Backstage Gallery

Charlie Auringer

Charlie Auringer enrolled in his first photography classes after attending live concerts of the Beatles and Bob Dylan in 1964. In 1969, while hanging around a local Detroit record store with other artists and writers, Auringer helped create CREEM magazine. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock, Folk, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1969-1976

Favorite Bands: Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Elvis

Michael G. Bush

Michael G. Bush has been photographing live concerts since the late '70s. He has shot superstars like The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Queen, The Who, The Bee Gees, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Santana, James Brown, Paul McCartney and David Bowie, but he was partial to the Pioneers of Rock 'n' Roll like The Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Ricky Nelson. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Vocal, Country, Blues, Rock, R&B

Years Active: 1979 -present

Favorite Bands: The Monkees, Beach Boys, Turtles

Juan Camacho

Juan Camacho honed his skills while earning a photography degree in 1974. Camacho was initially attracted to the high energy of rock concerts and the challenge of being able to master the difficult lighting scenarios. Primarily shooting in black and white, Camacho captured musicians such as Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Neil Diamond, and Bruce Springsteen. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock

Years Active: 1971 to present

Favorite Bands: Too many favorites, not enough room to list all

William Carlson

Bill Carlson photographed the era of Rock ‘n’ Roll during the 1960’s. Carlson had a knack for being in the right place at the right time and captured countless historically iconic moments. Among his collection are outstanding photographs of The Beatles, Louie Armstrong, a young Bob Dylan, and The Beach Boys. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Rock, Jazz

Years Active: 1960s to present

Favorite Bands: The Beatles, Louie Armstrong, Bob Dylan, and The Beach Boys.

Robert Cavallo

Robert Cavallo originally became involved in the Rock 'n' Roll era from the other side of the lens as the drummer for The Messengers, a Motown recording artist that released its first album on the Rare Earth label. While traveling on tour, Cavallo always kept a camera at hand to capture the best moments on and off stage. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Vocal, Country, Blues, Rock, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1971-1981

Favorite Bands: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Who, Fleetwood Mac

David Clements

David Clements primarily photographed famous blues and bluegrass musicians, such as Bill Monroe, Sippie Wallace, John Lee Hooker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lonnie Brooks, and Buddy Guy, in Detroit, Michigan, and the surrounding areas. Clements has over 25 years experience in public relations, media negotiations, and producing outdoor and live events. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1981 to 1989

Favorite Bands: Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Dizzy Gillespie

Gordy Collins

Gordy Collins is a veteran of the music industry with over forty years experience on both sides of the lens. At a young age, Collins toured with his siblings as The Collins Kids, and later as The Collins Coins, performing on various television shows and traveling across the country with numerous Opry stars. After serving in the US Marines, he and his brother bought a recording studio in Seattle and continued to perform stateside and internationally. Gordy Collins has enjoyed the pleasure of photographing many of his friends, such as Red Foley, Minnie Pearl, Johnny Paycheck, Gene Autry, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and June Carter, and many others, and is honored to contribute photographically to the business he has loved all his life. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Rock

Years Active: 1977 to present

Favorite Bands: Minnie Pearl, Johnny Paycheck, Gene Autry, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, June Carter and more

Steve Galli

At a young age Steve Galli began shooting concerts any way possible. In the mid 1980s he became the co-producer of the morning show for the number one rock station in Detroit and more legitimately gained backstage access to the artists. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Reggae, Blues, Rock, R&B

Years Active: 1978 to present

Favorite Bands: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd

Bruce Herrick

Bruce Herrick began shooting local bands while in high school and college, and carried a camera to some of the early rock concerts, including Jimi Hendrix and Cream. He began freelancing for the “underground” publications in the early 70s and built up an extensive portfolio of artists including The Who, David Bowie, Kansas, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Eagles, Joe Walsh, Jefferson Starship, and many others. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Rock

Years Active: Early 70s to present

Favorite Bands: The Who, David Bowie, Kansas, Pink Floyd, Queen, Eagles, and many others

Mark Honickel

Mark Honickel recalls being impacted at a young age when he saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. He thought then that someday he would leave his suburb in New Jersey to live in the East Village in New York City. In 1979 his premonition became reality and he photographed many bands at the local music clubs including The Clash, Sting, The Talking Heads, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Blues, Rock, Folk

Years Active: 1979 to present

Favorite Bands: The Clash, The Who, The Beatles, MC5, The Rolling Stones, The Talking Heads, Miles Davis, Muddy Waters, Nina Simone, Johnny Winter

Larry Kaplan

Larry Kaplan has a vibrant history from being deeply embedded in the Rock ‘n’ Roll scene of Detroit, Michigan, and the rest of the country from the 1960s on. Kaplan’s photographs have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. His collection includes multiple music genres with artists like The Rolling Stones, Warren Zevon, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads, Alice Cooper, and The Who. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Vocal, Blues, Rock, R&B

Years Active: 1978 to 1982

Favorite Bands: Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Alice Cooper, and more!

