Bio

Straight Talk: Jim Marshall’s Bio & Career Highlights

1936: Born February 3 in Chicago, Illinois

1938: Parents move family to San Francisco’s Fillmore District

1959: Purchases first Leica camera, an M2

1960: Photographs John Coltrane at the home of Ralph J. Gleason

1962: Moves to New York City; assignments include album covers for Atlantic, Columbia, and ABC Paramount, as well as a feature on Thelonious Monk for The Saturday Evening Post

1964: Covers Newport Folk Festival; moves back to San Francisco

1966: Shoots The Beatles’ final concert at Candlestick Park

1967: Photographs the Monterey Pop Festival — Jimi Hendrix burning his Strat, Janis Joplin’s rising star, and much more; first U.S. photographer to shoot the Cream and The Who; extensively documents the Summer of Love: capturing iconic photos of the Grateful Dead, Moby Grape, Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, Santana and more

1968: Photographs historic recording session of Johnny Cash live at Folsom Prison

1969: Photographs numerous iconic images at Woodstock, such as The Who greeting sunrise; photographs recording sessions for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; captures the famous image of Johnny Cash flipping the bird at San Quentin; photographs the Allman Brother’s at the Fillmore East album cover; publishes first book, Festival, with Baron Wolman

1971: Shoots Miles Davis at Fillmore West and The Who at SF Civic Auditorium

1972: Covers the Rolling Stones’ American tour for LIFE magazine; during a tour break, photographs Sunset Sound sessions for Exile on Main Street

1973: Photographs Dripping Springs Festival, with iconic shots of Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson; shoots T-Rex at Winterland, San Francisco

1974: Photographs two country greats together, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, at Johnny’s home in Hendersonville; photographs Mick Taylor, in one of his last photo sessions before he left the Rolling Stones

1975: Still photographer for the TV series Streets of San Francisco, starring Michael Douglas and Karl Malden; photographs Stones 75 Tour

1976: Photographs Jazz greats Carman McRea and Dizzy Gillespie at Circle Star Theatre, Redwood City

1977: Photographs Bread & Roses Festival with Joan Baez and Mimi Farina at the Greek Theatre, Berkeley; shoots The Best of Joan Baez album cover for A&M

1978: Photographs Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Shel Silverstein, Merle Haggard, and Randy Newman, to name a few

1979–1986: The Lost Years

1987: Terra Firma publishes Tomorrow Never Knows — The Beatles’ Last Concert, with photos by Jim, text by Eric Lefcowitz

1992: The book Monterey Pop was published by Chronicle Books, with photos by Jim and text by Joel Selvin

1995: September Guitar Player, featuring Jim’s 1967 black & white headshot of Jimi Hendrix, becomes — and remains — the magazine’s single best-selling issue

1996: Photographs Red Hot Chili Peppers for Warner Brothers

1997: Bullfinch Press publishes Not Fade Away, with the foreword by friend Michael Douglas

1999: Bullfinch publishes Early Dylan, with photos by Jim, Barry Feinstein, and Daniel Kramer

2004: Receives Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Photography; Chronicle Books publishes Jim Marshall: Proof, which provides a rare look at the creative process

2005: Recipient of MOJO magazine’s 2005 Honours List Image Award; Chronicle Books publishes Jazz, an extensive collection of Jim’s photos of great jazz musicians; becomes a sponsor of MS Friends, the only 24/7 peer-support help line for people living with multiple sclerosis, founded by his longtime assistant, Amelia Davis

2007: Ad campaign for Nissan’s newest sports car, the Nissan GT-R

2008: Exhibition at Gallery 291 / San Francisco (Marshall in Platinum)

2008: Exhibition at 7 For All Mankind Gallery / New York (Jim is included in Tim Mantoani exhibit Behind Photographs, Archiving Photographic Legends)

2009: Omnibus publishes Trust, featuring never-before-seen images in black & white and color; exhibition at Morrison Hotel Gallery in NY with book launch for Trust; Harper Collins publishes Match Prints, pairing fifty photographs from Jim’s body of work, along with Timothy White’s Staley Weiss gallery exhibition for Match Prints

2010: Chronicle Books publishes Pocket Cash, Jim’s last book, developed before his death (March 24, 2010)