This Tuesday (26), through an official statement made on its social networks, the veteran American hard rock band Autograph reported that its bassist and founder Randy Rand passed away. Randy was the only remaining member of the Autograph’s original lineup.
Read the band’s full statement:
“It is with great pain and heartache that we announce the unexpected passing of our dear friend and founding Autograph member Randy Rand.
At the time of his death, Randy was surrounded by his beautiful and infinite love, Regina Rand, and family. The band did not disclose the cause of death and did not make it clear whether the event occurred today.
While quite devastated, we found some comfort and solace in knowing that the past two years have been some of his happiest as an artist and performer. Randy was a consummate optimist and was very excited to see the new direction, creativity, and renewed energy in the band. You could feel his excitement – as it was quite palpable with his playing skills, performances, and the ways he interacted with his beloved fans.
As many of you know, Randy arrived in the late ’70s on the Sunset Strip music scene and was a talented, studio-savvy musician when he rose to prominence as an original member of the Autograph.
Fast forward 40 years, our brother was still making an impact in the music arena with his charismatic stage presence, and musical contributions, most notably with the release of our new album and partnership with Frontiers.
Sadly, there is only one Randy – a fabulous bassist, bandmate, brother, and human being. Collectively, over the past two years with this lineup, we’ve spent countless hours that have turned into something magical as we’ve created an unbreakable bond, which few bands have been lucky enough to experience. We had that and so we will continue to honor Randy Rand as he would have us do, as well as honoring our musical commitments and keeping his legacy alive.
At this time, we ask that you respect our privacy and thank you for the continued love, support, and light you all have shown him and us as we navigate these sad days ahead of us.”
Brazilian singer Simon Daniels, who has lived in the United States since the 80s, having joined Jailhouse at the height of hard rock, only commented: “My brother is in my heart forever”.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
