Michael Bloomfield and Rick Wright

You are cordially invited to celebrate the 66th birthday of these two amazing and talented musicians.

July 28, 1943 was obviously a rare and magical day.

Michael Bloomfield

7/28/43-2/15/81

What can I say about Michael Bloomfield? One of my all-time favorite people. If you've read my book, Everybody I Shot Is Dead, you know why.

Here's Michael playing with the late great Muddy Waters (another musician I photographed a couple of times but can't find the negatives) from the Chicago Blues Summit in 1974...

And what can I say about Rick Wright? He is such a huge part of music history. Even though he was quieter than most of his bandmates, his contribution to Pink Floyd was huge. As Dave Gilmour put it, "...his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound."

Rick Wright
7/28/43 – 9/15/08

This video from the late 80s not only shows off Rick's ability on keyboards but also his writing talent and his beautiful voice...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL and RICK!
Wish You Were Here.

You can see lots more pictures and learn more about Michael Bloomfield and the 47 other musicians in my tribute book, Everybody I Shot Is Dead. Rick Wright passed away after EISID was published but will continue to be honored on this blog and hopefully a part of a future new media version of my book.

Rick Wright

Rick Wright
July 28, 1943 – September 15, 2008

You should know by now that I hate it when someone I've photographed passes away. The mid-seventies was such an amazing and magic time for music. I wish I could have stopped time so all of us could relive those times in eternity. Rick Wright and the work of Pink Floyd was a huge part of the magic of the time.

These are two of my photos of Rick Wright, previously unseen, first time out of the box.

The following is an amazing video I found on youtube. I'm guessing you haven't seen it since it's only had 2800 views. Rick Wright is featured in the studio playing piano on his song, Us and Them. Well worth a look. According to Wikipedia, this was a staged session shot in January 1973, while they were mixing Dark Side of the Moon, and is on the 1974 re-release of film, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii.

Oops...

...I owe a memorial post to Rick Wright of Pink Floyd who passed away on September 15th. I shot Pink Floyd sometime in 1975. Barely. I have 18 bad (as in the 'bad' bad, not the 'good' bad) black & white frames and 14 semi-not great color slides. I don't remember much about shooting the show and don't remember if I even met them. I'd like to say I was on LSD or something...but I wasn't.

I remember seeing them, and meeting them, years later - around 1992 - in Los Angeles...the show with the giant floating animals, but then again, Rick wasn't with them then. And I didn't take pictures at that show.

Hopefully, I will have a chance to scan a photo of Rick tomorrow...after I meet my new accountants so I can get my 2007 taxes done.

Also, I am wishing Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein speedy recoveries. I never photographed Blink 182. But I did allow Jaimie to go to their concert at the Hollywood Palladium - her first - with some friends when she was fifteen. When I picked them up, Jaimie proudly lifted her shirt. Written in a fat black Sharpie on her abdomen was:

Travis
was
here.

With a big arrow pointing downward to you-know-where.

Of course, she was thrilled. And I thank him for making her first concert a memorable one.