Kari has been singing since the fourth grade. She continued through her high school years, performing many solos at school concerts. During Summer vacations, she would sing at various weddings.

      Her favorite singer is Pat Benetar. Her favorite song is "Heartbreaker" and Kari used to dream of singing this song in a band someday.

      Kari joined Kickstart in 1997 and it was perfect timing for her. She had been in the public eye enough, by then, to perform without being scared to death. It is such a thrill for her to be singing all the songs, including the one she had always wanted to do: "Heartbreaker." She is very happy to be part of such a great group of very talented and fun-loving guys.

      Kari was born in Eugene, Oregon and resided in Brownsville. When she was three, her family moved to the "Old Thompson Mill" house in Shedd. Eventually her family moved to Halsey, where she attended Central Linn High School, graduating in 1984.

      On January 12th, 1989, Kari married Kurt Hagen. They have two children; Logan and Dakota. The new family dog Melange and the cat Gabby make up the rest of the family. Family is very important to Kari.

      In 1995, she started her own karaoke business called Kari'oke! It was pretty easy to come up with the name. Her specialty is private parties, weddings, and work parties.