John Elefante

John Elefante (born March 18, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.

In late 1981, Elefante auditioned for his second band position, as the new lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas, after the departure of its co-founder Steve Walsh.

[2] Several of the top vocalists of the time applied for the job, including Sammy Hagar, Dennis "Fergie" Fredriksen, and Jim Stafford.

[3] With both John and Dino Elefante as the band's primary producers, Petra's already popular Christian pop/rock niche was given a timely boost.

Their accolades include multiple gold albums, 10 consecutive CCM Magazine Reader's Choice Awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Hard Rock Cafe, and becoming the only artist to ever have four albums in the SoundScan top-100 Christian chart.

In 1987, while producing a various-artists album called California Metal, the album's production team of John and Dino Elefante ended up one track short and they decided to add a song which had been written for Kansas called "Wasn't It Love" (originally titled "What About Love") as the band Mastedon.

He was committed as producer, eschewing other opportunities such as an offer to replace Bobby Kimball as lead singer for Grammy winners, Toto.

Elefante focused on heavier music in the early 1990s, including the Guardian release, Fire and Love, reaching regular rotation on MTV.

Its albums feature multiple lead singers and performances by other artists, creating an eclectic sound anchored by Elefante's songwriting.

Unfortunately, John and Dino's production schedule preempted any touring to commercially support the album (though the band did appear at least one Christian rock festival, Cornerstone, in 1991).

Under the brothers’ management, Sound Kitchen recorded artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and Buddy Guy.

Artists included Alabama, Amy Grant, Barry Manilow, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, George Strait, Gretchen Wilson, Jewel, Jimmy Buffett, Julio Iglesias, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Michael W Smith, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Third Day, Trisha Yearwood, and Vince Gill.

Elefante made a new Mastedon album, 3, featuring former Kansas bandmate Kerry Livgren.

[9][10] In 2013, Elefante released a single, "This Time" which was accompanied by a music video, that tells the story of his adopted daughter who was nearly aborted by her birth mother.

[11] The video shows a pregnant teenager entering an abortion clinic and then having a dream about a little girl she knew to be her unborn daughter.

[11] Elefante is a member of the Jay Sekulow Band which is named after band leader Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), and one of Donald Trump's personal lawyers during his US presidency.