I was saved in 1979 too. I was 22 yrs old. Today Im 67, and I still serve Jesus. I dont call myself a charismatic, but I do agree the gifts of the Spirit are for today. I was told as a child that people like that were holy rollers. But not long after I was saved, I became one. I was saved in an Assembly of God church.
My greatest thanks to the person who posted this interview. The words of Dave and Kerry are full of true joy and hope, and worthy of being heard by anyone !!!...thank you to youtube as well, as i'd never have seen this.
Kansas was always one of my favorite bands and I was thrilled when I heard about Kerry becoming Christian, but never knew about the other guys in the band! So cool!
I will never forget going to see Kansas in 1983; I’d seen them 4 times before and thought I knew what to expect. Of course it was a great show; but the best part was what happened afterwards. Leaving the concert, some guy gave me a paper with a short story of Jesus involving Kansas lyrics; which led me to “Seeds of Change”…. First the book, then the album. I was born again in the love of Christ at that time; a truly life defining moment. God bless you Kerry. 🙏
I love these guys! Thanks for posting. Dave's coke habit is really interesting if you look back at the 1st 4 Kansas albums. Check out the physical transformation Dave went through between Kansas & Leftoverture-I always wondered about that. Anyways these guys are among the best in the business, and so genuine. If anyone's intersted Dave wrote a book called "Looking at Luke through the Eyes of Hope" which is supposed to be very highly regarded. What great guys! They really broke the mold.
Answers to alot of the questions I see below can be found in Kerry's book, "Seeds of Change". As alluded to in this interview, Kerry had been doing alot of spiritual searching, most notably in the book of Urantia. Some evidence of this process can be found in his earlier lyrics. While Kansas was touring with the band LeRoux in 1979, their lead singer Jeff Pollard, who was a strong Christian, was riding on the Kansas bus, having conversations in the back with Kerry. At some point during this timeframe, Dave came to the back of the bus under heavy conviction from the Holy Spirit, and also got saved. Once Steve Walsh left the band (because he couldn't stand singing the newest songs Kerry was writing), open auditions were held for a new lead singer. The top 3 contenders just happened to be Christians (apparently unbeknownst to the band), and John Elefante got the job. The other 2 candidates, Mike Gleason and Warren Ham, went on to be Kerry's singers for his new band, AD. With 3 believers now in the Kansas, drummer Phil Ehart also dusted off his dormant faith, and spoke of it at the time. That means 4 out of 6 members of Kansas in the early 80s were professing Christians!
Darrell Olling You know about how you said that Jeff Pollard was riding on the Kansas bus? Actually it was Kerry who gave up his seat on Kansas' private plane and rode on LeRoux's bus instead. There were two sections of the bus. The first section in the front had wild parties going on, and the second section was the Christian section. Some time after talking with Jeff Pollard, Kerry became a Christian in his hotel room at around 3 in the morning. The best part is that Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Phil Ehart, and John Elefante are all Christians now!
That's right - and he wasn't a Christian when he wrote Dust in the Wind either. I agree that it does sound like a Christian song. Kerry was exposed to Christianity when he was younger, but God didn't change his heart until a few years later.
Agreed on the song lyrics, but Christianity wasn't just another interesting point on Kerry's journey, it was the destination. God saved Kerry in 1979 and Kerry is still a Christian today - 30 years later...
This is such POWERFUL Testimony !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus changes us TOWARDS what God WANTS us to BE !!!!!! Receive His ENDLESS LOVE !!!!!! Forgive and be Forgiven !!!
Christianity isn't about being happy (although that's usually a side effect). It's about being obedient to what God wants for us. Kerry's salvation is secure - he will spend eternity in heaven because he is a Christian. Regarding his post-conversion material, you might have a good argument. However, his more recent material on "Somewhere to Elsewhere" rivals his best work on "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return" in my opinion. You might want to check it out...
Pick Van Cleef no he wrote that a few years before while still searching. God did use a lot of his pre conversion music in powerful ways. Dave only really wrote one song, called the Devil game in 1975. It was a plea to Satan to leave him alone. Love it in context now!
It's an illustration of what he was looking for. I have dabbled in song-writing, and was surprised to reread some of my lyrics after I was saved. It can take a while to see and recognized what you're looking for.
Yes. It is shame that these two have not understood the translations of the Bible. Jesus was a gnostic and the people that walked with him, the Epionities, had no say in the book. The Romans edited the book, it was translated 16 times, and the first publication of the Bible was done by the Catholic church. What could go wrong?!
Trial and error (as well as retrospection & hindsight) is not God's way - faith in His son Jesus Christ is God's way (the only way). If Kerry tried to understand who God is through His word (the Bible) at the beginning, there would have been no need to go from one "religion" to another only to find out at the end that life without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is meaningless and empty.