Keith Koegler

Keith Koegler photographed musicians for a local underground publication in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while attending college from 1974 to 1977. He focused on capturing the face of the artist in the changing stage light, and accenting the instruments in his compositions. Koegler photographed all the bands that passed through the Midwest including Pink Floyd, David Bowie, The Beach Boys, Frank Zappa, Steve Miller, and Elvin Bishop. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Blues, Rock

Years Active: 1974-1977

Favorite Bands: Mott the Hoople, Led Zeppelin, Moody Blues, King Crimson

Rick Kohlmeyer

Either from the front row or the backstage, Rick Kohlmeyer photographs the greatest rock stars of popular culture. In 1974, Rick began shooting concerts around the country after returning home from serving in the Navy. His impressive repertoire includes legendary bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, and The Eagles. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Reggae, Blues, Rock, R&B, Folk

Years Active: 1973 to present

Favorite Bands: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Bob Marley, Queen

Sandy Kurtzman

Sandy Kurtzman began shooting concerts in 2006 drawing from more than thirty years experience in the beauty industry. Her reputation of producing quality work with integrity keeps her on the "A" lists of the performers, their bands and managers. She strives to capture the true essence of her subjects including Earl Thomas Conley, Merle Haggard, Pinetop Perkins, Bill Kirchen, David Frizzell, Gene Watson, Kelly Kenning, Bobby Flores and Bob Schneider. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Rock

David Lehman

Dave Lehman began his career in photography after studying at the University of Cincinnati in the 1970's. Merging his artistic skill along with his love of Rock 'n' Roll, Lehman began to document the changing music scene by photographing entertainers like Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Elvin Bishop, Hall and Oates, and Jefferson Starship. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Blues, Rock, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1976 to 2000

Favorite Bands: Cheap Trick, Elvin Bishop, Hall & Oates

Drew Noll

Drew Noll is passionate about live music and has captured some of the biggest names in Rock 'n' Roll through the decades. At age 14 Noll attended a Jethro Tull concert and decided at that point to always have his camera ready. Later he gained access to many concerts at Alpine Valley in Milwaukee and expanded his collection with shots of The Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Grateful Dead, and Eric Clapton. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Rock

Years Active: 1986 to 1992

Favorite Bands: The Who, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton

Shirley Mae Owens

If Koko Taylor is the “Queen of Blues” then Shirley Mae Owens is the “Queen of Blues photography.” Involved in nearly every facet of the blues music scene, it is amazing she has time to keep camera in hand. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock, R&B

Years Active: 1988 to present

Favorite Bands: Koko Taylor, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin

John Rockwood

John Rockwood began his career in photography after being heavily influenced by the blues resurgence led by British bands such as The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones in the 1960's. Being an ambitious young man with a camera, Rockwood gained backstage access to many concerts and photographed great musicians on and off stage. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Vocal, Country, Blues, Rock, Folk, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1971 to present

Favorite Bands: Muddy Waters

Leni Sinclair

Leni Sinclair fled from communist East Germany when she was 18 years old and made her way to Detroit, Michigan, where she enrolled at Wayne State University. In 1964, Sinclair co-founded the Detroit Artists Workshop and began photographing avant-garde jazz artists like Cecil Taylor, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and many others. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Vocal, Reggae, Blues, Rock, Folk, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1962-2005

Favorite Bands: MC5, Bob Marley

David Slania

(Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Rock

Years Active: 1974 to 1978

Favorite Bands: The Eagles, Bad Company, The Who, J. Geils Band

Gary Smaby

Gary Smaby won a camera as a Science All-Star at the age of 14 and soon after, photography had replaced astronautics as a career aspiration. During his college years, Smaby booked national music groups for campus gigs and eventually shot most of the concerts on a freelance basis. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock, Folk

Years Active: 1972 to 1976

Favorite Bands: Doobie Brothers, CSNY, Johnny Cash, Loggins & Messina

Tom Smith

Tommy E. Smith III remembers as a young child being enthralled by the reflections of light made by Fats Domino’s diamond rings. When he was old enough to tote a camera to concerts, he began shooting bands like The Allman Brothers and John Cale. Through the 1980’s Smith was visually inspired by the MTV video era and prolifically photographed concerts including U2, Paul Simon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Ramones, and Diana Ross. He is honored to have some of his work displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. An artist at heart, Tommy E. Smith III is currently exploring multimedia techniques using paint and his black and white photographs. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Reggae, Blues, Rock, R&B

Years Active: 1970s to present

Favorite Bands: U2, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Bill Warheit

As a lifelong concert hound, Bill Warheit photographed shows in Central Florida from the ‘70s through the early ‘80s. Artists and bands in his collection include Santana, Genesis, Todd Rundgren, Roy Buchanan, Cheap Trick, and many others. Warheit’s photography experience led to a 25-year career in television as a technical director at Orlando’s NBC station. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Blues, Rock

Years Active: 1978 to 1979

Favorite Bands: Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Peter Gabriel, Deep Purple, Bob Seger

Thomas Weschler

Thomas Weschler has been photographing musicians since February 9, 1964, when as a tenth-grader he set up a camera in front of his TV to take pictures of the Beatles’ debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” His subjects since then have been live and in the flesh, however, and his library of shots – onstage and off – includes legends such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Iggy Pop, Rod Stewart, KISS, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Seger. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1964 to present

Favorite Bands: Bob Seger, The Rolling Stones, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Jeff Beck Group, The Doors, Elvis Costello and many others

Robert Jr. Whitall

Robert Jr. Whitall began freelancing Rock 'n' Roll photography at age 35 and shortly thereafter discovered the blues. In 1995, he and Charlie Auringer founded Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, and for the past twelve years Whitall has shot every artistic photo cover. He has also contributed to Living Blues, Detroit News, Metro Times and many blues CD covers. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Reggae, Blues, Rock, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1986-present

Favorite Bands: Mardi Gras Indians, The Rollling Stones, John Lee Hooker

Rich Zimmermann

Rich Zimmermann’s professional career in photography began in the early 1970s and continues on today. Always seeking to gain access with the coveted backstage pass, Zimmermann often traveled to shoot concerts for various “underground” counter culture publications. (Click photo for full bio)

Genres Photographed: Country, Blues, Rock, Folk, R&B, Jazz

Years Active: 1971-1987

Favorite Bands: The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who, Neil Young, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull and many others