Blog
January 13, 2025
Hope everyone is having a good start to the New Year and prayers for everyone in Los Angeles. What a mess of a fire going on there.
My favorite band has always been the Rolling Stones but favorite musician and guitarist goes to Jeff Beck who passed away two years ago already. January 10, 2023 was a shocking and sad day when we suddenly lost Jeff.
I was lucky enough to meet and photograph Jeff in my senior year of high school (1972) when I worked for the Bugle American newspaper as a music photographer here in Milwaukee.
The Seigal Schwall band from Chicago opened the show for Jeff and became friends as they played Milwaukee a lot.
I believe Corky Seigal introduced me to Jeff who was the most humble and nicest musician I've ever met. He could play a Fender Stratocaster better than anyone. Jeff didn't sing and let his guitar do all the work.
Photographed Jeff a lot through the years and I was lucky to be part of his BECK01 book a few years back. Copy number 10 of the very limited run is signed and in our house here with 5 of my photographs in it.
On January 22 in London a live stream of Jeff's vast guitar collection is going up for auction by Christies Auction House. It is sad, but good that they will all be played and appreciated again. The catalog book is for sale. It's amazing and an education to learn about Jeff's history with his guitars.
I last saw Jeff at the Chicago Theater on October 23, 2022 not realizing that it would be the last time. I photographed him six times and saw him a few more times just to enjoy the show.
So here are a few photographs of Jeff and the band through the years. It's hard to pick a favorite. More photographs are on my website of course in the Rock category. Miss you my friend. Enjoy a look at the best guitarist ever.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
December 28, 2024
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Here we are a few days away from 2025 already and I wish the best of health to all. Been a rough 2024 around here for my wife and me with my bladder cancer and other issues. Thanks to her I have the best nurse 24/7 and I love her a lot.
I was trying to figure out what to do for this blog and I recently found out that a local guitarist, Greg Koch, grew up in my old neighborhood in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Right around the block from us really but I never realized it as he's 12 years younger and we moved when he was 5 years old.
Greg in 2012 was recognized by Fender Guitars as the one of the 10 top unsung guitarists of the world! He has a very unique style and won the 1989 Bluesbreaker Guitar Showdown judged by blues man Buddy Guy. In April of 2023 he was inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame.
He is a master guitar playing teacher with a lot of videos and has given a lot of lessons worldwide. In 2020, Guitar World called him one of the best guitar teachers.
I photographed Greg in 2009 and 2010 at Summerfest and seen him play a few other times. If you get a chance, go see him play and you won't regret it.
Enjoy a few photos from Summerfest 2009 and 2010.
Have a wonderful 2025 and great health to all.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
December 16, 2024
Since June of 2023 our lives have here been a bit messy here with surgeries and non medical fun for my wife and me. A big Monday and Tuesday here this week but I hope and pray that we are on the right path now.
December 29th last year was really a bad day as all of us lost a great race car driver at just 56 and I think about him a lot. Gil de Ferran was a special racer and a prankster. Gil passed away last year of a heart attack on the Concours Race Track in Opa-locka. Very sad day and he was having fun with his son that day at the track.
I did not know him very well but had some fun with him at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America.
So I feel the need to look and remember our friend as it's so close to a year that he has been gone.
Gil gave Team Penske it's 100th win and consecutive CART championships in 2000 and 2001.
The Milwaukee Mile put my photo of Gil in the Media Center at the Milwaukee Mile. It's also in one of the suites in the grandstand. It's a picture of Gil sitiing in his car giving a thumbs up. The photo was from 2001 and I've cherished it for a long time in my race room here.
In 2000 Team Penske almost had Gil de Ferran and future superstar Greg Moore who we lost in 1999 as teammates. Who knows what could have happened with Greg Moore and Gil together. Gil would have mentored Greg for sure but without Greg we got Helio Castroneves and Gil mentored Helio very well into the Spiderman!
Enjoy some photos of Gil through the years.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
