Richard John Williams (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist, primarily known for being one of the only consistent original members of the rock band Kansas alongside drummer Phil Ehart.
[1] Williams shared guitar duties with keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren until 1984 when Kansas first broke up, and later from 1990 to 1991 and 1999 to 2000.
In live performances, violinist Joe Deninzon serves as a second guitarist when the song being played contains little or no violin, as did his predecessor, David Ragsdale.
Among the songs Williams co-wrote with the band are "Can I Tell You", "No Room for a Stranger", and the hit "Play the Game Tonight".
In 2009, Williams, along with fellow Kansas members Ehart, Billy Greer, and David Ragsdale, formed a group called Native Window that released one album.