Blog
April 20, 2015
This week we look at the legend, Curtis Mayfield, who I photographed at Summerfest in 1973.
It's always fun to look at Summerfest's Main Stage on the grass hill here, where the speakers were held together with rope!
His bass player is shown here, throwing his guitar in the air while playing! Anybody remember his name?
Curtis, had a remarkable career, but had a very tough life. In 1990, at a show in New York, some lighting equipment fell on him, paralyzing him from the neck down.
This, did not stop him from writing songs! He would compose, sing and record while on his back!
Famous for being in The Impressions and doing soundtracks for movies like Shaft, he had a great career through a lot of hardship. He lost a leg due to diabetes and finally died from complications of the disease in 1999.
He had his own record label Curtom, and a recording studio, in Chicago for many years.
I will always remember him for his famous song, Superfly!
Miss you Curtis.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
April 13, 2015
Lately, I have featured some blogs from photographs that I have found, lost in a closet in the house here.
Today, I am featuring Willy Porter and his band from Summerfest in 2009. I found them lost in my digital closet here on the computer! They were in with a bunch of bands from Summerfest in 2009.
At Summerfest, I always try to photograph just about everyone I come across while I am there.
Sorry Willy, you, Carmen, and the band, have been lost for a while! Too many shows photographed at Summerfest by yours truly in 2009!
Willy Porter and Carmen Nickerson are one of Milwaukee's top music artists. Milwaukee is very fortunate to have such quality performers that tour nationally.
I didn't know about Willy, until I was at a gallery opening with my photographs in Minneapolis years ago. Willy and the band were playing in Minneapolis and a friend said that one of Milwaukee's top acts was in town that night. Sorry again Willy, I didn't know who you were!!
You and Carmen are exceptionally talented musicians that need more exposure and shouldn't be lost in a closet!!
So, everyone, enjoy some photographs of Willy, Carmen, and the band, from 2009 and get out there to see them sometime soon.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
April 6, 2015
Spring is finally here and I hope you all had a nice Easter with family and friends.
This week's blog, takes us back to March 28, 1973, for The Edgar Winter Group show at the Riverside Theater here in Milwaukee.
Edgar Winter, was enjoying great success at this time with his #1 hit song "Frankenstein". His other hit at the time "Free Ride", made it to #14 on the US Hot 100 chart.
At the end of 1972, he had formed The Edgar Winter Group with the late Ronnie Montrose, Chuck Ruff and Dan Hartman. This is the band shown here and they were really good!
Edgar, is the brother of the late, Johnny Winter, and is also known as the inventor of the keyboard body strap. This gave him great freedom to move around on stage and continue to play. I also have photographed musician Gary Wright, using this invention.
Take a look back to 1973 and enjoy the platform shoes and big bellbottom pants! Still have those in your closet?
Have a great week.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
