Is Late Better Than Never?

I finished the layout for George Harrison, except the last page. The page where I want to put the pictures of his Friar Park home. Especially the front gate with the gold plated "Friar Park" sign. I thought I put the slides with the Maureen Starkey pics. Nope. Not there. Went through my old stock shot binder. Not there. I still have some photos of the the outside of the house. But not the best ones.

So, I went back into the garage. And I found a box I hadn't opened in several years. No, I did not find any of the slides and negs I am missing. You would have heard me scream with delight had that happened.

What was in the box? Some old LP records that I thought were long gone. And a bunch of family pictures. And the thing I was looking for that I talked about in my "I'm Ashamed Of Myself" post on June 30. This is what I wrote:

"As if my last post wasn't enough to send me into a self-imposed permanent exile...

Went to a movie last night and rushed home because the movie inspired me to post something on my blog. Not a story. Not a review. A something. A something that I had to find. I looked everywhere it could possibly be (the office, the garage, the old office area...) but, alas, I couldn't find it."

The movie I had gone to see was Superman Returns. I thought it sucked. So much so that I spent a couple of hours looking for this:

The real Superman.

Book Stats

Even though I wrote down what I was going to do after yesterday's post...I didn't.

The George Harrison pictures remain scattered across my desk, along with the stack of Lowell George photos. I started Beatle George but realized I hadn't alloted enough pages to accommodate the multitude of pretty color pictures. So, I looked around the list to see where I could cut a page or two. I hate doing that. But I knew I had to.

I went over to the Michael Bloomfield mess. For some reason I had two Michael Bloomfield layout files. What's up with that guy? It's not enough that he haunted my flight to New York last year. Now, he wants two sections in my book. What does he want? The opening and the closing? (Let me duck under my desk until the lightning bolts clear.)

Okay. Where was I? Thankfully, late last night, Mr. Bloomfield was ready to cooperate with me. At least as far as finishing his layout. But he was not willing to give up a page to Mr. Harrison.

Here are the morning stats:

8 layouts left to finish...Beach Boys (Dennis and Carl Wilson), Papa John Creach, Lowell George, Maurice Gibb, Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia and Keith Godchaux), George Harrison, John Lee Hooker and Gene Pitney.

And those 8 plus an additional 15 that need the slides and negs sized to go out for scanning. My goal is to have all of that done and to the scanners by Tuesday, giving me 7 weeks to research and write something about each of the musicians. As well as retouch the dust spots of the scans and put them into the layout. Then print out a couple of mock-ups. Oh yeah, and figure out the cover. And figure out a way to pay the bills.

I won't be getting out much in the next 7 weeks. No movies. No fun. Just sitting in this chair, in front of this computer, living with my dead rock stars. (Oops, that's a lie. I'm going to meet a friend for lunch at Lucy's today. But that's it. I promise.)

A lot of this is work is really sad for me, but I'm driven by the feeling that I'm doing the only thing I can to bring them back to life. Each and every one of them.

If only...

In Other News

I relieved my Lowell George depression by printing out my George Harrison pictures. My 11 color photos and twice as many black & white George Harrison pictures, thank you very much.

I was about to do the layout for George and Harrison (ha ha, get it?), but then decided to dig into my Michael Bloomfield section and finish the print-outs I started last month. Aack. His computer folder is in complete disarray. How appropriate. I started with his pictures a year ago February. I don't have that many - more lost pictures and another reason you'll read about in the book - but still, it's a mess. Reminds me of the time he sent me to his house to look at his artwork. Since he decided not to be there, I had to look through the house on my own. His bedroom looked like his computer folder. In other words, so bad that I had to take a break and write this post. Enough said.

When I'm done with this post, I'll probably flake on Michael and do the layout for George. The Beatle. I'm thinking it will flow easily. And easy is exactly what I'm looking for right now.

In other news...

I found Fred Kaplan's email address. Due to Dave Chamness not giving up. Thank you, Dave. You will be rewarded. It was his second to last stab that did the trick. I emailed Delta Groove and they emailed back his personal email address. I'll send him a note tonight. Yay...I don't have to drive all the way to Laguna to track him down.

I also heard back from Tim Renwick (through Brian Mathieson) about Peter Wood. Tim played in several bands with Peter, including the Al Stewart Band when I shot him. He didn't have the birth and death dates I'm looking for but he did go into how he died:

"The dates for Peter I'm not sure of. I know he died when he fell over and knocked himself out during a solitary drinking binge (it seems he was a secret drinker - schnapps being the drink of choice - so oblivion seeking, the motivation) I think the actual cause of death in such cases is hyperthermia. It was very tragic, at the time there had to be a `whip-round` to pay for his funeral expenses I was told. Those of us in the UK did not hear of his demise for a while as he'd separated from his wife and was hiding away a lot."

Very sad. Peter was a sweet fun-loving guy, as you will see by his photos (and the ones he took of me) in the book.

And finally, since I can't find my Lowell George color pics, the least I could do is confirm the identity of which son (we think it's Forrest) is in the photo with Lowell and Mo Ostin. I was going to ask Dave Chamness to take care of this for me - since he seems to have a lot of slack time -but I went ahead and found an email for George's daughter's manager. He sent the photo on to her and I am waiting to hear back.

Later.

It's Days Like This...

...that really bum me out.

When I do a layout for a musician in my book, the first thing I do is print out all the photos I have of them. Four to a page and then I cut them up so I can sort through them, look at them all at once and pick the pictures I want for the book.

I just finished all the Lowell George photos. I have 39 to pick from...but I'm really bummed because I am missing all of the live color shots. I know I took them. One of them is on the inside of the Waiting For Columbus album. See? It's right there:

I'm trying to get a copy of that shot through the record company. I really want to put it in the book, since Lowell said it was his favorite picture of himself.

Why the fuck didn't I take better care of my stuff?

It's A Party...

...and you're cordially invited.

Celebrating the 1st birthday of my blog.

Today.

Bring gifts.

Problem Solved

I was right. For once. The photos I thought were Keith Knudsen were indeed Keith Knudsen.

