A KANSAS Connection to the 2018 Winter Olympics - March 2, 2018

Q: This is the first Olympics where singles and pairs figure skaters were allowed to perform to music with lyrics. Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan, a three-time world champion, skated to a 1977 song. What was the name of the song... and what's the name of the Kansan who wrote it?

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A: “Dust in the Wind,” written by Kerry Livgren

Name the subject and so often it all comes back to Kansas. Such was the case during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which wrapped up last month in South Korea. This is the first Olympics where singles and pairs figure skaters were allowed to perform to music with lyrics. Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan, a three-time world champion, skated to the 1977 song "Dust in the Wind," by the rock group Kansas.

Like so many of the group's hits, "Dust in the Wind" was written by Topeka guitarist and charter member Kerry Livgren (who now lives in Berryton, Kansas). The music for the song started as a finger-picking guitar exercise that Livgren used to play. His wife heard it, liked it and encouraged him to put words to the music. He did and the result was the classic rock hit "Dust in the Wind," which first appeared on the Kansas album "Point of Know Return." The famous violin solo in the song was performed by another charter member of the group, Robbie Steinhardt, from Lawrence, whose father taught music history at the University of Kansas.

Fun factoid: The 45 RPM single of "Dust in the Wind" was certified Gold by the recording industry for sales of one million units shortly after the height of its popularity. More than 25 years later, in 2008, it was certified Gold again as a digital download.

Here are the lyrics to this haunting melody:

(Words and music by Kerry Livgren)

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