Autograph was an American glam metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. following a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City in late 1984.
Autograph's debut album, Sign In Please, The band then recorded a song titled "Winning Is Everything" for the film Youngblood.
Autograph recorded a third album, which took longer to record than the other two combined and Loud and Clear was released in the spring of 1987. but in the end could not sustain their own career. Disappointed, the remaining members disbanded in December 1989. According to Autograph's now-defunct "Turn Up the Web!" website, he had a daughter named Sterling Knight who has become a relatively well-known model in Italy. Rand died in April 2022.
Keni Richards – The drummer went on to work with the band Dirty White Boy, but later took a hiatus from the music business due to a chronic back problem he has had for several years. Nevertheless, he continued his passion for music and art, publicly saying he has no regrets. He later returned to the music industry, involving himself in songwriting and producing duties even after the band broke up and continued it even after band's reformation, wherein he participated for a short period of time. Richards died on April 8, 2017, reportedly in a drug-related homicide.
Steven Isham – The keyboardist remained active in the music business through the following years until his death from liver cancer at the age of 56 on December 9, 2008. Some of Isham's well-known duties include forming a band named The Pack with Gary Moon (who later replaced Jack Blades in the band Night Ranger) and being Vince Neil's drummer and assistant musical director during the latter's solo tour in 1993.
Eddie Cross – The drummer of the Los Angeles band, Hot Wheelz, joined Autograph and played on its 1989 tour and the new tracks on the Missing Pieces CD. He was later a member of several other L.A. bands, including Bad Boys (with former members of Quiet Riot), Vigilante Man (with Guns N' Roses co-writer West Arkeen) and Gilby Clarke (who later joined Guns N' Roses). In 1991, Cross went to law school in Orange County, California, and has been President of Law Offices of Edward H. Cross & Associates, PC since 1995. The firm opened in Santa Ana, California, relocated to Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i in 2004 and finally landed in Palm Desert, California, in 2005, where he practices construction and real estate law. He has a daughter and a son and is a world traveler and an avid photographer.
Reunion (2013–present)
In late 2013, original members Steve Lynch, Randy Rand, and Keni Richards got back together for a reunion and began touring in 2014. Due to Plunkett not being interested in doing the reunion, they have replaced him with Brazilian American singer/songwriter/guitarist Simon Daniels, a member of Jailhouse, Agent X, Flood, 1RKO. The band has an interview in Guitar World Magazine, and reviews in Classic Rock and Fireworks magazines.
Since 2014, by which time Richards had been replaced by Mark Wieland on drums, the band has played the Monsters of Rock Cruise, M3 Rock Festival, The Moondance Jam, The Halfway Jam, Firefest UK, Rockin the Rivers, The Iowa State Fair along with other festivals, theaters and worldwide touring.
On January 15, 2015, they released their first single, "You Are Us, We Are You", on iTunes. On April 21, they released their 2nd single, "I Lost My Mind in America". In July, the band was featured in USA Today NEWS after playing the famous Halfway Jam Rock Festival. On September 23, the band released their 3rd single "Every Generation" and is featured as track of the week on Classic Rock Magazine.
On January 7, 2016, the new 5 song EP Louder, with 4 original new singles and a live version of "Turn up the Radio", was released and is available on the official website.
On January 10, 2017, the band completed the recordings for the new full album which will be announced and released this year In March, the band had already toured the Midwest and Northeast US again, with shows in the UK and Germany and is booked solid for the rest of the year.
On April 8, 2017, Keni Richards died at the age of 60. The cause of his death appears to be a drug-related homicide.
On April 26, 2022, it was announced bassist Randy Rand, one of the original members, had died at the age of 69.
On August 16th, 2023, original lead guitarist Steve Lynch announced that he had won in his opposition in the trademark against Daniels, Wieland, and Bell, who intended on resuming touring following the death of original bassist Randy Rand without the licensing rights to the name, trademark and logo.