I went over to Marty Wolff's house this afternoon. Just down the street. A house that I drive by at least three or four times a week. What are the chances of that? A guy that was at the same concert in Vancouver as I was, way back when, now living down the street from me?

Marty did the Doobie Brothers lighting for many years. He did a great job. My photographs will attest to that. He is also a photographer. Check out his website.

Not only did he confirm the shots of Keith drumming...I had a couple of other shots of a guy singing at the front of the stage. I thought thye looked like Keith but thought I was crazy. What would he be doing standing in front? He's a drummer. Turns out I'm not crazy. They are of Keith...and they're good. Now that I think of it, I don't know why that surprises me - I have lots of pictures of Dennis Wilson singing up front. And The Eagles drummer Don Henley, for that matter.

Thanks for your confirmation, Marty!

Now, if someone could tell me how Ronnie Barron died. And when Peter Wood was born and how he died.

Please.

Kismet

I wanted to call this post synchronicity but I used it already. Therefore, kismet will have to do. Or maybe it's fate.

As you know, I have been concerned about my Keith Knudsen photos. As opposed to my John Hartman photos. Both being drummers in the Doobie Brothers at the same time, the former being dead and the latter much alive. Even though I'm pretty sure who's who, it would be a colossal mistake if I printed John Hartman for Keith Knudsen.

I posted my conundrum and received several helpful suggestions but not enough to be certain. I was going to post again or maybe get Dave Chamness - the guy who won my Lowell George contest and seems to know everything about everybody as it pertains to rock'n'roll - to look at both pics and see if he could make a positive, without a doubt, I.D. Because the last thing I want to do is spend thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to print a book that cannot be released.

Then today I had a lunch meeting with Roger. Remember Roger? He's my printer dude. He set up the meeting for me to meet another printer/publisher dude from their company. The publishing side of their company has put out several coffee table books pertaining to the music world. They wanted to know what my distribution plans were and are interested in playing a part. More on that next week.

Anyway, we had a very nice lunch at an Italian restaurant in Old Pasadena. In a previous post, I mentioned how much I liked Roger from the moment I met him. Turns out I instantly liked the printer/publisher dude, too. We'll call him Michael. We talked a lot about the business; what they were releasing this Fall and what I am planning to do with my book. We also talked a lot about marketing.

Then, toward the end of our lunch, Michael said something to Roger about the guy he met for breakfast today in Sherman Oaks. (Side note: I live in Sherman Oaks). A guy who toured with the Doobie Brothers. Uh, hello? I've been trying to get through to someone who could give me a positive I.D. on the Doobie Brothers' drummer for my book.

As luck or kismet would have it, the guy Michael met for breakfast gave him two business cards. So Michael gave me one of them. What's really weird is I think I've seen his card before. One of those deja vu feelings. Of course, I called him as soon as I got home. We're going to get together tomorrow. He lives about a mile down the road from me. Literally.

How 'bout them apples?

The Big Five-O

No, it's not my birthday.

I just hit number 50 on the list of musicians I shot who are dead. I received an email today from England enlightening me that another member of Back Door had also passed, just last summer. Drummer, Tony Hicks.

I started the book thinking there were 20.

Now there are 50.

Sheesh.

Some Are Harder Than Others

Yesterday and this morning I worked on the photo layout for Alex Harvey. It was difficult. He's not as famous as many of the musicians I am honoring but I have so many great photos of him. It's hard to leave any out. His show was very theatrical and he was an expressive guy. A photographer's dream. I finally finished it up at somewhere around 10 pictures in 6 pages.

I'm running out of pages again. I've done the layouts for 27 musicians. Nothing set in stone. Just a loose idea of what I want where. Still deciding whether to bleed some of the pages or frame all the photos in white. What I like about bleeding is the photo will be as large as possible. But then I have to crop top and/or bottom and some of them can't be cropped. Another downside is those pages may not look as 'clean.' It's weird. Some days I like the bleed. Some days I don't. Guess I'll figure it out when I print out some of the pages.

My plan is to finish all the layouts by the end of the month. What's that? Six days? I have 22 musicians left and 4 dedicatees (is that even a word?). 26 divided by 6 = 4.33333 per day. Gotta get it done. No time to linger on my photo decisions, like I did with Alex Harvey. 'Cause I'm going to need every minute of April and May to finish the written portions.

Off and Running

Yay!

It's happening.

The first batch of negs and slides went out today for hi res scans.

Marc Bolan, Stanley Turrentine, Donny Hathaway and Steve Currie.

Less than 10% but you gotta start somewhere.

No turning back now.

Pet Food Recall

If you have a dog or cat, please visit my friend, Max Adams' blog.

She's got all the latest info and links you need to keep your pets safe.

Barron/Bolan/Kath

Almost sounds like a law firm, doesn't it?

First, a moment of silence for the 10th anniversary of Ronnie Barron's death.

Second, I did the layouts for Marc Bolan and Terry Kath today, and I don't think their fans will be disappointed. I know that both of these guys have tons of fans. I can tell by the search words people use to find this blog. I wonder if their fans are mutually exclusive?

I couldn't decide what Marc Bolan photo should be the full page, so I gave him five full page photos - 4 color, 1 black and white, one page with a 3/4 black and white and a row of 5 small black and white photos across the top, and 3 smaller color shots on the text page. Not much room for words, but I suppose the fans will appreciate me shutting up.

Terry Kath fans should also be happy. He's got a full page color and two full page black and white. Plus a black and white neg strip that holds another 4 shots, and a full page with 4 color band shots. Oh, and one more band shot on the opening text page.

In further news, I decided to expand the book from 152 pages to 208 pages. That means more photographs. Way more. I don't have a final count but probably close to 400. Hopefully, something for everyone. I mean, who would ever expect to find John Lee Hooker, Tammy Wynette and Marc Bolan in the same book? I really hope that if you get the book for one musician, you'll enjoy the other 48 as well.

Keep rockin'.

Woe Is Me

I used to think I would make a great detective. I've always been good at figuring things out. And finding things. Except the whereabouts of some of my best pictures. Like the ones I shot of John Lee Hooker in his dressing room at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary. I have great shots of him that I took in Vancouver but the ones I shot in Calgary...damn.

