Sterling Smith has ALS, needs financial help.

Many of you know my brother Sterling Smith, a pretty amazing keyboard player who started out here in Columbus Ohio, with the Grayps, J.D Blackfoot, Osiris, and our band, The Load. He moved to Los Angeles in 1977, where he continued playing music for a living. His incredible talent had him playing with The Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, Jan and Dean, Randy Meisner, and others. He was paid for each of his gigs, but not paid residuals, and although he has many wonderful memories of those years, the money that he earned in the 1970s and 1980s is long gone.

When COVID hit in the spring of 2020 so many people in the entertainment business lost all of their work. Sterling and the band he was playing in, The Hodads were no different, and Sterling and his wife Dawn began using their savings to get by. While cutting back on bills, they dropped his life insurance policy.

In the fall of 2021, as the world was slowly coming out of COVID, my brother began having trouble talking. After a short time, doctors determined he had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a rapidly progressing neurological disease that leads to weakness and the loss of the ability to control muscles. This means that Sterling has lost the ability to speak, and is losing his ability to move his arms, legs, and body.

It is terminal, and there is no cure. He has recently been put on home Hospice.

As the bands that he played with began playing gigs once again, Sterling was not able to return to playing. His wife who had been able to start getting back to work after COVID has had to pull back on work, as he can not be left alone. The savings that they have been living on are almost depleted. We expect expenses to rise, as not all of the care that Sterling needs are covered by health insurance. If he requires nursing home care, the uncovered expenses for that alone can easily reach $5,000 a month. If he is able to remain at home, the expenses can be even higher.

Dawn’s health has started to suffer as well, from the stress of caring for Sterling, the knowledge of how serious this illness is, and the worries about money.

Any donation to help Sterling, Dawn, and their son Daniel is greatly appreciated.

Tom T Smith

Columbus, Ohio