Just learned someone I've known since the mid-sixties has ALS. Sterling was a brilliant musician and

[Floyd R. Turbo]

wonderful guy. He never spoke ill of anyone, ever. As I understand it he is in hospice care.

Those of my age from Central Ohio will remember him.



Front row L-R: Mike Meyer (guitar), Ed Mikusa (vocals), Sterling Smith (keyboards). Back row L-R: Dave Hessler (bass and lead guitar), Robin Jenney (lead guitar and bass), Mike Baumann (drums)

He majored in harpsichord at Ohio State University, but was equally interested in rock and, in particular, “progressive” rock. He was a partner in Owl Recording Studios Inc. in Columbus Ohio in the early 70s, recording two albums with prog rock band "The Load". Earlier he played and sang in bands: The Lowbrows, J. D. Blackfoot, The Grayps and Osiris. The Studio moved to California in 1977.

After The Load disbanded in 1979 Sterling remained in L.A. to work as a session musician.

Sterling has recorded with some of the biggest names in music including The Beach Boys, Randy Meisner (from The Eagles), The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Bob Dylan and Barry Manilow to name, but a few.He also had time to tour and was musical director and onstage pianist for Twyla Tharp and Mikhail Baryhsnikov’s 1993-94 “Cutting Up” tour.

MOVIE & TV Soundtrack credits include:
“Wild at Heart,” “Footloose” (original version), “Old School,” “Smart House,” “Powwow Highway,” “Flashback,” “Silver Spoons,” “Buck James” and numerous TV shows and movies.

[highplainsdem]

1. I was just googling and found a GoFundMe for him:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/sterling-smith-has-als-needs-financial-help

[Floyd R. Turbo]

6. Thanks for posting it HPD.

[highplainsdem]

7. You're very welcome! Sterling and his family are dealing with a nightmare, and

I was so sorry to read that his wife's health is suffering, too, from the stress.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

8. Dawn posted a thank you earlier. I can't imagine having to go through what she is.

[Phoenix61]

2. That's a very impressive career. ALS is a horrible disease.nt

[highplainsdem]

3. Floyd, I'm so sorry your friend has ALS and is so very ill already.

Sterling was diagnosed a year later than a musician with ALS whom I posted a thread for last summer - not sure you've looked at it, but it's at https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181674319 . George Kooymans was the lead guitarist and main songwriter for Golden Earring, and also in a trio with two other Dutch musicians who were stars in their own right in the Netherlands, and a duo with an American guitarist, Frank Carillo. His diagnosis ended all three groups, though Golden Earring later released a CD and DVD of their last concert in late 2019, and he and Frank Carillo finished their second album and released that last summer. And his third and final album with his Vreemde Kostgangers trio was finished and released and is now in its second week in the Dutch Top 10. But I believe that's the last of the music he'd started working on before ALS hit.

George started seeing doctors in the summer of 2020 when he started having trouble holding his guitar pick. He can still talk and sometimes does interviews, but he has to use a walker, or a wheelchair if he has to go any distance. (There are a lot of updates in that thread.)

George has said that playing guitar was his life, and ALS took that from him. And music has obviously been your friend's life as well. He's had a very impressive career.

I'm so sorry, for Sterling and his family, that he has such a cruel disease. As I mentioned in the OP of that thread for George, I knew someone who died of ALS only 2 years after the diagnosis, dying when he was only 50. Ernie had been a successful scriptwriter and producer, and also coached boys' basketball. His first ALS symptom was falling while playing basketball. But it quickly changed everything for him, and his family.

I keep hoping for a cure to be found...

[highplainsdem]

4. Article on the Grayps:

https://www.buckeyebeat.com/grayps.html

[highplainsdem]

5. I found video of Sterling and Tom Smith playing in their

band The Load. Sterling on keyboards, of course. His brother Tom on drums.

EDITING to add that I found some info on the video in the YouTube comments:

The Load playing "Dave's 'A' Song" which would appear on their first album. The Load: Sterling Smith - Keyboards, Dave Hessler - Doubleneck bass & guitar, Tom Smith - drums. Recording at Owl Recording Studios in Columbus Ohio, August 9, 1974. Warner Cable (pre-QUBE) was trying out their brand new remote truck for future collaborative efforts with Owl Recording airing live concerts.

The comments included this one from Tom Smith:

The shirt is pretty funny as I didn't drink at all back then! The double neck was heavy, so much so Dave's Dr. mentioned some sort of stress or difference in his two shoulders.

[LudwigPastorius]

9. That's a wicked home-brew doubleneck.

He's getting a real Chris Squire sound out of that bass.