Anyway, I'm obviously a crappy detective because I missed yet another musician who died. And again, I had checked out the band's website and there was nothing. Probably because they're just promoting their most recent line-up. Or, like on John Hartford's site, I didn't dig deep enough.

The latest find is Keith Knudsen, drummer for the Doobie Bros. He passed away in 2005. Only problem is the Doobie Bros. had two drummers - think how I'd feel if I put John Hartman's picture in the book instead of Keith Knudsen's. I'm pretty sure I know who's who but just in case, I'm currently looking for someone who can verify Keith's identity for me.

So, I'm quickly closing in on having 50 musicians in the book. When I started, I figured I had 20. I was fine with 20. I am not at all happy with the body count. It's really sad that we've lost so much great talent. Really, really sad.

Ronnie Barron Question

Ronnie Barron was a keyboard player originally from New Orleans. He played with tons of people. I shot him when he was with Paul Butterfield Better Days.

He died on March 20, 1997 at the age of 53.

Anybody know how he died?

Thanks.

Mike Gibbins

Without realizing it was his birthday today (Monday), I did his layout today (Sunday). He would have been 58 today. Here's one of the pictures of him that I didn't put in the book.

Happy Birthday, Mike.

I Work On Sundays...

...and I'm closing in on brain dead. By the end of today - or first thing tomorrow - I have to decide how many pages Everybody I Shot is going to be. I did my first estimate with the printers at 152 pages. When I got into the actual layout, I quickly realized that wasn't going to work. For starters, each musician is getting at least one full page photo. No text, no labels...just the photo. That means they also need another page with their name on it and some biographical information of who they are and when I shot them.

I now have around 48 musicians, not counting my 4 dedicatees. Right off, that's 96 pages. Call it 100 if I give a page for each dedication. Then there's the title page and the copyright page and the contents page and my introduction. And what if I get someone else to do an intro?

Then, of course, I am not limiting each musician to 2 pages. Some will only be two pages because I don't have enough photos to warrant more. But others are screaming at me for more space. Take John Bonham, for example. Right now, he has 9 pages, 4 of them full page photos (2 color and 2 b/w) and 4 or 5 other photos breaking up the text...which is long because I thought you might enjoy my Led Zeppelin story.

Some of the lesser known musicians will also have more pages because I love the pictures - just as pictures. Papa John Creach falls into that category. He let me hang out in his dressing room while he was warming up and chilling out. I got some really great candid shots. John Lee Hooker is another guy that my camera loved.

And I have a lot of great shots of the Beach Boys...and Maurice Gibb...and Terry Kath...and Waylon Jennings...and...and...and...

...and now I'm looking at the 200 page range. That's with designing it based on what I think are the best pictures, not necessarily the most popular names getting the most space. Do you think that's the best way to go?

Also, let me ask you...

Which musicians are you most looking forward to seeing?

Will you feel cheated if your favorite musician has less pages than a musician you have no interest in?

Would you prefer more pictures at a smaller size? Or less pictures at a bigger size?

And regarding price...

I would have been able to sell the 152 page version for $35. Would you be willing to pay more ($40-$45) for the extra 50 pages?

Thank you for participating in the interactive creation of Everybody I Shot Is Dead... where your opinions count!

Is Everybody I Shot Dead?

Beginning to seem like it. Two nights ago when I went through some of my negs again, I looked up John Hartford. Saw his website. Thought, "He's looking good. Glad he's still playing." And moved on.

Then today, I'm browsing an extensive 'these entertainers are dead' list online and there was his name. Did some more checking - just in case there was another John Hartford. Sure enough, the John Hartford I shot is dead. From non-hodgkin’s lymphoma on June 4, 2001. His website is online as a memorial. But it doesn't say anything about him being dead until the end of his biography. Nothing on the front page.

Thankfully, I found out from another source so I can honor him in the book. If you don't know who he is...he wrote the multi-Grammy winning song, Gentle On My Mind. And for those of you who are too young to remember that song, he also won a Grammy for his contributions to the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack.

Some days this project is really depressing. Like today. Damn. I really wish everybody I shot was alive.

I Can Barley See...Oops, Barely See

I never shot a lot of film at concerts. No motor drive. I would lay in wait. Until I saw the picture I wanted. Click.

In addition to the fairly simple task of compiling my Camel (a roll of color and a roll of black & white) and Back Door (3/4 of a roll of black & white), I scanned my Gene Pitney pictures. I shot him in L.A. at a recording studio. I was hired by Columbia Records. And I must have succumbed to the L.A. paradigm of over-shooting because I have around 100 pictures of him.

I've been sitting in front of the computer since 10 o'clock this morning. It's now 11:45 PM. Scanning. Printing. Trying to figure out how to fit all the good shots of Gene into the book without turning it into The Gene Pitney Book, starring Gene Pitney and a few supporting musicians. It's tough. There are a lot of good pictures of Gene and I'm sure his fans would love to see them all. But I can't put them all in the book.

I'm going to have to sleep on this and look at the printouts in the morning and see what jumps out at me. I'm pretty sure the picture of him eating his hamburger is going to make it. And probably the one where he fell asleep in a chair. There's three of him standing in front of a microphone with headphones on. In one he's singing, wearing a jacket and sunglasses. In another he's singing, no sunglasses and a tee shirt. And the other one, he turned and looked in the camera. I don't know. Which one should I pick?

Thank you for your support. I'm going to sleep now.

More Dead

I am continuing to work day and night on the book. Last night I finished up around midnight. Since it usually takes a half hour or so to unwind before I can fall asleep, I decided to take another look through a book of black and white negatives that I had previously checked and alphabetized. Sure enough I found two more musicians. Granted they are from more obscure bands, two bands I had checked out before but somehow missed the information of their deaths.

Ron Aspery was part of the English band, Back Door. They recorded four albums with Warner Bros. and toured with Emerson, Lake and Palmer. He passed away on December 10, 2003 after a long illness.

Peter Bardens, also a Brit, is best known for his progressive rock band, Camel. However, his influence on the rock'n'roll world goes much deeper. More on that in the book. He died of lung cancer on January 22, 2002.

