David Ragsdale

David Ragsdale, (born April 3, 1958) has been the violinist for Kansas from 1991 to 1997 and from 2006 to the present. He started violin at the age of three. After years of studies with classical teachers, a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and four years with the Tulsa Philharmonic, Ragsdale's violinist duties took him out of the largely classical area and into rock and roll.As a songwriter, his work with Kansas includes co-writing "I Can Fly," "Black Fathom 4," "Under the Knife," "Freaks of Nature," "With This Heart," "The Unsung Heroes," "Refugee," "Summer," and "Crowded Isolation." Through the years he has performed and recorded with most notably Louise Mandrell, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jason Bonham, and Queensrÿche among others, including Kansas, with whom he is now touring. In addition to violin, Ragsdale also plays a Steinberger electric guitar on several songs throughout the set. His solo CD, "David & Goliath," originally released late in 1997, has been reissued as of November 2006.