Robby Steinhardt in a 1976 promotional photo for Kansas.

Updated at 8:08 p.m. Monday

Robby Steinhardt of the band Kansas died Saturday at age 71 after a brief illness.

Steinhardt grew up in Lawrence and formed the classic rock band — famed for such hits as “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind” and “Point of Know Return” — in the 1970s with other native Kansans.

Steinhardt sang and played violin for the group, which developed a unique orchestral sound and achieved international acclaim, selling out concert arenas across the globe. Since its self-titled debut album in 1974, the band has gone on to sell more than 30 million albums, according to its website.

photo by: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Manager Budd Carr, from left, drummer Phil Ehart and vocalist and violinist Robert E. “Robby” Steinhardt, of Kansas, with director Charley Randazzo arrive at the 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival Montecito Award ceremony on Jan. 30, 2015, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Steinhardt, a native of Lawrence, Kan., who was an original member of the band, died Saturday, July 17, 2021, due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 71.

He attended Lawrence High School, and his father, Milton Steinhardt, taught music at the University of Kansas. Milton Steinhardt died in 1994, and Robby Steinhardt’s mother, Ilse Steinhardt, died in 2010, according to obituaries in the Lawrence Journal-World.

Julie Boyle, a spokeswoman for the Lawrence school district, extended condolences to Steinhardt’s family, friends and fans. She said Steinhardt was a member of the orchestras at West Junior High and LHS. He graduated with the Chesty Lion Class of 1968.

“He brought enjoyment to many as an accomplished violinist and singer,” she said.

Steinhardt died from acute pancreatitis at a hospital in Tampa, Fla., where he lived, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Cindy. He is also survived by one daughter, Becky.

“We are beyond devastated as our lives were about to start a new adventure,” she wrote on Facebook. “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.”