About the time "Art Of The State" came out,I read or heard an interview with Kerry Livgren. He said that a band member from a band that was touring with Kansas had witnessed to him about Christ. Is that true and who was the band member from what band?
That was Jeff Pollard of the band LaRoux. They were the opening act for Kansas during part of the Monolith tour in 1979. Kerry has stated that Jeff is largely responsible for his conversion to Christianity.
The charismatic movement has nearly destroyed Christianity like it ruined this show. Back when this was recorded you were inclined to take it seriously.
No, we all have a god. For some it their career, money, drugs, relationships, but we all worship some kind of god. There are a lot of nice people in the world, but Its not about weather if you are a nice person or not. Its about the decease we all have with in us, and that decease is SIN. Because of this decease we all die, even if we are so called naughty or nice. Where there is an action there is a reaction, Eve reaped what she had sown. I see a loving God (Jesus) becoming man and taking Eve's (yours and mine) punishment. He took our decease and exchanged it with his health. He took our death and gave us His life!
Because they have a right to believe what they want to believe. And if you took the time to listen to the interview, you would learn that that this "waste of time" religion gave them fulfillment in their lives. And who are you to judge that?
If its a waste of time, its a waste of time keeping them safe from living self-destructive lives and not taking a chance on an afterlife filled with regret
They dont have religion. They have a relationship with the one true God, and it comes through Jesus Christ. Its what people need. Its also the only way to spend eternity in heaven. Hope you find out that its the real thing.
"If I were a carpenter, that doesn't mean the only thing I could build is churches." BRILLIANT! I think I'm going to use that line from now on!
I was saved in 1979 too. I was 22 yrs old. Today Im 67, and I still serve Jesus. I dont call myself a charismatic, but I do agree the gifts of the Spirit are for today. I was told as a child that people like that were holy rollers. But not long after I was saved, I became one. I was saved in an Assembly of God church.
A giant in the music industry and then a giant in God's Kingdom building! Thank you Kerry Livgren! Outstanding word from a man of outstanding talent!
What an amazing testimony! I love Kansas always have :)
A great interview with two of my favorite musicians by the class act that was Ben Kinchlow.
My greatest thanks to the person who posted this interview. The words of Dave and Kerry are full of true joy and hope, and worthy of being heard by anyone !!!...thank you to youtube as well, as i'd never have seen this.
Kansas was always one of my favorite bands and I was thrilled when I heard about Kerry becoming Christian, but never knew about the other guys in the band! So cool!
I will never forget going to see Kansas in 1983; I’d seen them 4 times before and thought I knew what to expect. Of course it was a great show; but the best part was what happened afterwards. Leaving the concert, some guy gave me a paper with a short story of Jesus involving Kansas lyrics; which led me to “Seeds of Change”…. First the book, then the album. I was born again in the love of Christ at that time; a truly life defining moment. God bless you Kerry. 🙏
I missed this when it was orginally aired and I appreciate seeing it. Thanks
I love these guys! Thanks for posting. Dave's coke habit is really interesting if you look back at the 1st 4 Kansas albums. Check out the physical transformation Dave went through between Kansas & Leftoverture-I always wondered about that. Anyways these guys are among the best in the business, and so genuine. If anyone's intersted Dave wrote a book called "Looking at Luke through the Eyes of Hope" which is supposed to be very highly regarded. What great guys! They really broke the mold.
Man, I miss Ben Kinchlow!
Thanks for posting this! I never did see this.
I read his book. Wish I still had it.
Answers to alot of the questions I see below can be found in Kerry's book, "Seeds of Change". As alluded to in this interview, Kerry had been doing alot of spiritual searching, most notably in the book of Urantia. Some evidence of this process can be found in his earlier lyrics. While Kansas was touring with the band LeRoux in 1979, their lead singer Jeff Pollard, who was a strong Christian, was riding on the Kansas bus, having conversations in the back with Kerry. At some point during this timeframe, Dave came to the back of the bus under heavy conviction from the Holy Spirit, and also got saved. Once Steve Walsh left the band (because he couldn't stand singing the newest songs Kerry was writing), open auditions were held for a new lead singer. The top 3 contenders just happened to be Christians (apparently unbeknownst to the band), and John Elefante got the job. The other 2 candidates, Mike Gleason and Warren Ham, went on to be Kerry's singers for his new band, AD. With 3 believers now in the Kansas, drummer Phil Ehart also dusted off his dormant faith, and spoke of it at the time. That means 4 out of 6 members of Kansas in the early 80s were professing Christians!
Darrell Olling You know about how you said that Jeff Pollard was riding on the Kansas bus? Actually it was Kerry who gave up his seat on Kansas' private plane and rode on LeRoux's bus instead. There were two sections of the bus. The first section in the front had wild parties going on, and the second section was the Christian section. Some time after talking with Jeff Pollard, Kerry became a Christian in his hotel room at around 3 in the morning. The best part is that Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Phil Ehart, and John Elefante are all Christians now!