I'm still searching for my Muddy Waters and Canned Heat photos, so who knows what else I may find.

Back to work.

More Bee Gees Questions

These are from some backstage photos that include Maurice Gibb. Just trying to identify the other people in the photos.

This woman is standing next to Barry Gibb. Is she his wife?

Anybody know this guy with her?
I think this could be a Bee Gees band member...anybody know his name?
Thanks for your help!

Another Plea For Help

The next three months are going to be crazy for me. I will be working 14/7. It would be 24/7 but even I have to sleep. It will be a miracle if I get the book finished in time, so I am counting on each and every one of you to help me. Whether you have been following this blog since the beginning or have just arrived, I'm asking for your participation.

Sometimes I will ask for your opinion on something. Questions that every one of you can answer. Other times, like today, I will ask you to help me identify a musician.

I'm hoping some of the Bee Gees fans are still hanging around. This guy opened for them at the concert I shot in Vancouver (mid-seventies). Dead or alive (hopefully, alive), he's going to be in the book because he's in a backstage shot with Maurice Gibb. I'm at a loss for his name. Do you know who he is?





Thanks!!

Quark

I've been on the phone with Quark for the past hour. I'm still on the line with them. Okay. Finally I'm off. But I'm not done.

Last week I decided that I finally needed to update my Quark software. I've been printing my movie posters from a 4.1 version since it came out. I didn't think about upgrading until I got OS 10. That was when all the graphics software companies had to develop compatibility with 10. I updated photoshop first. I was going to update Quark but my printer said it had bugs. So, I waited. Why spend the money?

But now I am laying out Everybody I Shot Is Dead and I'm printing in China. The production and film separations are done in Northern California. This is a big project. I can't risk doing it on old software and running into problems down the line. I'm on a tight deadline. I decide to get the upgrade to Quark7.

I received the package yesterday. Couldn't wait to pop the disk into my computer. Pressed the install button. It did it's little testing the landscape thing. Then gave me a window that said something like, "you must have OS 10.4 of later to install Quark." Yup, I'm still running Panther. That's 10.3.9. Crap. I was worried that if I installed Tiger it would stop me from using Classic (9) and I need that for my accounting programs. Definitely don't want to update those at the moment. $. $. $.

Thankfully, the Apple Genius said it would survive the upgrade. Cool. I got a copy of Tiger (somewhere) this morning. Installed it. Took over 30 minutes. Then popped in the Quark disk. Yes, I'm cleared to install. Get to the "type in your validation number" - ack - gotta find that in some box I haven't seen in two years. Okay. Got it. Type it in. Wait. Why are there still a bunch of space boxes that are empty? Whatever. Click "continue." Boink. It ain't working.

Call Quark. Hold...hold...hold. A woman takes my call. I think they outsource to India. I can barely understand a word she says. Except every sentence starts and ends with "Deborah." I give her my old version's serial number. No record of my registration. Okay. She says she can register it for me. After many hoops - I jumped through all of them, thank you very much - Miss India was able to email me a validation number. An alphanumeric with 45 freakin' digits. An hour or so later I could open Quark. But then I had to install an update disk. And then I had to go online and download a second update and install it. Sheesh.

I'm done now. Finally I can get to work. It's crunch time. I'm going to the book expo in N.Y. It starts on June 1. I need to have two mock-ups to show buyers. I'm also looking to set up some meetings with some of the international rights companies - see if I should have it translated into foreign languages. And I'm in a hurry to get it to the printers. It will take three months from the day I deliver for the books to arrive back. Gotta have it out in time for holiday gift giving, right?

I better get busy.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Fahey

I feel bad when people die on holidays. But even more so when they die on or just before their birthday. I don't know why.

Today, we celebrate John Fahey's birthday. He would have been 69. He died six days before his 62nd birthday.

Bob Hite

Happy Birthday, Bob.

Bob Hite would have been 62 today, if he hadn't passed away on April 6, 1981.

I went on tour with Canned Heat. Eastern Canada. Dead of winter. Three weeks.

And I'm posting a youtube video because I can't find one single picture from the tour.

Should I still put the story in my book? Maybe with an original drawing by me?

Will You Still Love Me?

George Harrison would have been 64 today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE

Papa John

Another post that was supposed to go up yesterday. Sorry, Papa John.

PAPA JOHN CREACH
5/8/17 - 2/22/94

Please give a moment to honor his memory.

R.I.P.

This was supposed to be posted yesterday. Sorry, John.

JOHN FAHEY

2/28/39 - 2/22/01

Since no one seems to go back into the archives, I thought I would reprint this John Fahey post from May 12, 2006:

I have a tendency toward being linear. As a screenwriter, I should get over my desire for things to follow in order. When I watched the movie Memento on DVD, I kept wanting to run it backwards. I loved the movie but it drove my brain crazy.

I'm sliding this little John Fahey post in between my Ghost - Part I and Ghost - Part II stories because that's how it happened. The day after my visit from Michael Bloomfield, I came across a sheet of negs labeled John Fahey. I was really excited to find them. Like, jumping up and down excited. I thought they were long gone.

And I was even more excited when I googled "John Fahey" and found out he was dead. I know that is a really horrible thing to say/write. Maybe the most horrible thing I have ever said/written. It makes me sound downright evil. Which I'm not. Honest. So, I take it back. Sort of. Okay, I'm really sorry he died. I want you to know, I had nothing to do with his death. I never wished him dead. And I don't own any voodoo dolls. May John Fahey rest in peace.

Now that I've repented, "Why would I be excited he died?" Because I have a great John Fahey story. And now I get to tell it. Well, I don't mean "now" as in right now, this second. I mean in the book. At this point, I'm guessing most of you are asking, "Who the hell is John Fahey?" When I got the emergency phone call that led to my John Fahey encounter, I only vaguely knew his name. Isn't he some guitar players guitar player type? Obscure but respected? Yeah, that's John Fahey. An amazing guitar player.

