RIDGEFIELD - The prospect of replacing the lead singer, songwriter, and focal point of a veteran band is daunting enough. But when that frontman has such distinctive writing and vocal talents as The Newtown Bee in an interview ahead of Kansas making its Ridgefield Playhouse return on June 26 that the co-founders welcomed him as one of their own.The Bee, co-founder and guitarist Williams said it had gotten to the point where Walsh had clearly lost his passion for the band.Leftoverture, Point of Know Return, Best of KANSAS), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), and a million-selling gold single, "Dust in the Wind."Leftoverture album. The upcoming show in Ridgefield will include a few tunes from that massively successful album, as well as other deeper Kansas tracks.The Prelude Implicit - the first new Kansas studio project in 16 years.Newtown Bee: So I guess it wasn't enough to be living the dream fronting Kansas, when I spoke to Rich Williams recently, he said you've pitched in with some great songwriting for the new album.Ronnie Platt: Boy, to sign a record contract as a member of Kansas - then to think my voice was going to be on a new Kansas studio album - then being invited to contribute lyrics to the album, then, when I did bring some lyrics to the studio, I had Williams and Ehart look them over and say, 'these are pretty good, can you write us another' …talk about an extreme sense of surreal. And as we started working on it, it just came together as though it was meant to be.Bee: Well, I guess you were the right guy for the right time for the right group of guys. Can you talk about any of the new songs you wrote?Platt: I actually recorded a song called "The Unsung Heroes" with about 80 percent of the lead vocals I cut in my bedroom studio at home. It's a very personal song. The content is a parallel to what I experienced every day for 25 years or better, getting up every day and putting in a hard day's work. Having that responsibility and retaining my appreciation who go out and do that every day. And maybe a bit about the people who don't get the recognition they deserve.Bee: You have stood on stage for so long like so many others with great talents, and the finger of opportunity fell on you. So that probably feeds the fire a little bit, right?Platt: John, 2½ years ago I was driving an 18-wheeler around the streets of Chicago in 15 degree below zero weather. You think I don't appreciate where I am?Bee: Are you doing "The Unsung Heroes" on this tour?Platt: Am I supposed to talk about that? Let me just say, mayyyyybe!Bee: So let's flash back so I can get your take on being discovered. Rich and Phil met you in person a year or two earlier at a festival show?Platt: That was at the Moondance Festival in Minnesota, a massive outdoor festival that had my band Shooting Star, Foghat, Kansas, Sheryl Crow and Journey on the line-up. We were playing our set and I look over and see Rich and Phil watching from backstage - so that wasn't unnerving - two guys I idolized my entire music career. They were friends with my guitar player for awhile, so after the show I just met them briefly. I don't know if they were privy to Steve (Walsh's) plans to leave at the time, but I think they kind of kept me in their back pocket for future reference.Bee: You are one of a growing legion of replacement players filling big shoes in classic rock band line-ups. I've had an opportunity to meet and see a bunch of you and I imagine it must be challenging to try to maintain your own style while fulfilling the fans' imagination of a voice they're used to hearing, but in a different body.Platt: It's funny you say that. Right before I had my first live show with Kansas, I was watching a Behind the Music re-run with Styx. And I remember their singer Lawrence (Gowan) saying how he was in the band for a year, and when they walked out on stage, fans were still giving him a load of crap. Like he was the one who put Dennis DeYoung out of the band. My God, what a bad time to be seeing that. But I know what a devout Steve Walsh fan I am, and there are thousands of people who surpass me by light years. So for a few minutes, it was like, what have I gotten myself into.Bee: Do you talk to any other newcomers as you tour around working with some of these classic bands with new singers?Platt: I think I'm probably best friends with Tommy DeCarlo of Boston, who replaced (the late) Brad Delp. We played with them last week in Des Moines. We exchanged phone numbers and found that we have similar backgrounds.Bee: And now here you are giving Kansas fans, maybe some who never got to see the band before, an opportunity of a lifetime to see a show - along with giving the band a frontman who is willing to sing some Kansas songs that have been off the setlist for decades, or maybe never played live.Platt: Let me just say that there isn't a Kansas song I wouldn't sing, that's the reason why they don't let me make the setlist. If I made the setlist, our show would be 6½ hours long. There are just too many Kansas songs I could not say no to...Bee: Right, you've got "Song for America," "Icarus" part one and two - there's your first hour...Platt: (laughing) Exactly. I'd be going album by album. I'd be saying, 'there's no way we're not playing THAT one!' That would happen 60 times before we got to the end of the show. But even bringing it down to just a couple of hours, we do have fun out there. We'll see you in Ridgefield.For tickets ($70), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street.           Check out Kansas featuring Ronnie Platt playing "Carry On Wayward Son" in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2014:

former Kansas band member Steve Walsh, the challenge might have proved close to impossible.

