Robby Steinhardt, who was the violinist and co-lead vocalist of the American rock band Kansas, died on July 17 at the age of 71.

The musician‘s death was confirmed by his wife Cindy Steinhardt on Facebook on Monday.

“We are beyond devastated as our lives were about to start a new adventure,” Cindy said. “Robby just recorded his first solo album with the talented music producer Michael Franklin at Solar Studios. A tour to start in August, Robby was so looking forward to being back on stage doing what he loved.”

Furthermore, Cindy added that Steinhardt was admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis in May and not long after, he went into septic shock following which he was placed on life support.

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Although he managed to recover, several months later he suffered another sepsis as he was to be released from medical care.

“I’ve always tried to share our lives with you but I ask you to please respect this heavy time of grief,” urged Cindy in her post. “I encourage you to share your stories and pictures of Robby on his page. My only regret is that I can’t share them with him to show him how much he is loved.”

Born on May 25, 1950, in Chicago, Steinhardt was adopted by his parents, Ilsa and Milton Steinhardt, when he was four days old. Growing up, Steinhardt played classical violin, but in 1972 he joined a rock band then called White Clover.

The band had existed in several forms already and at one point it was even called Kansas I. At the time Steinhardt joined, the lineup featured Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart, and Rich Williams, while Kerry Livgren joined soon after.

Alongside Walsh, Steinhardt shared the vocal duties of the band, with both of them switching their roles frequently. But what added a different flavour to White Clover, when compared to other bands of that time, was Steinhardt’s violin. 

Finally, after bagging a record deal in 1973, the band officially settled on Kansas.

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Over the years, the band has developed a dedicated audience through constant touring and several well-received albums. Their mainstream breakthrough came in 1976 with “Leftoverture”, which featured the hit single and future classic rock staple, “Carry on My Wayward Son.” Kansas scored their second major hit the following year with “Dust in the Wind,” which appeared on their album, “Point of Know Return.”  

However, following their Seventies success, Kansas experienced a series of shakeups in the Eighties, first with the departure of Walsh, and then Steinhardt in 1982.

Steinhardt and Rick Moon formed the band Steinhardt Moon from 1982 and 1997, and Steinhardt also played with the Stormbringer Band in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, Steinhardt returned Kansas, but departed again in 2006.