The most important video on utube.
thank you very much for posting this.
Great interview!!
That's right - and he wasn't a Christian when he wrote Dust in the Wind either. I agree that it does sound like a Christian song. Kerry was exposed to Christianity when he was younger, but God didn't change his heart until a few years later.
During this time, Kerry, Dave and John (Elefante) were the Christians in the band. I've also heard that Phil Ehart is a Christian as well.
But Kerry&Dave came back for "Somewhere To Elsewhere" CD , released 2000 !!
Agreed on the song lyrics, but Christianity wasn't just another interesting point on Kerry's journey, it was the destination. God saved Kerry in 1979 and Kerry is still a Christian today - 30 years later...
love these guys; and miss Ben..
This is such POWERFUL Testimony !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus changes us TOWARDS what God WANTS us to BE !!!!!! Receive His ENDLESS LOVE !!!!!! Forgive and be Forgiven !!!
Brilliant
In the line-up now, Phil Ehart and David Ragsdale are both Christians. Not sure about the other three members.
PRAISE JESUS WHAT CAN I SAY.
Reminds me of another "gren" who sought meaning in Eastern religion--Todd Rundgren! He still hasn't found the Way, the Truth, and the Life yet.
Christianity isn't about being happy (although that's usually a side effect). It's about being obedient to what God wants for us. Kerry's salvation is secure - he will spend eternity in heaven because he is a Christian.
Regarding his post-conversion material, you might have a good argument. However, his more recent material on "Somewhere to Elsewhere" rivals his best work on "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return" in my opinion. You might want to check it out...
Who all from Kanas is Christian?
I heard before Kerry was, but I didn't know Dave Hope was one.
When was this recorded? 1982-1983?
Yeah they must have left Kansas pretty soon after this (to form A.D.)
I said the song was an interesting point on the journey. He wasn't a Christian at the time.
wait, I'm confused. So Kerry wasn't a Christian when he wrote Carry on Wayward Son? Sounds like a very Christian song to me...
Pick Van Cleef no he wrote that a few years before while still searching. God did use a lot of his pre conversion music in powerful ways. Dave only really wrote one song, called the Devil game in 1975. It was a plea to Satan to leave him alone. Love it in context now!
It's an illustration of what he was looking for. I have dabbled in song-writing, and was surprised to reread some of my lyrics after I was saved. It can take a while to see and recognized what you're looking for.
It's is a good song of questions but not answers. It's an interesting point on his journey though.
Rich Williams is the last normal original member.
Yes. It is shame that these two have not understood the translations of the Bible. Jesus was a gnostic and the people that walked with him, the Epionities, had no say in the book. The Romans edited the book, it was translated 16 times, and the first publication of the Bible was done by the Catholic church. What could go wrong?!
Why is the dream always better than the taste?
Trial and error (as well as retrospection & hindsight) is not God's way - faith in His son Jesus Christ is God's way (the only way). If Kerry tried to understand who God is through His word (the Bible) at the beginning, there would have been no need to go from one "religion" to another only to find out at the end that life without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is meaningless and empty.
About the time "Art Of The State" came out,I read or heard an interview with Kerry Livgren. He said that a band member from a band that was touring with Kansas had witnessed to him about Christ. Is that true and who was the band member from what band?
That was Jeff Pollard of the band LaRoux. They were the opening act for Kansas during part of the Monolith tour in 1979. Kerry has stated that Jeff is largely responsible for his conversion to Christianity.
The charismatic movement has nearly destroyed Christianity like it ruined this show. Back when this was recorded you were inclined to take it seriously.
No, we all have a god. For some it their career, money, drugs, relationships, but we all worship some kind of god.
There are a lot of nice people in the world, but Its not about weather if you are a nice person or not. Its about the decease we all have with in us, and that decease is SIN. Because of this decease we all die, even if we are so called naughty or nice.
Where there is an action there is a reaction, Eve reaped what she had sown.
I see a loving God (Jesus) becoming man and taking Eve's (yours and mine) punishment. He took our decease and exchanged it with his health. He took our death and gave us His life!
Come on guys wtf you doing on the damn 700 club?
Religion is such a waste of time.
Because they have a right to believe what they want to believe. And if you took the time to listen to the interview, you would learn that that this "waste of time" religion gave them fulfillment in their lives. And who are you to judge that?
If its a waste of time, its a waste of time keeping them safe from living self-destructive lives and not taking a chance on an afterlife filled with regret
They dont have religion. They have a relationship with the one true God, and it comes through Jesus Christ. Its what people need. Its also the only way to spend eternity in heaven. Hope you find out that its the real thing.
He should've looked for a better barber....
He should've looked for a better barber....