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John Kay

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John Kay is the stage name of Joachim Krauledat (born 12 April 1944, Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany, now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia) a German-born Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist known as the front man of Steppenwolf.

In the Evacuation of East Prussia in early 1945, in harsh winter conditions, his mother first had to flee with the baby boy from the advancing Soviet troops. In 1948, the two also fled from Arnstadt in the East German Soviet occupation zone to resettle in Hanover, West Germany (as recounted in his song "Renegade" on the album Steppenwolf Seven). Located in the British occupation zone, teen aged Joachim, suffering from eyesight problems, listened to music broadcast by the British Forces Broadcasting Service before his family moved to Canada in 1958.

In 1965, he joined a blues rock and folk music group named The Sparrows (later known as The Sparrow), which had moderate success in Canada before moving to California, augmenting its line-up and changing its name to Steppenwolf in 1967. With music that pioneered hard rock and heavy metal, Steppenwolf had international success with songs such as "Born to Be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride", "Monster", "The Pusher", and "Rock Me". This was multiplied by the use of "Born to Be Wild" and "The Pusher" in the 1969 movie Easy Rider.

He recorded both as a solo artist and with Steppenwolf during the late 1970s. As of 2017, John Kay continues to perform with Steppenwolf.

Data provided by Discogs

Top Tracks

Most popular songs on Last.fm · click ▶ to preview on Spotify

1

I'm Movin' On

John Kay

2

My Sportin' Life

John Kay

3

Drift Away

John Kay

4

Sookie sookie

John Kay

5

Born to Be Wild

John Kay

Tour Dates

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Releases

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Setlists

20 live performances · data from Setlist.fm

All · 20
2018
2017

Setlist data provided by Setlist.fm

October 14, 2018

Decades of Wheels

Baxter Springs, Kansas, United States

  • 1. Sookie Sookie(Don Covay cover)

  • 2. Rock & Roll Rebels

  • 3. Rock Me(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 4. I'm Movin' On(Hank Snow cover)

  • 5. Who Needs Ya(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 6. Hey Lawdy Mama(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 7. Hold On (Never Give Up, Never Give In)

  • 8. Ride With Me, Baby(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 9. Screaming Night Hog(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 10. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man(Willie Dixon cover)

  • 11. Monster(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 12. Magic Carpet Ride(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 13. Born to Be Wild(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 1. The Pusher(Hoyt Axton cover)

🎵 Full Setlist Details

View on Setlist.fm →

September 29, 2018

Mystic Amphitheater

Prior Lake, Minnesota, United States

  • 1. Sookie Sookie(Don Covay cover)

  • 2. Rock & Roll Rebels

  • 3. Rock Me(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 4. I'm Movin' On(Hank Snow cover)

  • 5. Who Needs Ya(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 6. Hey Lawdy Mama(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 7. Hold On (Never Give Up, Never Give In)

  • 8. Ride With Me, Baby(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 9. She's Got the Goods(John Kay cover)

  • 10. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man(Willie Dixon cover)

  • 11. Monster(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 12. Magic Carpet Ride(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 13. Born to Be Wild(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 1. The Pusher(Hoyt Axton cover)

🎵 Full Setlist Details

View on Setlist.fm →

September 15, 2018

The Great Frederick Fair Grandstand

Frederick, Maryland, United States

  • 1. Sookie Sookie(Don Covay cover)

  • 2. Rock & Roll Rebels

  • 3. Rock Me(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 4. I'm Movin' On(Hank Snow cover)

  • 5. Who Needs Ya(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 6. Hey Lawdy Mama(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 7. Hold On (Never Give Up, Never Give In)

  • 8. Ride With Me, Baby(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 9. She's Got the Goods(John Kay cover)

  • 10. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man(Willie Dixon cover)

  • 11. Snowblind Friend(Hoyt Axton cover)

  • 12. Monster(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 13. Magic Carpet Ride(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 14. Born to Be Wild(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 1. The Pusher(Hoyt Axton cover)

🎵 Full Setlist Details

View on Setlist.fm →

August 31, 2018

Oregon State Fairgrounds

Salem, Oregon, United States

  • 1. Sookie Sookie(Don Covay cover)

  • 2. Rock & Roll Rebels

  • 3. Rock Me(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 4. Magic Carpet Ride(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 5. Born to Be Wild(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 6. The Pusher(Hoyt Axton cover)

🎵 Full Setlist Details

View on Setlist.fm →

August 27, 2018

New York State Fairgrounds

Syracuse, New York, United States

  • 1. Sookie Sookie(Don Covay cover)

  • 2. Rock & Roll Rebels

  • 3. Rock Me(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 4. I'm Movin' On(Hank Snow cover)

  • 5. Who Needs Ya(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 6. Hey Lawdy Mama(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 7. Hold On (Never Give Up, Never Give In)

  • 8. Ride With Me, Baby(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 9. She's Got the Goods(John Kay cover)

  • 10. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man(Willie Dixon cover)

  • 11. Snowblind Friend(Hoyt Axton cover)

  • 12. Monster(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 13. Magic Carpet Ride(Steppenwolf cover)

  • 14. Born to Be Wild(Mars Bonfire cover)

  • 1. The Pusher(Hoyt Axton cover)

🎵 Full Setlist Details

View on Setlist.fm →

Missing a show? Setlists sync automatically every 7 days.

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🎟️ Upcoming Shows

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Concert Tickets available at StubHub!

🎵 Vinyl & Merchandise

John Kay - Forgotten Songs Original Vinyl LP VG+ FULLY TESTED

John Kay - Forgotten Songs Original Vinyl LP VG+ FULLY TESTED

$8.00
JOHN KAY AND THE SPARROW (VG+) CS-9758 LP VINYL RECORD

JOHN KAY AND THE SPARROW (VG+) CS-9758 LP VINYL RECORD

$6.99
John Kay & Steppenwolf Wolftracks LP Vinyl Record Jem Records Rock 1980s

John Kay & Steppenwolf Wolftracks LP Vinyl Record Jem Records Rock 1980s

$17.00
John Kay - Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes - 1st Press 1972 Dunhill LP + Insert

John Kay - Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes - 1st Press 1972 Dunhill LP + Insert

$9.00

Similar Artists

If you like John Kay, check out these artists:

John Kay & Steppenwolf
John Kay And The Sparrow
West, Bruce & Laing
Stone The Crows
Paul Kossoff
Roger Chapman
Pat Travers & Carmine Appice
Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Edgar Winter's White Trash
Baker Gurvitz Army

People Also Ask

John Kay's most-played tracks include I'm Movin' On, My Sportin' Life, Drift Away, Sookie sookie, Born to Be Wild. Listen to these songs and explore more from their catalog on this page.

John Kay is the stage name of Joachim Krauledat (born 12 April 1944, Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany, now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia) a German-born Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist known as the front man of Steppenwolf.In the Evacuati... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find John Kay vinyl records, CDs and collectibles on eBay. Browse the selection of new and used releases available for purchase.

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