The career of Kansas has been full of miracles out of nowhere, to put it in a Kansas kind of way. It’s a fascinating story that on so many levels, should have been over before it ever started.

“Kansas was a band that came out of such an incredibly obscure part of the country and got discovered by this guy [Don Kirshner] that was known for the Monkees. Once you started putting all of this together, it was just like, ‘This never should have happened,'” drummer and cofounder Phil Ehart told UCR in 2016. “I mean, there’s just no way all of these dots could connect.”

Their 1974 self-titled debut itself was a convoluted bit of happenstance. “The first album, it was just show up with drumsticks and guitar picks and a violin and just go in the studio full of strange gear and just do the best you can. That was it,” he recalled. “We were actually just supposed to do four songs when we went for the first album.”

“Then Kirshner had to take those four songs over to CBS at the time and play them for them and they went, ‘Okay, good enough — go ahead and let them make an album.’ So that’s how piecemeal it was. We just had to do four and then they gave us the okay. Because they weren’t sure we could do a whole album.”

As we know now, they had the goods to do a full album and the many others that have followed. Ehart has always been a good storyteller when it comes to taking stock of the band’s legacy of more than 50 years of heavy road work and groundbreaking studio albums.

So it was welcome news earlier this year when he revealed plans to put out his memoir, I Am Phil, which arrives this week. You can preorder the book from his official website, including signed copies.

Phil Ehart signing copies of I Am Phil

Courtesy of Phil Ehart and Kansas

 

In the excerpt below, which UCR is pleased to present as an exclusive, Ehart shares why he finally relented and decided to write it in collaboration with author Paul Braoudakis after years of being asked to put his story down on paper.

“This is not primarily the story of the band Kansas,” he writes. “Rather, it’s the story of one man’s contribution to that band.” Having read the book, I understand what he means. But as a lifelong Kansas fan, I can report that fellow fans will find a wealth of information to absorb about the history of the group.

I particularly enjoyed the stories of the pre-Kansas years, both the formative time when he was growing up with his family and the fly on the wall perspective that we get of Ehart’s early days making music. He and his future Kansas bandmate Rich Williams played together in a group called The Pets, which proved to be the gateway that would lead them to meet future Kansas bassist Dave Hope.

The Pets eventually shifted to using a new band name — White Clover, two words that will be familiar to Kansas fans, and also two words that hold a bit more mystery, since it represents the embryonic era when they were working collectively to find their footing and fully acquire their mojo.

That would take some time and within the pages of I Am Phil, Ehart unpacks the story of those early years in great detail. By this point, you’ll be hooked. Life in Kansas was always an adventure in one way or another. As you’ll read in today’s excerpt, there were also plenty of moments that came as an unexpected surprise.

The year was 1988, and we went into the studio to record our eleventh studio album, In the Spirit of Things. The band was assembled in Los Angeles at Ocean Way Recording, where some of the most iconic records of all time had been recorded or mastered. These included Michael Jackson’s Thriller as well as classic albums by U2, Guns N’ Roses, Elton John, Rush, and many others. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with famed producer Bob Ezrin, whose musical resume comprises a who’s who of the recording industry.

The album was the second to feature our newest member, Steve Morse, regarded as one of the best guitar players in the world. Steve’s musical vocabulary was taking our music to a whole new level, and we were excited to record this particular album, which revolved loosely around a concept that Rich Williams, our other guitar player, had inspired.

The songs on In the Spirit of Things were complex, and we were working hard on perfecting them in the studio. When you’re doing a record with Bob Ezrin, you’re going to work hard! There’s no getting around that. He demands a lot, but he also gets a lot out of his clients, and that’s why he’s one of the best in the industry. We loved working with him.

One day, Bob told us he was going to do some extra work on the tracks we’d already laid down, and the band didn’t need to stick around the studio. He suggested we take the day off and go see a movie. As hard as we had been hitting it, a day off sounded exactly like just what the doctor had ordered! So Steve Morse, our singer Steve Walsh, and I decided to jump into our rental car and go to Universal Studios to catch a movie.

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We arrived at Universal and noticed there were several theaters, and there were lines of people waiting to get into them. I can’t remember the particular movie we decided to see that day, but we got into one of the lines at the box office. Morse and Walsh were having a conversation, and I was just looking around when I noticed a group of college-aged guys looking over at me. One guy in particular was giving me “the look.”