Okay. This might be a good time for you to learn a little about Mr. Fahey. Before I taint his shiny memory. It also gives me a chance to plug my loyal reader/commenter, fellow blogger, and new friend, Harry Funk. He writes for a paper in Pittsburgh and also blogs about music. He really knows his stuff. While you wait on the edge of your seat for my John Fahey story, you can learn more about him on Sir Harry Funk's blog here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Now, how can I taint his memory? By telling you that John Fahey was a pretty miserable guy. And as we all know, miserable characters make for good stories. Which means my John Fahey story must be good. And to prove it, I'll tease you with this: it involves an airplane, a drug deal and a dog...oh yeah, and me.

Let's see if you can figure that one out.

Roger

Today, I met Roger.

I found Roger by visiting a bookstore in Berkeley. I was scouring the bookstore for coffee table books in the music section. I found a bunch. The ones I liked the most were all printed in Asia. China to be exact.

One of the books I admired had the printing company listed. Probably because they also have a publishing arm, although at the time I didn't realize they were affiliated. I did a little research last week and found out they had a local office. I gave them a call and voila, I made the 20 minute drive to their office today.

And met Roger.

I liked Roger. We sat for a little over an hour and worked out the printing specs for Everybody I Shot Is Dead. The size options (thinking around 9.5 x 11.5), number of pages (somewhere between 152 and 200), paper choices (Korean, European or Japanese), cover materials (cloth or printed laminate), and quantity (3000 - 10,000), etc. And some time next week I will have an estimate of costs to manufacture the book.

Printing in China is a three month process, from the time I deliver my files to the day the books are delivered. I want the books no later than October 1. So, my drop dead date is July 1. I'm putting the deadline on my calendar for June 1. That gives me three to four months to design the layout, do the research and write. I better get to work.

Fun and Games

Haven't had a contest in a while, so here we go...

I found this picture today while I was scanning my Donny Hathaway photos for the book.

The first reader to identify all five people in this photo wins.

If no one gets all five people, the reader who gets the most right by February 28th wins.

Former Everybody I Shot Is Dead winners are not eligible (although you can send me a private email with the answers, if you think you're that smart, and I will announce the date you got it at the end of the contest).

Good Luck!

Prize to be determined by me.

My Least Favorite Day Of The Year

February 15th

The day Mike Bloomfield died.

This is a picture he took of me.

You may not think it's a great picture, but it reflects how I feel today.

I miss you, Michael.

Happy Birthday, Tim Buckley

Valentine baby Tim Buckley would have been 60 years old today. Wow.

Tim played a lot in Vancouver. I loved his shows. For some reason, I'm still mad at him for dying.

Waylon x 2

When my pictures are really good, I know I had a special connection with my subject. Such was the case with Waylon Jennings.

This particular shot of Waylon doesn't really reflect that connection - it's not the best one I took of him. It probably won't be in the book but I wanted to show you one of my in-the-camera double exposures. I also have a triple exposure of Waylon that will be in the book. I like it better than this one because his expressions tell more of a story.

In the meantime, take time out to honor Waylon Jennings. Today is the 5th anniversary of his death.

6/15/37 - 2/13/02

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover?

Been busy the past few weeks on some design jobs (read: income) for the Berlin Film Festival. Now that they're officially done and gone, I'll try and find some time to put them in the Design section of my newly updated website. I haven't put any new movie posters up there for at least a couple of years.

The good news is...I have kept to my personal promise to work on Everybody I Shot Is Dead every single day. It's amazing how a little bit each day adds up. And keeping it on the front burner keeps my head in the game.

One thing that has been running around my brain since the very beginning is "What am I going to put on the cover?" Although, sometimes the question would start with the word "Who." But early on I decided putting one person on the cover wouldn't be fair to the musicians left off. What about putting everybody on the cover? I think it would be too cluttered. And, if you want your book to stand out against the thousands of books displayed on the store shelves, a cluttered cover is not the best idea.

I've been playing around with a few different ideas over the past few months. At one point, I thought I might make the book the same size as an LP and put a full-size photo of a record on the front. Hey, I could even drill a little hole through the center of the book. An okay idea, but a record doesn't represent the total scope of Everybody I Shot Is Dead for me. It only speaks to the time frame and music aspect of the book. Probably a good cover for a music review book.

I've also scoured the bookstores and internet to see what adorns other rock 'n' roll photography books. Here's some of what I found:

Just found this last one:

Well, that completely nixes my record idea.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was messing with the cover (actually, adjusting it to a more manageable 10.5" x 12.75" size) when I locked on to something. I was just playing around with some freehand Photoshop drawing. And in about ten minutes time, I came up with a symbol that I really like. So much so that I think it's going to be the cover. If not the cover, it will be the logo.

I can't show it to you yet...it needs some tweaking and I need to render it as a finished hi res drawing. But as soon as it's done, I will unveil it here. And soon after that it will be everywhere, branding Everybody I Shot Is Dead as more than just another pretty title. (Please notice my tongue in my cheek).

Any chance I can get some of you to comment on this topic? I know it's a pain in the ass to go to the comments and fill in your name (or anonymous) and figure out the secret code, but it would be really helpful to get your feedback. I am wondering... Do you initially judge a book by its cover? How about movies? Do you judge them by the poster? How important is the cover of a book to you? Have you ever bought a book because you were initially attracted by the cover? And any other opinion you may have on the topic. Please chime away. The only stupid comment is the one you don't make.

I Love Surprises...

...well, at least good surprises.

I was rewriting my script all morning and then decided I better put some time in on the book so I could tick another "Write on Everybody" off my calendar.

I checked the photo list and realized I didn't have any Muddy Waters photos scanned or filed. Where the heck are my Muddy Waters shots? I know I only shot him in black and white, but to get to the black and white negs, I had to walk by the slide boxes. I currently have two file boxes with slides and a bunch of envelopes with internegs that were made to print for clients and my portfolio way-back-when.

I separated all my color slides and internegs of my dead musicians into the second box almost a year ago. Or so I thought. I also thought I had filed and scanned everything from the dead people box. Anyway, on my way to the black and whites, I stopped by the live box to rummage around. I was happy to find a few of my best shots of Elton John in an interneg envelope because I have no idea where the original slides are. Then I found an envelope with Eagles internegs, and was surprised to find a bunch of unmounted slides in there too. Yeah.

