Looks like a painting, but it really happened and I got to make this forever image...

My first season on the show. The set pre-dates the well-known Skyline shot. I love the feel of musicians at rehearsal in this one.

I think this particular show of Ray’s, (or perhaps his other show 4 years later) holds the record for musicians onstage at the same time, at ACL, In addition to his orchestra, there were 5 back-up singers, The Raelettes.

Ray and the Raelettes! I’ll save the good stories of Ray at rehearsal for the book, if there is one...

It’s a shame Ricky Nelson didn’t get to live longer and make more music. He was a blast to watch in ‘74, with the context of watching him grow up on TV. I can still hear him singing “Garden Party” at the ‘74 Picnic — he was coming back.

Nixon came to the dedication, along with most of the establishment war machine…. There were extensive anti-war protests. Austin eventually came to love LBJ and his social-justice legacy, but not his war. The image sums it up: Still life. Texas living sculpture.

Roky was the progenitor of so much. Psychedelic Rock, Punk Rock trace back to him. His singing voice is in the running for best Rock and Roll singing voice ever.

At the time it seemed ordinary. Why wouldn’t Ramblin’ Jack and Roky hang out? In retrospect it seems pretty extraordinary. We’re talking fairly radically different sub-cultures. The ‘70s were mixing it all up.

South Austin’s finest!

Rusty could not only take you there, he could point out the way!

Some things don’t change.

Selena really was an angel.

…in Manor. She was singing her best known song, “Don’t Advertise Your Man”. She died not long after this performance.

There is not enough room to tell the stories about these unique performers who traveled all the South together from the days of vaudeville on ‘til the mid ‘70s when I shot this. Sonny was blind and Brownie was as lame as a man could be. So, they didn’t move all that well, especially together, but Sonny could sing and play the harp as well as anyone I’ve ever heard, and Brownie turned that guitar into a locomotive of sound. Onstage they were a complete team. Off stage, at least the day I was with them, they would not speak to each other, even while sitting next to each other in the same room: “Well you tell Brownie I said he’s a sack of crap!”, “Well you tell Sonny I can’t stand his guts!”…Always talking to whatever visitor they had, never to each other. I wondered how they had survived all those years, needing each other, hating each other, and sounding so fantastic when they played…

Stevie was a friend; we would hang when he came to town. He had the brightest, shiniest eyes I’ve ever seen; they glittered like diamonds. He was among the very best of humans I’ve ever met...

@ Austin Opry House 1977.

He played all of his many hits.

This was the first time I ever shot Stevie. He was opening for Randy Hansen, a Hendrix-copying guitar player who was pretty good. Someone asked me about Hansen and I remember saying, “well, he’s pretty good, but the opening act was astounding!”

For me it was similar to stories of Athena leaping fully-formed from the forehead of Zeus — he was fully armed, fully armored, and sounded almost divine. (Later, in my humble opinion, he was straight-up divine.) We really miss this man; I still grieve for him..

…my favorite image of Stevie. I can hear him sing and play if I look at it long enough.

from onstage.

I remember shooting this as if it was just last night. I had missed the show, the after-show radio interview had just concluded. Stevie Ray Vaughan and his Brother Jimmie are seated next to each other, along with members of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Charlie Sexton has his back to us, talking to Stevie.

I once asked Charlie if that was his back, and he grimaced, laughed and said, “yeah, those ears are mine…”.

…This could be heaven, or this could be hell. Depends on viewpoint and attitude…

They don’t do it like this anymore. Can you imagine the liability issues?

Well, the problem was solved…2X4s and plywood, like duct tape, will fix almost anything…

Some artists need it. Some don’t.

Clockwise from left….Flaco Jimenez, Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm. San Antonio’s Finest!

The essence of cool.

I was so lucky to get to shoot (and hear) them. They were the very best.

Sunday Break 2. I love to shoot still-lifes that tell a story…. Like this one.

Sunday Break 2.

There is no equivalent. Unique. Powerful.

Private Dancer, indeed.

So, I came late to the show and the hall was already packed and, what the hell, I’ll just pop off a few from back here…Surely, I’ll shoot him again some time…

Never got the opportunity again. This will have to do. “If you don’t take advantage of your chances, son, your chances might never come again.”

lyric from Lost Gonzo Band

One of my best images. If I was always this good I’d be fairly well-known.

Can you see the light? In the old days, before particulate-fog accentuated light-beams made the effect almost ordinary, old-fashioned cigarette smoke did the visual job even better.

…accessing the Muse is what I call it.

At Uncle Seymore’s in Clarksville. Townes (on left from above) loved playing craps. Sally Beth Underwood (in pigtails) was his good luck charm.

Townes came to my studio for some quick on-white publicity photos. The ones of him smiling at the camera don’t work, but this one does. It’s my favorite portrait of him.

Willie’s guitar, onstage.

You can still read a lot of the original signatures. In 2019, most of these are almost illegible.

First time I saw the boys from Carolina was this show. After this I always remember Walter being in the center.

Waylon would never be as lean, vital and just plain good as he was in 1974, in my opinion. He was hungry.

I just love the transitory smoke ring, frozen forever.

@ The Opry House. The Big Chief George Landry is on the right. He did not normally tour with the Nevilles.

The Wild Tchoupitoulas is the name the Neville Brothers Band use when in Mardi Gras regalia…

Coach looks like he wants Willie to fake the run and throw it long…

Best Friends… Willie and Coach Darrell Royal, all-time winningest football coach of the University of Texas Longhorn football team.

Can you feel the energy coming from his guitar? She does…

I call this shot “The Last Supper” for obvious reasons.

Waco, February 1977.

4th of July Picnic in Briarcliff, Texas 1980

I’ve never seen anyone who truly loves meeting, touching, shaking hands, etc than Willie. He runs to the front of the stage, he’s so eager. A stranger is just a friend he hasn’t met yet.

At KLRU studios.

I just call this “Willie Sky”. One of my favorites.

Jerry Jeff, The Gonzo Band, Leon Russell, Steven Fromholtz are all onstage. This was the first show of the day.

Right before anyone started playing. Looks idyllic.

@ Briarcliff, TX

Southpark Meadows