If you’ve experienced any sort of notoriety, you will inevitably learn to spot “the look.” This is when someone recognizes you and realizes that they are in the presence of a celebrity. It usually starts with a double-take, followed by a forced looking away, and followed by glances darting back in your direction. From that point on, it’s hard for them to take their eyes off you. Some of the bolder ones will slowly amble their way toward you. It’s all part of the ritual. When you’ve lived in that world for a while, you recognize it right away. You always know when you’ve been spotted. We call them “grinners.”

To be fair, it’s not like I was being very inconspicuous at that moment. After all, I was standing there with two long-haired rockstar-looking dudes, one of whom happened to be a world-renowned guitar icon, and the other who happened to be one of the greatest rock singers on the planet. If anything, we were hidden in plain sight!

While the Steves were engaged in conversation, I was somewhat isolated, and when the line started moving, I noticed that the young man who had been staring at me was now predictably moving toward me. He kept looking back at his friends as he walked in my direction.

Here it comes, I thought.

“Um, excuse me, sir,” he nervously said. “Can I … can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Uh, sure,” I replied.

“Do you play in a band?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know.

Yes, I do play in a band.”

“Are you a drummer?”

“Yes, I am a drummer.”

“Is your name Phil?”

“Yes, I am Phil.”

“I knew it!” he exclaimed as he triumphantly walked back to his buddies. “I told you guys … it’s Phil Collins!”

Gulp.

In that moment, Humble Pie was more than just the name of one of Kansas’ contemporary bands; it was what I had just swallowed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice when you’re recognized. People are generally very pleasant and respectful. But it happens so often that we can almost always predict the outcome. In this case, I was wrong. Very wrong. And maybe that was a good thing.

It’s Been an ‘Extraordinary Life’ for Ehart

Incidents like the one that day give me cause for reflection. This is not a normal life I live. I get that. For reasons I’ll never fully comprehend, I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived a life that many only dream of. I’ve played with some of the world’s greatest musicians. I’ve been a part of recording some of the most significant rock songs ever written. I’ve had the chance to travel from the serenity of the Flint Hills of rural Kansas to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and all points in between. I’ve flown across virgin lands of forest green and landed on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean to entertain people with our music. I’ve lived an extraordinary life.

Kansas

Michael Putland, Getty Images

I’ve been asked repeatedly over the years to recount this great adventure in book form, but the timing was never right. Countless tours, shifting personnel, recording new albums, producing documentaries, and managing the band’s day-to-day operations aren’t exactly activities conducive to sitting down and writing a book. It requires retrospection and contemplation. It also means revisiting memories that have left a few scars. Who would want to do that … on purpose?

But this is a new season, and the timing feels right. I’ve slowly embraced the idea that I’m part of a larger mosaic — a piece of history that will be told over and over, whether I engage in it or not. I might as well be an active participant since much of the story is uniquely mine.

This is not primarily the story of the band Kansas. Rather, it’s the story of one man’s contribution to that band. It’s not the story of a rock star, but of a husband, a father, and a wayward son. It’s not the story of rags to riches, but of gratefulness and grace.

With more than 70 years’ worth of memories swirling around in this little brain, I might not remember all the tiny details or the verbatim dialogue of every conversation. But when fuzzy, I’ve done my best to check with those who were part of the journey, and to recount as best I can the memories that comprise this wild ride of a life I’ve lived.

Phil Ehart

Courtesy of Phil Ehart / Whirlwind Publishing

When I think back to that day at Universal, the young man didn’t actually recognize me. He thought he recognized someone else. That’s humbling! Nevertheless, he was mostly right about his facts:

I am in a band.

I am a drummer.

And, yes, I am Phil.

Excerpted from I Am Phil ©2026 by Phil Ehart and Whirlwind Publishing House

The initial preorders of I Am Phil are shipping now. You can order your copy from Ehart’s official website.

Phil Ehart and author Paul Braoudakis

Phil Ehart and author Paul Braoudakis

Courtesy of Phil Ehart and KansasPhil Ehart Looks Back at 8 Key Kansas Albums

Founding drummer goes in depth on a series of career-changing LPs from Kansas.

Gallery Credit: David Chiu