STEEL SKARECROW
Passionate. Authentic. Exhilarating.
The members of STEEL SKARECROW not only love this music, but live it everyday of their lives! Anyone watching the band's performance will see from the first strum of the guitar, a heartfelt expression of their genuine love for the genre and the audience feels it with every note.
Lead Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
KURT
SHOBE
Kurt Shobe from McPherson, Kansas, singer/songwriter, has performed across the Midwest, including Nashville, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri, and has shared the stage with stars such as racy Lawrence, Shenandoah, Ricochet, Ricky Skaggs, The Bellamy Brothers, Restless Heart, John Anderson, Sawyer Brown, Patty Loveless, Shotgun Red, The Girls Next Door, Tom T Hall, and numerous others. He has been writing music for many years, and received airplay for his original songs, including Texas regional radio top 40 songs “Queen of Memphis”, and “Liquid Courage”. Kurt writes and sings lead and harmony vocals, along with lead and rhythm guitar for the songs on Steel Skarecrow’s albums.
Steel Guitar, Fiddle, Acoustic Guitar, Dobro
ROLLIN SCHMIDT
Rollin Schmidt from Newton, Kansas, Steel guitar/fiddle/acoustic guitar, is the finest overall musician in the area. He has also been playing music for many years, and has worked in just about every genre of music from bluegrass to country, and even some rock’n’roll.
Guitar/Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals
CHRIS
VONOOT
Christian VonOot, guitar and backing vocals, was born and raised in Northern New York State. Chris moved to the great State of Kansas in 2009 while serving in the US Army at Fort Riley. Chris is an Iraq War Veteran and has proudly called Kansas his home since 2009. Chris began playing guitar when he was 12 and has played in bands since the age of 15. Since then, Chris has played a wide variety of music that ranges from Country to Rock, including Southern Rock. Over the last four decades, Chris has played with notable Country entertainers including Neal McCoy, The Charlie Daniels Band, Dwight Yoakum, Rascal Flats, Yankee Grey, The Dixie Chics and the late, great Toby Keith.
Drums, Harmony Vocals
RANDY MANNING
Randy Manning began playing drums and bass guitar in high school. By the 10th grade, he was invited to play drums with his local college jazz band, which led to performing with multiple bands and eventually forming his own. After relocating to Missouri in 2004, he continued playing with various bands as well as in church settings.
With over 50 years of musical experience, Randy has been fortunate to open for artists such as Tracy Lawrence, comedian Jerry Clower, Bill Monroe, Ace Cannon, and Bobby G. Rice. While performing in the gospel music genre, he has shared the stage with The Florida Boys, The Hinsons, The Chuck Wagon Gang, and others. He has also contributed to numerous studio recording sessions for multiple artists.
Born in Kentucky and raised in Alabama, Randy now resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
Lead, Harmony Vocals & Bass Guitar
ARTHUR WHITE
Arthur White, lead, harmony vocals, and bass for Steel Skarecrow, is also a composer, arranger, critically acclaimed jazz saxophonist, budding rock and fusion guitarist, and Kansas native who is back home after a career teaching jazz and pop music in universities across the US. He has written music for and recorded with jazz Grammy winners and nominees, toured with Motown legends Gladys Knight, the Temptations, and the Four Tops, among others and received national jazz radio airplay for two critically acclaimed albums under his own name for the Artists Recording Collective label. His third jazz album will be out in 2026, and his fourth album, currently being recorded with master musician brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonette, is due for a late 2027 release. Arthur is also a licensed professional counselor with a Master of Education in Counseling from Wichita State University, runs New Road Counseling, LLC in Wichita, and will enter the PhD in Counseling program at WSU in August 2026; he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance from UNC Greensboro and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from West Virginia University. On the country side, Arthur has performed with bands in support of Restless Heart, Shenandoah, Chely Wright, Neal McCoy, T. Graham Brown, and Martina McBride, among others.