Baron Wolman (June 25, 1937 – November 2, 2020) was an American photographer best known for his work in the late 1960s for the music magazine ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', becoming the magazine's first chief photographer from 1967 until late 1970.
[Rhodes, Lisa L. (2005) ''Electric Ladyland: Women and Rock Culture'', University of Pennsylvania Press, , p. 123][Norman, Michael (2011)]
Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman to show off iconic rock images in Cleveland
, ''The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
'', June 30, 2011, retrieved 2011-07-23
Early photographic career
A graduate of
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, where he studied philosophy, Wolman's professional photographic career began in
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
in the 1960s while stationed with
U.S. Army military intelligence. From Berlin he sold his first photographic essay, images of life behind the then-new
Berlin Wall. He then decided to become a photo-journalist. After his discharge he moved from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
and then to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
then to
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
.
''Rolling Stones chief photographer
It was in San Francisco, in April, 1967, that Wolman, then 30, met a 21-year-old Cal Berkeley student and freelance writer named
Jann Wenner. Wolman had been photographing rock bands and Wenner had plans to form a new kind of music periodical with ''San Francisco Chronicle'' music writer,
Ralph Gleason. Wolman agreed to join the new periodical, ''Rolling Stone'', and work for free. He also insisted on ownership of all the photographs he took for ''Rolling Stone'', giving the magazine unlimited use of the images. Wolman began working for ''Rolling Stone'' from its first issue, and continued for another three years. Because of Wolman's virtually unlimited access to his subjects, his photographs of
Janis Joplin, the
Rolling Stones,
Frank Zappa,
the Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
Jimi Hendrix,
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
,
Iggy Pop,
Pink Floyd,
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, the
Grateful Dead,
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
,
Jim Morrison
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...
,
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing voca ...
,
Peter Rowan
Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings.
Biography
Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interest ...
, and other musicians were the graphic centerpieces of ''Rolling Stones layout.
For the most part, Wolman eschewed the studio and never used on-camera strobes, preferring informal portraiture, a style appropriate to both the musicians he was documenting as well as the audience for these photographs. Wolman's approach was gradually supplanted by highly stylized, mostly studio image makers, whose photographs were published only upon the approval of the musician and of his or her management. This evolution can be traced on the subsequent covers of ''Rolling Stone'' through the years.
''Rags'' magazine
Although his work at ''Rolling Stone'' has come to define his photographic career, Baron has been involved in numerous non-music projects. After leaving ''Rolling Stone'' in 1970, Wolman started his own fashion magazine
''Rags'' housed in ''Rolling Stones first San Francisco offices.
[Gabriel, Joyce (1971)]
'Rags' Sparks Fashion Magazine Revolution
, ''The Southeast Missourian
''The Southeast Missourian'' is a 3 day per week newspaper published in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and serves (as the name implies) the southeastern portion of Missouri.
History
The paper began publication on October 3, 1904 as ''The Daily Rep ...
'', February 11, 1971, p. 5, retrieved 2011-07-23 ''Rags'' was a counterculture fashion magazine ahead of its time (self-described as "the ''Rolling Stone'' of fashion"), focusing on street fashion rather than the fashion found in store windows. Creative and irreverent, the magazine's 13 issues (June 1970 through June 1971) were an artistic although not a financial success.
Later career
Baron followed ''Rags'' by learning to fly and making aerial landscapes from the window of his small
Cessna. These photographs were the basis of two books, ''California From the Air: The Golden Coast'' (1981), and ''The Holy Land: Israel From the Air'' (1987), published b
Squarebookswhich Wolman founded in 1974, and which continues to publish an eclectic selection of illustrated books.
In 1974, Wolman spent a year with the
Oakland Raiders football team, using his full-access status to photographically document the entire 1974 season. The result was ''Oakland Raiders: The Good Guys'', published in 1975.
In 2001, Wolman moved to
Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he continued to photograph and publish.
2011 saw the release of an auto-biographical, image-heavy boo
''Baron Wolman: Every Picture Tells A Story, the Rolling Stone Years''published b
Omnibus Press The book talks about Wolman's career from the beginnings of ''Rolling Stone'' and tells the stories behind the photographs.
Wolman was awarded as a VIP at the 2011
Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards
The Classic Rock Roll of Honour was an annual awards program that ran from 2005 to 2016. The awards were founded by Classic Rock Magazine. Winners of the awards were chosen by the awards team and voted on by readers of the magazine. Winners are ann ...
, smashing a camera on stage in homage to
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
Townsh ...
.
Death
Wolman died on November 2, 2020, of complications from
ALS at his home in Santa Fe.
He was 83 years old. In a final post on social media, he wrote "It’s been a great life, with Love being my salvation always."
Selected publications
*''The Rolling Stone Years: Every Picture Tells a Story''
*''Woodstock''
*''Groupies and Other Electric Ladies''
*''Classic Rock & Other Rollers''
*''California From The Air: The Golden Coast''
*''The Holy Land: Israel From The Air''
References
External links
Baron Wolman's WebsiteBaron's InstagramBaron Wolman's Blog''Celebrating Woodstock'' by Baron WolmanIconic manages Baron Wolman ArchivesBaron Wolman Vault''Rags'' BlogProfile and Video interviews with Baron Wolman at Roadtrip NationThe legacy of Rolling Stone magazine photographer Baron Wolman ABC News.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolman, Baron
1937 births
2020 deaths
Artists from Santa Fe, New Mexico
American portrait photographers
Artists from Columbus, Ohio
Neurological disease deaths in New Mexico
Deaths from motor neuron disease