shadowman’ in 2005. Walsh’s most recent effort is 2017’s collaborative solo album with Tommy Denander, titled ‘Black Butterfly.’