My shocking find was some internegs that belonged in the other box...Stanley Turrentine, more Hank Snow, more Downchild Blues Band. Then I looked in the second box. The dead people box that I thought was completely harvested. Nope. I found more Beach Boys slides - including 6 of Carl Wilson, a couple of group shots and what I hope is a cool shot from behind the stage of the audience holding up lit matches. I scanned it but haven''t looked at it yet. I also found 12 color shots of Tim Buckley. And last but not least...lucky 13 color slides of a very hot Waylon Jennings. I'll be posting one of those on Tuesday (his D-day), followed by Tim Buckley on Wednesday (his B-day) and my sweet Michael Bloomfield on Thursday (another D-day). (February is a crowded month with 7 birthdays and 7 deathdays)

Then I came across a file folder with all the articles I wrote for a small local paper. Very helpful in figuring out the exact dates of some of my shots, since they were articles about upcoming concerts. I had no writing experience when I wrote the them so they suck, but I'm thinking about including the ones of my dead guys in the book.

And there are two articles I am going to post next week (hopefully) about a band I shot twice. The first time was their very first tour. The band became very big and my articles are pretty interesting because of the time perspective.

Oh, I almost forgot. I never made it to the black and whites. I'm wondering if I'm avoiding my search for Muddy Waters, in case his shots are gone.

Malcolm Roberts

Another musician you are probably not familiar with - I admit when I first saw the sheet of unmarked slides I wondered if I'd shot Andy Gibb. Of course not, the age of my subject was all wrong.

Malcolm Roberts was a British singer with a couple of hits. Hey, he even had/has a fan club. And I shot him. So, he shall be honored in Everybody I Shot Is Dead. And here today, as it is the fourth anniversary of his untimely death.

Malcolm Roberts
3/31/44 - 2/7/03

Remember Carl Wilson

Nine years gone.

Carl Wilson

12/21/46 - 2/6/98

I so love The Beach Boys.

Alex Harvey Returns

On January 26, 2007, I scanned my 17 Alex Harvey slides. I knew his D-day and B-Day were coming up and I wanted to have a photo prepared. Then yesterday I put the tribute together for him to honor both days with one post.

Well, I guess he was feeling short-changed with only one post. He wanted both.

Here's what happened after yesterday's post...

When I watched the youtube video I posted I wondered (just briefly in passing) why I didn't have a shot of him in front of the Vambo wall. I distinctly remembered the show - all his theatrics but then I thought I must have missed it because I was shooting the guitar player. Oh well. At least I have pictures of him. In some cases I have few or none. (You have no idea how depressed I am about that).

This morning, I hit the office and decide to do some scanning while working on my script rewrite. I like it when I can multi-task. I check my list to see who I haven't scanned yet. Ah, Stanley Turrentine. I'm pretty sure there is a box of slides with his name on it in THE BOX. I look in THE BOX. There it is...a little slide case with a masking tape label that reads STANLEY TURRENTINE. Wait a second. What's this? Right next to Stanley? A bigger slide box that's labeled ALEX HARVEY. How can that be? I already scanned Alex's slides.

I pull the box out. Check the contents. Lo and behold, it's Alex Harvey. 19 more slides. How did those get there? And why did I happen to check THE BOX today? I haven't been in THE BOX for several weeks. I scan them. Here is one of the shots I thought I should have...


It's Alex Harvey's birthday today. And in true Alex Harvey fashion, he gave me a present. Thank you, Alex. I hope they're throwing you one helluva party up there.

The Sensational Alex Harvey

I'm guessing most of you have never heard of Alex Harvey. Can I see a show of hands?

And I'm wondering if anyone who reads this blog ever saw The Sensational Alex Harvey Band play live.

Anyone?

Well, he was sensational. Like nothing I'd seen before. The guy knew how to put on a show and he was sweet as can be to boot.

Like so many of the musicians I am paying tribute to in my book, Alex Harvey died in close proximity to his date of birth. Actually, I think his deathday and birthday are the closest. Today marks the 15th anniversary of his death, and had he lived, tomorrow would have been his 72nd birthday.

This is what he was doing at the Troubadour in late 1975...

February 5, 1935 - February 4, 1982

And since you probably haven't seen him live, here's a taste:



This is from the same tour I shot. I think he's even wearing the same shirt.

Happy Birthday, Terry

*Note: Practically giving away a TK print here.*

Terry Kath would have been 61 today.

Another Rockstar Gone

Rest in Peace, Barbaro.

Site Update

I spent a very long 12 hours today working on my company website. Hopefully, it's a better layout (not all that different) and more functional (there were many bad links).

I've updated all the pages, including the Starart page in preparation for the store. There are no bells and whistles because, as we all know, I am technically challenged. And I want a site I can update when I feel like it. Like today.

Last night I was really craving a large margarita and chicken tostada from Lucy's El Adobe and thought I might get over there today. Nope. I hope the site improvements are worth missing my dinner and my writing time.

If you have a chance, pop on over there and let me know if it's working for you. Criticisms are always welcome.

Chesher Cat

Terry Kath

*Note: Practically giving away a TK print here.*

I decided to honor the memory of Terry Kath with a group shot because that's how Chicago always presented themselves. I also like this photo because of the sunset sky and the spotlight on Terry. The lyrics below are from the first song Kath ever had recorded. And it's also the first song on their first album.

Terry Kath
1/31/46 - 1/23/78

Hey there everybody
Please don't romp or roam
We're a little nervous
'Cause we're so far from home
So this is what we do
Sit back and let us groove
And let us work on you

We've all spent years preparing
before this band was born
With heaven's help it blended
And we do thank the lord

Now we put you through the changes
And turned around the mood
We hope it's struck you different
And hope you feel moved
So forget about your troubles
As we search for something new
And we play for you

~Terry Kath ("Introduction" - Chicago Transit Authority, 1969)

I'll pull out a solo shot for his birthday next week.

Who Is It?

The photos are circa 1976. Any guesses?

Marc Klaas Project

This post is a re-pimping of my friend, John Miller, and relative, Tyler Chesher's important TV project. It's a reality show that follows Marc Klaas and his foundation in their search for missing children. Marc Klaas is the father of Polly Klaas, who was abducted from her bedroom and murdered in 1993 when she was only 12 years old.

