American guitaristFor other people with the same name, see Richard Williams.

Musical artist

Richard John Williams (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist, primarily known for being one of the only consistent original members of the rock band Kansas alongside drummer Phil Ehart. Both have appeared on every Kansas album.

Contents

• 1 Career
• 2 Discography
  • 2.1 Kansas
  • 2.2 Native Window
  • 2.3 As a guest
• 3 Personal life
• 4 External links
• 5 References

Career

Williams shared guitar duties with keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren until 1984 when Kansas first broke up, and later from 1990 to 1991 as well as 1999–2000. From 1985 to 1991, he shared guitar-playing with Steve Morse, and later with Zak Rizvi from 2016 to 2021. Since April 2021, Williams has served as the bands only dedicated guitarist, as he also did from 1991 to 1999, and 2000–2016. David Ragsdale will sometimes serve as a second guitarist when the band plays songs with little or no violin, such as "Portrait (He Knew)", "Fight Fire With Fire", and "Carry On Wayward Son". Williams and Phil Ehart are the only two founding members of Kansas who have never left the band and have played on all Kansas albums. Among the songs he co-wrote with the band are "Can I Tell You", "No Room for a Stranger", and the hit "Play the Game Tonight".

In 2009, Williams, along with fellow Kansas members Ehart, Billy Greer, and David Ragsdale formed a group called Native Window. As of 2022, they have only released one album, which was released the same year the band was formed.

Discography

Kansas

Main article: Kansas discography

Native Window

• Native Window (2009)

As a guest

• Steve Walsh – Schemer-Dreamer (1980) (on "Schemer-Dreamer/That's All Right")
• Seventh Key – Seventh Key (2001) (on "Missy", "Every Time It Rains" and "No Man's Land")
• John Elefante – On My Way To The Sun (2013) (on "This Is How The Story Goes")

Personal life

Williams lost his right eye in a childhood fireworks accident. He wore a prosthetic eye for many years but now wears an eye patch instead. As a child, Williams began playing on a ukulele but quickly transitioned to guitar. His early influences included the Beatles and the overall British Invasion. In 2020, Williams and his wife, Debbie, relocated to Linville, North Carolina. Williams is also a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.

External links

• Richard Williams fan site

References