See Rare Photos of John Lennon, Mick Jagger & More from Photographer Who Befriended Rock Legends

 

"When taking pictures of rock and roll's biggest stars, photographer Ethan Russell never asked them to pose. "People will reveal themselves in a funny way, even if you're not telling them what to do," he says. "I wanted to be able to feel who's in front of the camera."  From his first photo subject, Mick Jagger, to his second, John Lennon, to all the greats that followed — Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin, The Who, and many more — he captured an honesty and an intimacy which can now be seen in his new coffee table book Ethan Russell Photographs. "It was a happy series of accidents," says Russell of his decision to move to London from San Francisco in 1968 to check out the music scene. There, with his camera, he got a close-up view of rock royalty. Before there were publicists. Before anyone had an entourage. Before there were rules. He grew fond of Lennon, whom he used to call up whenever he wanted to take his photo. "Or he'd call me up," notes Russell. "He took a liking to me. One of the reasons he liked me was that I wasn't snooty about Yoko and I took beautiful photos of her." Looking back on the rare access he enjoyed, he says, "There was nothing false created for the camera. When you see the photos, you get to be there."

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See Rare Photos of John Lennon, Mick Jagger & More from Photographer Who Befriended Rock Legends | PEOPLE.com