Please click the youtube banner below to watch, rate and comment on the video. The more buzz we can create, the more likely the show will get on the air, and hopefully children will be saved. There are two videos; a short teaser called "Missing" and the main video called "The Marc Klaas Project".



Also, if you are a Myspace member, please click this banner to connect to their Myspace site. I'm just getting my own Myspace started, so I'm a little clueless on this part. I think they want to add you as a friend and have you add them. Also, Marc Klaas personally blogs on the site.



Thanks for your support.

Without You

Remembering the awesomely talented Harry Nilsson.

6/15/41 - 1/15/94

Everybody loved Harry.
No way around it.

I Feel Bad

Two weeks ago it was New Year's Eve. December 31, 2006.

December was when I faithfully started paying tribute to my dearly departed musicians on their birthdays and deathdays. In order to remember (don't forget, my brain is made of Swiss cheese), I mark them on my calendar a month in advance. Just like I put EISID as a to do item on every day. Here's what February looks like:

Even with all this, I still missed two tributes. One birthday and one deathday. On December 31st. And the only reason I realized my faux pas was because I was working on the book today so I could check off today's "Write on Everybody." I dipped into my 'To Scan' file and pulled out a set of negs. As I finished scanning all 34 photos, I had this haunting feeling. I looked him up on my list and kicked myself. He died on New Year's Eve. How did I miss putting that on my calendar?

I looked at my calendar. I didn't forget. His name was there, along with another musician - for his birthday. I don't know how I missed it. I'd like to say it was because I was out partying, but that would be a lie. I was here. On my computer. Just like I am now. Working.

Time to rectify my lapse. Two weeks late to the day. Better late than never? I hope so.

Both died in plane crashes. One on the other's birthday.

Rick Nelson

5/8/40 - 12/31/85

John Denver
12/31/43 - 10/12/97

A moment of silence for Rick and a Happy Birthday to John. Albeit, belated.

I miss you both.

A Moment of Silence

Maurice Gibb

12/22/49 - 1/12/03

Report Card

I am happy to report my simple plan is working. Every day since I initiated the simple plan, I have worked on EISID and Starart and My First Kiss. And there's a bonus. Working to the simple plan has inadvertantly impassioned all of my projects.

I had an appointment with a printer on Tuesday. Just thinking I should know how much EISID might cost to manufacture. It's always a good idea to design to a budget. Then, in reading my journals last weekend, I was reminded of the multitude of meetings I had with the New York publishers in regards to Starart. My interaction with the big houses was much more extensive than I had remembered. (I also didn't remember how much partying I did in New York - yikes, I could probably teach Brittany a thing or two.) Several publishers really wanted the book. Nice position to be in, right? Not always. I'd have the initial meeting and that person would pitch to the higher ups and I'd have another meeting. They'd do a cost and revenue projection and we'd have another meeting. Then they'd send me out of the room so they could talk amongst themselves. And, finally, they'd try and talk me into comprising the quality of the book so they could make a bigger profit. Uh, no.

That's why I ended up on my own. Contracting the printers, selling to the chains and wholesale distributors, running my own mail order and arranging my own publicity. In the short run, we made no money. But in the long run, the product was great and Starart has become a collector's item. Instead of some throwaway rock'n'roll book.

So, reliving my New York experiences ended up turning my trip to the printer into more of a "I think I want to publish this book myself" mission. I have used this particular printer in the past for my movie advertising work. He's I guy I like and trust. I showed him the Starart books and a couple of samples of other people's photography books. We both agreed it is much easier and cheaper to manufacture a high quality photography book today than it was when I did Starart. For starters, there are no more film separations. Which means there's also no stripping. And with this book, I don't have the expense of photographing all the artwork. Unfortunately, my printer doesn't haven't the capability to handle the size of this job. But he is currently researching other printers and will have referrals for me in a couple of days.

The night before I met with the printer, I happened to be at a trendy coffee house that has an equally trendy independent bookshop attached. I asked the bookstore owner/s (?) what size they preferred in the photography books they sell. It's a good question because some shops don't have room for the over-sized coffee table books. They were very helpful and eventually asked what I was doing. I told them about Starart and also pitched them Everybody I Shot Is Dead. They sparked to it instantly (yes!!) and said they'd definitely carry it. I told them I was thinking of self-publishing and asked if that would hinder their decision to stock the book. "Not at all."

The biggest 'pro' of doing the book myself is that I can get it out sooner. Finding a publisher and then getting into their release schedule is a long and arduous process. The biggest 'con' would be not having the publisher's money (advance and manufacturing $$) and their publicity machine working for me. But that doesn't deter me. I'm thinking the ability to publicize is also much easier today. I can hire a publicist (which I didn't do my first time around) and I have the internet (which didn't exist my first time around).

I can't believe reading the trials and tribulations of getting Starart out there hasn't deterred me from going down this road again. Actually, I'm jazzed. Ready and willing to meet more printers, put together a cost and revunue projection, write a business plan and look for an investor(s). If all goes as planned (meaning the little picture I'm projecting in my mind), the book will be finished and released in the Fall 2007.

Hey, it's never too early to put Everybody I Shot Is Dead on your gift list (hint, hint).

Synchronicity

...aka Ask and Ye Shall Receive.

After finishing yesterday's post, I went back into my journals. This time it was a book I started February 4, 1977. And there it was, on the bottom of the sixteenth page...the answer to the mysterious person I shot at the TV Variety show rehearsal. Not who I hoped it might be...actually I knew it wasn't because this guy would have been too old. They just look alike.

Anyway, the mystery singer is Malcolm Roberts. Still a mystery, right? For me, too. I had to google him. I'll throw a picture up and tell you more about him on February 2nd. Since that's the third anniversary of his death.

Oh, and to further prove my theory that my brain is made of Swiss cheese...I read the last paragraph of yesterday's post and it took me two minutes to figure out who I was referring to when I wrote, "I found some photos I took of a guy who looks an awful lot like another musician who is no longer with us. I kind of remember shooting him but I'm not 100% sure." Jeez.

