Ethan Russell: Rock and Roll Photography

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Ethan Russell is a multi-Grammy nominated photographer and director, and was the tour photographer for The Rolling Stones on the 69 Let it Bleed tour. Russell was almost literally on the last chopper out of the Sixties when he was airlifted with The Rolling Stones from Altamont in the far East Bay of San Francisco.

These moments and many more fill the pages of Russell's recently released career retrospective Best Seat in the House, a 200+ page coffee table photography book. The beautiful book includes rare and iconic images of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, James Taylor, Steve Winwood and many, many more.

Russell's photographs are about history----his own, that of his subjects, and the music industry. Russell's photographs show us rock and roll as it grows into a bigger and bigger business through the increased number of managers and handlers. It is a story of particular relevance to San Francisco—and to anyone who cares about rock and roll.

Please join us for an intimate conversation and special interactive presentation with Russell. If you like rock and roll or photography, it's a program you don't want to miss.

About the Speaker

Ethan Russell was born on November 26, 1945, in Mount Kisco, New York, and moved to San Francisco in the early 1950s. The multiple Grammy-nominated photographer, author, and director is the only photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Just a boy from California, Russell was barely established when he took his first pictures of Mick Jagger; he became one of the foremost rock photographers in the world only a few years later. A pioneer in music video, he is an award-winning creative director and the author of three previous books: Dear Mr. Fantasy, Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones 1969 U.S. Tour, and Ethan Russell: An American Story.

Note: This program contains Explicit Language

SPEAKERS

Ethan Russell

Photographer; Author, Best Seat in the House

Paul Liberatore

Correspondent/Columnist, Marin Independent Journal

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices