Original AUTOGRAPH Singer STEVE PLUNKETT Announces Long-Awaited Second Solo Album ' Straight Up'

The year was 1984, the year of the cassette boombox and the Sony Walkman, and the year when a little band from Los Angeles invited the world to "Turn Up The Radio". That band was AUTOGRAPH, fronted by the fiery-haired powerhouse vocalist Steve Plunkett, and their single became an immediate smash hit from the debut album "Sign In Please" and was featured in numerous films and TV shows of that era.

But as big as AUTOGRAPH was, it could not contain the creative energy of Plunkett. He soon found a new career as an in-demand songwriter for bands such as THE GO-GO'S, Edgar Winter and VIXEN as well as doing production work for Cyndi Lauper and Graham Nash. He released his first solo album in 1991, an album that showed Plunkett's growing confidence in both his own songwriting and studio techniques. Now, more than three decades later, Plunkett is ready to release his second solo album, a smokin' hot collection called "Straight Up".

This 10-track all-killer-no-filler album cranks up the volume knob to 11 and shows that Plunkett hasn't lost an ounce of the passion and power that made him a hard rock hero. Just check out the album's first single "Rock Machine", which kicks off with a driving guitar lick and chanted lyric that lunges straight at the listener's jugular. It's a powerblast of pure, unfiltered rock mania as only Plunkett knows how to deliver.

Reflecting on the album, Plunkett declares: "With 'Straight Up', I wanted to get back to rock basics. No parameters or targets — just the kind of real rock that got me excited back in the day. Fast, fun and loud!"

"Straight Up" will be available on both CD and digital July 26 via Cleopatra Records.

Track listing:

01. Rock Machine
02. Here We Go
03. First Step
04. Six String Hero
05. Rock Star
06. We're Gonna Jam
07. Knock Out Punch
08. On The Stage
09. Gotta Jump
10. Start It Up

Founding AUTOGRAPH guitarist Steve Lynch recently settled a lawsuit against some of the later members of the band over the AUTOGRAPH name. As part of the settlement, the musicians who have been performing as AUTOGRAPH in recent years will now be called AUTOGRAPH BEYOND. Meanwhile, Lynch has retained all rights to the AUTOGRAPH brand name, trademarks and logo.

Plunkett and Lynch were part of the original AUTOGRAPH band alongside bassist Randy Rand, drummer Keni Richards and keyboardist Steve Isham. Rand, Richards and Isham passed away in 2022, 2017 and 2008, respectively.

AUTOGRAPH BEYOND consists of Simon Daniels (a.k.a. Danny Simon) on vocals, Marc Wieland on drums, Jimi Bell on guitar and Steve Unger on bass.