A Simple Plan

I have so many projects on my plate. The new book, the old book, three film projects - one of which I am producing, a few graphic jobs...

Damn, it doesn't sound like much when I write it down that way. It must be the work within each project that creates the weight. For example, in the previous Starart post I listed some of the things I need to accomplish before the store site goes up. Still nowhere near completion, btw. The list for Everybody I Shot Is Dead is a hundred times longer, and so on and so on.

I am busy all day, every day (I have no life)...with seemingly no progress. That's been driving me crazy. Exhausted at the end of the day (meaning whenever I decide I have to nod) asking myself, "What did I accomplish?" Feeling something fell through the cracks. One of the balls hit the floor. And that ball always seems to be Everybody I Shot Is Dead. Or My First Kiss. Or...

A few days ago, I came up with a plan. A simple plan that any person with a modicum of organizational skill would have implemented in kindergarten. So, I'm a few years late. Okay, the plan. I use an electronic calendar that has a 'to do list' function. I put an item on it called "Write on Everbody" and then I selected the repeat every day option. In order to check it off each day I have to do something on the book...scanning, writing, designing or whatever. If I don't do something I can't check it off. And if I don't check it off it rolls over to the next day. Then there are two of them. So far, I've checked it off for the past two days. And I've already worked on the book today (but plan to do more tonight) so I'll check off another one.

It's both daunting and comforting to see that item on my calendar. On every square of every month for all eternity. It makes me want to get the book finished. Motivates me. Yesterday, I started looking through my old calendars (the pre-computer ones) in an effort to fill in the blanks of my past. I did 1977, then realized I had a second calendar for 1977.

Then I read one of my journals. It covered the first few months of 1979.


If you read this page you must be wondering what this could possibly have to do with Everybody I Shot Is Dead. I was actually in the gruelling stages of working on Starart that year. The Klaus mentioned is Klaus Voormann - one of the artists in Starart. Cynthia was his wife. Otto is their son. I was living at their house (in the basement, Kato-style). Keith was my very close friend Keith McKie . I had taken some promo pics of his new band while I was in Toronto looking at printers for Starart. Shadow was a former friend. The page is relevant to EISID. It identifies the date I shot one of the musicians. Harry Nilsson. He was one of the dinner guests.

I found another interesting story in those pages. It was an entry I made on January 19th. The story has stuck with me all these years. Every little detail. Emblazoned on my brain. Except the identity of the other person. I knew he was a musician but I couldn't have told you his name. Until now. Bruce Palmer. The bass player from Buffalo Springfield. He died of a heart attack in 2004. Even though I didn't shoot him, I'm 90% sure I'm going to put the story in EISID. Instead of a photo, maybe I'll draw a picture of him. Like I'll probably have to do for Canned Heat since I still haven't found my photos of them...even though I toured with them for three long weeks. Another story that needs to be told, with or without photos.

One more book accomplishment yesterday. I found some photos I took of a guy who looks an awful lot like another musician who is no longer with us. I kind of remember shooting him but I'm not 100% sure. I have a similar situation with another guy - I remember the shoot (it was a TV variety rehearsal) but I'm not sure on the singer. He looks eerily like the youngest brother G, but maybe not.

Sadly, my brain is made of Swiss cheese. Happily, I have calendars and journals.

Sneak Preview

In the next few weeks I will be adding an online store to my Chesher Cat website.

I know some of you are waiting for the Tom Waits photo[s]...sorry, I'm still researching the best way to handle the prints. In the meantime, I'm opening up the vault. Everything I have left from my book, Starart, is going up for sale. If you're not aware of Starart, it's a coffee table book of artwork done by six accomplished musicians: Joni Mitchell, John Mayall, Klaus Voormann, Ron Wood, George "Commander Cody" Frayne and Cat Stevens.

The book received really great reviews when it came out. Being that it is out-of-print, the book is now a sought after collector's item with only a few used copies of the regular hardcover book showing up online for as much as $499.



I have around 125 of regular hardcover books available. They are new books but there is slight wear on the covers from being in boxes and moved around over the past 25 years. I haven't decided on a starting price yet (I'm thinking $50) but the price will go up as the books sell. Only fair, since these are the only new copies available and once they're gone, they're gone. Which is why I'm giving my blog readers the heads up...before I advertise...and before I post on fan sites and message boards.

Did you notice I kept referring to the "regular" book? That's because I have another version of the book too. It looks like this:

It is leather-bound and comes in a case. It's printed on fine paper and is gold-gilded:

Oh...and it is numbered and hand-signed by the artists:

It is a Limited Edition of 300. I managed to keep some hidden away all these years. They are brand new and in perfect condition. Again, I will sell them in lots, with the price increasing as they sell. This is a very special collector's piece. Each of the artists own one. And so do a lot of their famous friends. The Limited Edition books will be expensive.

One more item. Or should I say six more items? By the third or fourth gallery show, we decided to run an edition of prints. One from each artists. And guess what? I held on to some. The prints are 16" x 20" (image size approx. 12.5" x 15.25"). We only printed 500 of each. Of those, 50 were numbered and signed by the artists (except Cat Stevens, as he had changed his name to Yusuf Islam), along with 10 Artist's Proofs. I have a limited number of signed (very few) and unsigned prints available.

These are the prints:

"Charlie Down In Mexico"
by Joni Mitchell

"Belushi On Plane Killers"
by Ron Wood

"Tushe"
by Klaus Voormann

"The Crew of the Memphis Belle"
by George "Commander Cody" Frayne

"Untitled"
by Cat Stevens

"Joni's Favorite"
by John Mayall

The retail site will also include a very cool 'viewing only' freebie. Never-before-seen video and audio clips of the artists. For example, under the picture of each print, there will be an audio clip of the artist describing the piece.

I'm trying really hard to get this up by January 15th (although it may not be functioning by then). This is a monumental effort - just like any other retail start-up - from designing the site, to the techno side of accepting credit cards, figuring out shipping, contracting a framer for the prints, digitizing audio/video tapes, editing, taking inventory, figuring out the logistics and on and on and on.

But once this is done, I'm thinking the Limited Editions of my photography prints won't be far behind.

(click on any of the images to enlarge)