Brion Scot Leftwich

Brion Scot Leftwich was born on August 10, 1956, in LaJolla, California, the son of James Dale Leftwich and Wilma Jean (Andrews) Leftwich. He passed away at his home in Olathe, Kansas on Saturday, April 19, 2025.

Brion graduated from East Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1974. He later moved back to the Kansas City area where both of his parents were from. It was in Kansas that he met the love of his life, Peg. They were married on August 7, 1984. They shared 40 plus years of devotion and commitment to each other having a son, Ian, in 1990. They also shared their love of music together all of those years.

Brion was a talented, skilled, and passionate musician. He picked up a guitar around 8 years old and never looked back. Jazz was an early influence in his life. He came to understand through the music of Mingus, Kenton, Tjader, and Paich that everything was possible. He played many different instruments, but his voice and lead guitar were the instruments he faithfully shared with others that brought pure joy and entertainment.

Brion was in the following bands in Oklahoma: The Looney Tunes, Rail Head, Osprey, The Dave Pierce Trio, Creek County Outhouse, Wilderness, Galaxy, Anotar, Collage, and Counterpoint.

Brion was in the following bands in Kansas: Beck Langford, T-Bone, The Glide, Donnie Miller, GL2, Larry/Darrell/and Darly, The Three Peas Band, Ken Zans and Brion Leftwich (The Zan-Wich Brothers), Toot-Suite, Dirty Sparks, The House Cats, The Kansas City Chiefs Ambassadors All Star Band, Charlie and the Stingrays, Oscar Polk and Friends, and the last band he played in was The Kaopectones

While Brion played in Charlie and the Stingrays, they were inducted into the Dick Clark’s Walk of Fame at the former location of The American Bandstand Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas in 1999. As a member of Charlie and the Stingrays, he was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

Brion had to give up playing and singing due to COPD, but even after that, he mixed sound for several bands in the Kansas area. Music was in his blood. It was who he was and what he was created to do. He was kind, loyal, caring, committed, humble, generous, hardworking, witty, friendly and a true gentleman. His presence on this earth will be sorely missed.

Brion is survived by his lovely wife, Peg, and his son Ian. He also leaves behind his sister Brenna Wolfe and husband Stephen/Steve. He is also survived by his niece, Breia Brissey, and two step-nephews, Brenton Wolfe and Aaron Wolfe. He is survived by his sister-in-law Mary Ann Redinger, niece Kari Eicher, and nephew Mark Eicher. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Wilma Leftwich, his nephew David Michael Brissey. He was also preceded in death by his father-in-law, Frank Howard, and mother-in-law Wilma “Billie” Howard as well as his brother-in-law Alan Redinger.