In Memoriam: Songwriter, Musician, Recording Engineer and Artist Randy Cierley-Sterling

    LOS ANGELES, CA, April 05, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With a career spanning five decades, Randy Cierley-Sterling was a highly revered and respected bassist and 12 string guitar player in both the San Francisco and Los Angeles music scenes. A celebrated studio and touring musician, singer, songwriter, engineer, arranger and producer, Randy's first taste of fame was in High School when his band Rick Lee & the Barons backed The Pardons on their recording of "Diamonds and Pearls", which hit #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 list.

In 1967-68, his band MC2 (MC Squared) included drummer Jim Keltner who later played on John Lennon's "Imagine" album and as a member of the Travelling Willburys. MC2 recorded a much anticipated album only to have it shelved upon completion. This "lost album" was finally released on CD in 2012 as "MC Squared - Tantalizing Colours: The Reprise Recordings".

Sterling made his mark in popular music as a member of the Neil Diamond band, touring from 1969-1971, and in the studio on Diamond's 1970 albums "GOLD Live at the Troubadour" and "Tap Root Manuscript", which produced Diamond's #1 hit, "Cracklin' Rosie" as well as "I Am... I Said", and "Holly Holy". He played bass and banjo on Harry Nilsson's Grammy winning, "Everybody's Talkin' ", he produced The Association's first album, played on Sonny & Cher's hit "I Got You Babe", co-produced a song on Cher's first solo album "All I Really Want To Do", and did sessions with the likes of J. D. Souther, Jackson Browne, Kenny Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Cal Tjader, We Five, The Kingston Trio and Gabor Szabo.

"I've worked with everyone from A - to - Z," Randy often said. "A" being Ann Margaret, and "Z" being Frank Zappa.

Despite a motorcycle accident rendering him paralyzed from the waist down over 25 years ago, Randy continued his musical carrier as one of the busiest and most sought after session musicians in Los Angeles.

In the 90's Sterling formed the band "Spare Change" with David Morgan and started the Indy label "Aural Illusions" in the San Diego market and produced albums for his band and other area talent.

Randy passed away peacefully in his home in La Mesa, California after a short battle with cancer. He is survived by his sons Colt and Pecos Cierley, as well as a long list of non-nuclear family.

He was 76 years old.

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