Los Angeles
1985
I photographed David during the time that he was battling his drug habit. The interesting thing was that in working with him, I found him very emotionally present, very real and responsive. I was surprised by his openness. I didn’t like what he was wearing so I loaned him my shirt ‘off my back’ and it looked so good on him, I gave it to him. He wore it onstage that night at the Hollywood Bowl.
Los Angeles
1979
I was aware of Curtis’s role in expanding the public’s consciousness around race issues. When he arrived for the session, in came one of the most gentle and caring people I had ever met. At one point, he composed a song for us – “here’s me looking at you looking at me”. The session was filmed and we have recently developed it 36 years later. Amazingly, there is an image, a little grainy but it’s all there.
New York
1979
This session took place at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. They were a quintessential New York group and a part of the Chelsea’s distinctive milieu. Debbie Harry arrived late in a funk but ultimately, we ended up perched on a balcony. The band, someone to hold the light, my assistant and myself, all on this tiny balcony. The Chelsea was already very old and I was terrified the entire structure would come down. Despite the rocky beginning, Debbie rose to the occasion and we wound up working harmoniously together.
Los Angeles
1985
This was another filmed session and we had a wonderfully intimate conversation about Billy’s work as a director: “All of us who are making movies, we are entering a dark room and every one of us can fall over a piece of furniture and break a leg. Some of us see a little better in the dark than others. It’s just a race – when are you going to be at the best that it is in you before you croak.”
Los Angeles
1976
Albert came for a session in my Sunset Blvd studio. I discovered that he is an ex-cop and is simply huge in stature. Ultimately, he sat in front of the camera singing and playing guitar. As is often the case, we have a private performance that we filmed. There was something about his look that was so graphic I couldn’t take a bad shot.
Woodside
1984
I had been engaged by Rolling Stone Magazine to do a story on the new ‘Apple’ company in Cupertino. After I had shot the team I asked Steve if we could shoot at his house and he agreed. We were having a very intense conversation about creativity and suddenly Steve jumped up and said ‘I want to show you something!’ He came running back with the as yet unreleased Mac and plopped down in a ‘lotus’ position with it on his lap. I got the shot in an instant – it was a totally spontaneous moment. That shot later became the cover of Time Magazine.
Los Angeles
1973
I relocated to LA as Creative Director of United Artist Records in 1971 and rented a house in Laurel Canyon. Steve lived in a bungalow on my street and Steve’s manager gave me a video of Steve sitting on a toilet telling jokes. I took it to the execs at UA. They looked at it and said they didn’t think he was funny and passed on him. Shortly after that, Steve became a runaway success. I worked with Steve multiple times and my biggest problem was to hold the camera steady – I would laugh all the way through.
Los Angeles
1977
The Ramones were not interested in a conversation but I was intrigued by their quirky and funky style of torn jeans and ‘keds’ that had a definite look. It was in its own way, anti -fashion and yet a definitive fashion statement. I had never worked with a group that had so little to say. But I had plenty to work with, capturing images that said so much with so little.
Los Angeles
1979
Working with a group is always a challenge. How do you get four or more individuals to work as one. I have to create an intense interaction with every one of the band members equally or I would lose them in terms of presence. In this case their was no problem – Eddie was the quintessential rock star and David Lee Roth had an athleticism that was astounding. They just kept going and going and the guitar riffs were incredible.
Las Vegas
1979
I shot Willie on the rooftop of a hotel in Las Vegas. Hanging out with him was like hanging with a close buddy. He is always himself, with a wonderful sense of who he is and what he stands for. There was an intensity to his eye contact that reflected his directness, his informality and at the same time a look ‘of the ages’ of someone who has lived a full and expressive life.
