40 years, 14 studio albums recorded, 30 million records sold and one message for Auburn University students.
"It's one word it's passion." said Phil Ehart, drummer for the band Kansas. "That's what gets you through."
Ehart became the first guest to speak as part of the college of business' Business of Music Series Tuesday, on Wednesday, March 20.
"This is some kind of special event we are having," said Dr. Sarah Stanwick.
Ehart passed along the lessons he learned over 40 years as a member of a band and 25 years handling managing duties of Kansas.
The long-time drummer stressed the importance of preparation, passion and dedication.
"I don't I have any words of wisdom," Ehart said, before proving that sentiment false over the next two hours.
Ehart illustrated his points through the history of the band he co-founded.
The story of Kansas started in Topeka, Kan, an unlikely starting point according to Ehart.
"Ending up in the state of Kansas would seem to put two strikes against you from the get go," Ehart said." They say suicide in Topeka is redundant."
From there Ehart said the band relocated to New Orleans where Kansas played at a bar called The Roach.
"We were surviving strictly on work ethic," Ehart said.
One night while playing at The Roach Kansas was approached for a jam session by Jim Morrison.
This encounter would later lead to an invitation for Kansas to open for The Doors.
"We got to play with The Doors, "Ehart said. "That was like bigger than Justin Beiber."
Run-ins with rock legends such as Santana and Janis Joplin soon followed.
Ehart said that Janis Joplin expressed fondness for Kansas and said, "Maybe we'll hear from you guys someday."
It was these words that Ehart said helped him through some of the band's early struggles, and he suggested that students look for comfort in kind words as they pursue their own success.
"Maybe you'll remember someone that said something or inferred something that gave you confidence," Ehart said.
Soon, however, Kansas found itself back in its home state, but doggedly sent demos to record producers, including Don Kirshner.
"Of hundreds of tapes on his desk he liked ours," Ehart said.
Kansas quickly signed to Kirshner's label a process that included giving up 100 percent of publishing royalties according to Ehart.
"30 million times anything is a lot," Ehart said, but he also pointed out that had the band members not signed the contract they might never have caught a break to begin with.
"You're gonna make mistakes," Ehart said. "But as I look back it made all the sense in the world."
Within five years of signing that contract Kansas released "Carry on Wayward Son," Kansas' first of 14 Billboard top 100 singles.
Ehart spoke of playing in front of 90,000 people and opening for bands such as The Rolling Stones, but he had a simple explanation for his personal success.
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