May 18, 2015

At Summerfest in 1972, on the Schlitz Country Stage, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee performed.

The duo are folk legends, having worked with Woddy Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy and touring constantly for years.

Brownie McGhee on guitar, and Sonny Terry on harmonica, are both self taught musicians! That's amazing and awesome!

They have appeared on Broadway, and as themselves, with Steve Martin, in the film, The Jerk.

When I photographed them, I did not know about them, but really enjoyed their playing and should have photographed them more!

The photos are old, and not the greatest, but the one photo of the old Schlitz Country Stage, is fun to see what is looked like back then! I'm so old!

Enjoy and have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, at Summerfest's, Schlitz Country stage in 1972.

November 24, 2014

Just found some old negatives of B. B. King at Summerfest in 1972.

What can I say but he is the master of the blues and he is dressed sharp!

Always interesting to look at the old Main Stage at Summerfest in 1972.

Enjoy some old images of a young B. B. King.

Have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

B B King at Summerfest in 1972 dressed sharp for the blues!

October 27, 2014

The past few weeks I have shown you photos from the first major rock show that I photographed.

No backstage pass was given to me.  In my early years of photography, I just photographed from my seat! That is just how is was done back them. 

This show featured Savoy Brown, with an opening act of Long John Baldry.

Long John Baldry, was 6' 7", giving him the name Long John Baldry.

He was the first guy to play the blues in clubs in England in the early 1960's.

The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and many others have worked with Long John Baldry and can thank him for paving the path of British Blues.

In later life he became a voice actor in television and some movies.

Enjoy some very early photos of mine and have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Long John Baldry on September 29, 1971 in Milwaukee.

Al Kooper at the 2013 Blue Lotus Farm and Retreat Center benefit.

Johnny Almond with his saxophone.

Elvin Bishop at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1979.

July 29, 2013

Before I begin, let me thank Andreas Wiegel in Vienna, Austria, for letting me know that Roger Sutton was the bass player and Tommy Eyre played keyboards for the Mark Almond band. In my blog #68 on the Mark Almond Band, I was not sure from my research and asked for some information on that. Very cool to see that I reach out to Vienna, Austria and Andreas!!

This week's blog looks back at Elvin Bishop and his band that came to Summerfest here in Milwaukee in 1979. This was an awesome show and had a guy named Mickey Thomas playing Saxophone and doing great vocals. Mickey Thomas then went on to Jefferson Starship and nearly became a household name. He has such a great voice. I forgot that he played saxophone until I looked back at these photographs!

Elvin Bishop is coming back to Milwaukee for the Harley Davidson Anniversary concerts at the Summerfest grounds on August 29th! I am looking forward to the show because I haven't seen him since 1979 when he was sleeping in the dressing room! The band that night was worn out because they had just come from Hawaii I believe!

Have a great week and enjoy the photographs. The first photograph is a copy of a press kit Elvin had back then.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann