Who was Randy Rand ? Tributes pour in as Founding Autograph bassist passes away

Randy Rand, bassist from the Autograph band, recently passed away. The band announced the news on social media, and their official statement reads,

“It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts to announce the unexpected passing of our cherished friend and founding member of Autograph, Randy Rand. Although beyond devastated, we find some comfort and solace knowing the last couple of years have been some of his happiest as an artist and as a performer.”

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The statement continued,

“Randy was the consummate optimist and was so excited to see the new direction, creativity and renewed energy with the band. You could feel his excitement – as it was quite palpable with his playing abilities, performances and the way he interacted with his beloved fans.”

The band ended the statement by saying,

“Collectively in the last couple of years with this formation, we spent numerous hours that turned into something magical while creating an unbreakable bond few bands are fortunate enough to ever experience. We had that… and with that, we will continue to honor Randy Rand, as he would want us to and honor our musical commitments and keep his legacy alive.”

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Everything that's known about Randy Rand

Rand began his career by playing in the bands of the Sunset Strip area during the mid-70s. He then formed Autograph in 1984 with Steve Plunkett, Steve Lynch, Steven Isham, and Keni Richards.

Randy Rand was the founding member of the Autograph band (Image via Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

The group’s first album, Sign in Please, was released in 1985 and topped the Billboard 200 chart. The band released two more albums, That’s the Stuff and Loud and Clear, and they disbanded in 1989.

Randy then turned to making leather accessories, and while speaking in an interview in 2012, he said that when the band broke up, they knew it was time for them to move on. He also mentioned that he was tired of chasing success.

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Autograph previously returned with some new members in the early 2000s and released an album entitled Buzz. However, they disbanded again, and later in 2013, Rand, Lynch, and Richards decided to bring the band back, and vocalist Simon Daniels joined them.

The group released an album, Louder, in 2016 and Get Off Your A** in 2017. Lynch left the group, and Rand was the only remaining member of the band at the time of his death.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Twitter was flooded with tributes from Randy Rand’s fans as soon as they heard about his death:

Further details about the bassist’s career, educational background, and personal life are not in the public domain as of now.