But then, like a miracle out of nowhere, co-founder and lead guitar player Rich Williams recalled seeing broad-ranged Chicagoan Ronnie Platt fronting a band that opened for Kansas a year earlier and got in touch.

Responding to an invitation to audition with an ecstatic yes was just the first step, however. While it was clear Platt had the chops to articulate Walsh's stratospheric vocals with ease, and a style very close to that of the long-time Kansas singer, would he meld with the band's personnel chemistry?

Platt told

"Phil [Ehart] and Rich told me they could have hired a singer from England, but the chemistry wouldn't be right," Platt said. Ehart, the band's drummer, and Williams are the only two members of Kansas band who have appeared on all albums. "They wanted someone with similar Midwestern values, and shared a similar background."

Once rehearsals and the first few jittery live shows were in the rear view, Platt hit stride so quickly, he was being embraced by die-hard Kansas fans all over the world - some regarding him as the individual who pumped new blood into a band that occasionally presented in concert as if it were on life support.

In a previous chat with

"There was a lot of material that Steve refused to do. There were songs we wanted to do and he'd say 'I don't like this song,' or 'I don't believe in that song.' His lack of enthusiasm was kind of a wet blanket for us to do anything - even new recording," Williams lamented. "He sold his recording equipment, he didn't want to write anymore, and it became a downward spiral. He lost the joy of doing it."

Since Kansas' self-titled debut in 1974, the band produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-platinum albums (

Kansas also appeared on the Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the '70s and '80s, and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. And after its release, "Carry On Wayward Son" became the #2 most played track on classic rock radio in 1995 and went to #1 in 1997.

Today, Kansas is riding high and planning a 40th Anniversary tour celebrating their mainstream breakthrough

And by their fall tour, fans will be hearing some of the first new original songs that the band just completed for

Williams said he and his bandmates might be as ecstatic to have Platt, as the former Shooting Star is to be the new Kansas frontman.

"Ronnie is completely devoid of what I call lead singer's disease," Williams said. "He is a sincerely, genuine good guy. He's so glad to be here and he has a work ethic to be admired. He takes his role in the Kansas legacy very seriously - and has tremendous respect for what Steve Walsh accomplished."

Kansas, with Platt, Ehart (drums), Williams, Ragsdale, Greer (bass), and two other new members, keyboardist David Manion and newcomer guitarist Zak Rizvi, will be performing "Carry On Wayward Son" along with familiar radio hits "Dust in the Wind," "Point of Know Return," "Miracles Out of Nowhere," "Hold On," and "Play the Game Tonight," along with other tracks.

During Platt's call-in, he talked about his rock star transition from fronting a Chicago cover band by night and driving an 18-wheeler by day; his empathy for the growing legion of replacement singers in classic rock bands; and the next step in his brief career with Kansas - contributing songwriting for the new album.

Working with Zak our new guitar player, who wrote the mother lode of the music for the new album, and getting down to producing, I mean everybody is in the studio and we all have tunnel vision. Everybody knew what they had to do -  I don't know how else to put it. It was fruitful, a really great experience.

A while later, a friend texted me that Steve announced he was leaving the band, so I sent a message to Rich who was a friend on Facebook. That started the ball rolling and things happened pretty quickly from there. When Rich and Phil called me in for our first official meeting we talked business for less than 10 minutes before the subject changed to joking, telling stories and laughing. So in a matter of 15 minutes, it went from sitting between a couple of rock star legends, to hanging with a couple of buddies who just hired me to be in their band.

You'll never meet a nicer guy than Tommy. I can't imagine the pressure Tommy was under those first few gigs. Another guy that comes to mind is Steve Augeri who was the replacement when Steve Perry left Journey. I can't imagine the microscope he was under.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N7TfGrg9Ac

Kansas plays "The Wall" live in Huntsville, Alabama in May 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1h-lwTmyLg

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