Ronnie Platt

Ronnie Platt (born 24 February 1962) is an American singer, keyboardist, organist, and composer famous for being the current lead vocalist and keyboardist of rock band Kansas, after replacing its historic member Steve Walsh.

Life and Career

Platt was born on February 24, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois. 

Platt was a truck driver by profession. At the end of the 1970s, he joined the rock band Yezda Urfa, a progressive rock band founded in the fall of 1973. He was a part of the group only during their live concerts.

In 2007, he joined Shooting Star, a rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. In July 2006, the group had released the album Circles with Kevin Chalfant (ex-member of 707 and The Storm) on the lead vocals. Chalfant was unable to commit to touring and was thus replaced by Platt. After his final performance with Shooting Star in September 2010, Platt left the band in 2011 to join the Chicago cover band Arra. Arra over the years had opened for many big-name bands including Kansas, 38 Special (Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant), Paul Rodgers, Rare Earth, and Survivor (Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan).

In July 2014, Platt joined Kansas as the replacement for the retiring lead vocalist Steve Walsh. Walsh's retirement was announced on the band's Facebook page. Former Kansas singer John Elefante was also contacted but he declined. On choosing Platt, drummer Phil Ehart has said, "After considering other candidates, it became clear Ronnie was our guy. He's a perfect fit musically and personally with the band. His passion for the band and the music, as well as his musicianship, is exceptional."

Platt says he has always been a big fan of Kansas and Walsh. He attributes the development of his voice to his emulating Walsh and his other favorite singers such as Steve Perry, Lou Gramm, Jon Anderson, Geddy Lee, and Donald Fagen. His first show with the band in Oklahoma City in September of 2014 met with huge success and admiration from old-time Kansas fans. Other members of Kansas are: Phil Ehart (drummer), Rich Williams (guitarist), Billy Greer (bass guitarist), David Ragsdale (violinist), and Tom Brislin (keyboardist).

Platt's first album with Kansas, The Prelude Implicit, was released in September 2016. The album peaked at number 41 on US Billboard 200 and 5 on US Top Rock Albums (Billboard). In November 2017, the band released a two-CD set, Leftoverture Live & Beyond, containing nineteen songs culled from different shows as part of the tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Leftoverture (released 1976).

Their next studio album titled The Absence of Presence is slated to release on 17 July 2020.

[Video] Dust In The Wind: Platt's First Show With Kansas (Oklahoma State Fair)