Band members
Former
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar, backing vocals <small>(1983–1989, 2013–2019)</small>
- Steve Plunkett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards <small>(1983–1989, 2002–2005)</small>
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals <small>(1983–1989, 2013–2022; his death)</small>
- Steven Isham – keyboards, backing vocals <small>(1983–1988; died 2008)</small>
- Keni Richards – drums <small>(1983–1988, 2013–2014; died 2017)</small>
- Eddie Cross – drums <small>(1988–1989)</small>
- T. J. Helmerich – lead guitar, backing vocals <small>(2002–2005)</small>
- Matt Laug – drums <small>(2002–2005)</small>
- Simon Daniels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar <small>(2013–2023)</small>
- Marc Wieland – drums <small>(2014–2023)</small>
- Jimi Bell – lead guitar, backing vocals <small> (2019–2023)</small>
- Steve Unger – bass, backing vocals <small>(2022–2023)</small>
Lineups and membership
{| class="wikitable toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="float: lleft; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
|+ Line-ups in eras
|-
!Years
!Lineup
!Albums/releases
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 1983–1988
|
- Steve Plunkett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar
- Steven Isham – keyboards, backing vocals
- Keni Richards – drums, percussion
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
|
- Sign In Please (1984)
- That's the Stuff (1985)
- Loud And Clear (1987)
|-
!1988–1989
|
- Steve Plunkett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar
- Eddie Cross – drums
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
|
None
|-
!1997
|
- Steve Plunkett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar
- Steven Isham – keyboards, backing vocals
- Keni Richards – drums, percussion
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
|
- Missing Pieces (1997)
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 2002–2005
|
- Steve Plunkett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
- T. J. Helmerich – lead guitar
- Lance Morrison – bass
- Matt Laug – drums
|
- Buzz (2003)
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 2013–2014
|
- Simon Daniels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Keni Richards – drums, percussion
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar
| None
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 2014–2019
|
- Simon Daniels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Marc Wieland – drums, percussion
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
- Steve Lynch – lead guitar
|
- Louder (2016)
- Get Off Your Ass (2017)
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 2019–2022
|
- Simon Daniels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Marc Wieland – drums, percussion
- Randy Rand – bass, backing vocals
- Jimi Bell – lead guitar
|
- Beyond (2022)
|-
! style="background:#e7ebee;"| 2022–2023
|
- Simon Daniels – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Marc Wieland – drums, percussion
- Steve Unger – bass, backing vocals
- Jimi Bell – lead guitar
|
None
|}
Timeline
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year
! Album
! width="50"| <small>US</small>
! RIAA certification
! Label
|-
| 1984
| align="left"| Sign In Please
| 29
|Gold
| RCA
|-
| 1985
| align="left"| That's the Stuff
| 92
| –
| RCA
|-
| 1987
| align="left"| Loud and Clear
| 108
| –
| RCA
|-
| 1997
| align="left"| Missing Pieces
| –
| –
| Pavement Records
|-
| 2003
| align="left"| Buzz
| –
| –
| POINT Music
|-
| 2003
| align="left"| More Missing Pieces
| –
| –
| POINT Music
|-
| 2011
| align="left"| The Anthology
| –
| –
| Cleopatra Records
|-
| 2016
| align="left"| Louder
| –
| –
| Autograph
|-
| 2017
| align="left"| Get Off Your Ass
| –
| –
| EMP Label Group
|-
| 2022
| align="left"| Beyond
| –
| –
| Frontiers Records
|-
| 2025
| align="left"| Send Her To Me
| –
| –
| FnA Records
|-
| 2025
| align="left"| Cloud 10
| –
| –
| FnA Records
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Song
!Album
!Billboard Hot 100
!US Mainstream Rock
|-
|1984
|"Turn Up the Radio"
|rowspan="2"|Sign In Please
|align="center"| 29
|align="center"|17
|-
|1985
|"Send Her to Me"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|1986
|"Blondes in Black Cars"
|rowspan="2"|That's the Stuff
|align="center"|-
|align="center"| 38
|-
|"That's the Stuff"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|1987
|"Loud and Clear"
|rowspan="3"|Loud and Clear
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Dance All Night"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"She Never Looked That Good For Me"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|2015
|"You Are Us, We are You"
|rowspan="3"|Louder
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"I Lost My Mind in America"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Get off your ass"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|-"Every Generation"
|-align="center|-
|-align="center|-
|-
|2020
|"Souls on Fire"
|rowspan="1"|[Non-Album Track]
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|2022
|"This Ain’t The Place I Wanna Be"
|rowspan="3"|Beyond
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"To Be Together"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|-
|"Take Me Higher"
|align="center"|-
|align="center"|-
|}
See also
- List of glam metal bands and artists
References
External links
- Official Website