Hollywood, California, life was sweet for this young photographer who stepped on the famous Hollywood Walk of Stars on April 7, 1980. Having moved from Denver, Colorado in pursuit of making my mark in photography after doing “training” in Fort Collins working for various publications and then moving back to Denver to expand my training photographing musical acts such as Santana, Gil Scott-Heron and photographing politicians for local magazines and newspapers. I was in my studio one day and something came over me telling me that I had to move. I remember waking up the next day and ordering my ticket to California while doing an assignment, it was then I felt the time was right for the move. I packed my bags and portfolio’s and made the trip. I wasn’t there more than a couple of days when I met up with a couple friends from Colorado State University, they showed me around since they both were leaving to go to Osaka, Japan, I took over the lease of their place, car and life began in Hollywood. I pounded the pavement for a week and met a wonder PR person that asked if I wanted to work, I responded ‘Yes” and she worked me hard. Shooting 2-3 assignments a day and all times of the night I shot entertainers for various publications and PR firms and Record Companies. I took on positions as staff photographer and photo editor for a couple of magazines and continued to shoot the ‘stars’. Sometimes in studio and sometimes I had only a few minutes with them on sets or locations to get the shot. I will say it was a fun time and one I truly feel blessed to have had the opportunity. Here is a small sample of those celebrities from sports, music, TV and movies that I photographed at various events from 1980’s – 1990’s. It was a very good decade to say the least.
Stevie Wonder
Singer, Songwriter, Musician and Record Producer. Often hailed as a "musical genius", he is one of the world’s best-selling musicians, with sales of over 100 million records worldwide. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He has won 22 Grammy Awards. He was the first Motown artist and second African-American musician to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red. In 2021, he was named as a founding inductee of the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. Photographed at the Beverly Hills Celebrity Fashion Show.
Stevie Wonder
Singer, Songwriter, Musician and Record Producer. Often hailed as a "musical genius", he is one of the world’s best-selling musicians, with sales of over 100 million records worldwide. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He has won 22 Grammy Awards. He was the first Motown artist and second African-American musician to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red. In 2021, he was named as a founding inductee of the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. Photographed at the Beverly Hills Celebrity Fashion Show.
Dennis Edwards
Singer, The Temptations, Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968, replacing David Ruffin and sang with the group from 1968 to 1976, 1980 to 1984 and 1987 to 1989. In the mid-1980s, he attempted a solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "Don't Look Any Further" (featuring Siedah Garrett). Photographed performing at The Greek Theatre, LA, CA
Otis Williams
Singer, The Temptations, Williams is the founder and last surviving original member of the Motown vocal group The Temptations, a group in which he continues to perform; he also owns the rights to the Temptations name. Photographed during rehearsal for the Reunion Tour.
David Ruffin
Singer, The Temptations, singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with the Temptations. Photographed during rehearsal for the Reunion Tour.
Melvin Franklin
Singer, The Temptations, Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994. Photographed during rehearsal for the Reunion Tour.
Dennis Edwards
Singer, The Temptations, Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968, replacing David Ruffin and sang with the group from 1968 to 1976, 1980 to 1984 and 1987 to 1989. In the mid-1980s, he attempted a solo career, scoring a hit in 1984 with "Don't Look Any Further" (featuring Siedah Garrett). Photographed during rehearsal for the Reunion Tour.
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams, David Ruffin and Melvin Franklin
vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music. Over the course of their career, the Temptations released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and fourteen R&B number-one singles. Their music has earned three Grammy Awards. The Temptations were the first Motown recording act to win a Grammy Award – for "Cloud Nine" in 1969. In 2013 received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Six of the Temptations (Edwards, Franklin, Kendricks, Ruffin, Otis Williams and Paul Williams) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Mikki Free
Member of Shalamar, Guitarist, Singer. Photographed during videotaping.
Ernie Hudson & Art Evans
Actor, his roles include Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Darryl Albrecht in The Crow (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz (1997–2003). Art Evans, actor who has made multiple film and television program appearances over three decades. co-starred in the all-star African-American drama A Soldier's Story as the memorable brown-nosing character Wilkie. He is also best known for his role as Leslie Barnes in the action film Die Hard 2 (1990). Photographed at an event given in his honor on the Sunset Strip.
Howard Hewett
Grammy Award-winning singer–songwriter. Hewett rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the Grammy winning R&B/soul vocal group Shalamar. In 1985, he left the group to pursue his solo career, but he later returned to the group in 2001. He signed with Elektra Records. In 1986, he released his debut solo album, I Commit to Love. Photographed during a videotaping set.
Howard Rollins Jr & Art Evans
Actors, both were in A Soldier's Story. Photographed during an after party for the cast of the movie in Hollywood, CA
Lisa Davis
singer, member of the group Shalamar, Lisa won the position during a mic night when Shalamar was looking for a replacement female singer after Jody Watley left the group. Photographed backstage at a videotaping in Hollywood.
Art Evans & Marla Gibbs
Actors, both were in A Soldier's Story. Photographed during an after party for the cast of the movie in Hollywood, CA
Chaka Khan
musician, singer and songwriter. Her career has spanned nearly five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the "Queen of Funk",[1] Khan was the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with "I Feel for You" in 1984.[2] Khan has won ten Grammy Awards and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide. Photographed at The Grammy Awards.
ElDeBarge, Sheryl Lee Ralph James DeBarge
R&B/soul singers. DeBarge was members of the singing family vocal group DeBarge, who became famous with their mid-1980s songs "All This Love", "Love Me in a Special Way", "Rhythm of the Night", and "Who's Holding Donna Now". Also shown Sheryl Lee Ralph photographed at Magic Johnson's birthday party.
The Gap Band
R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson; and it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, and Pine) in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After 43 years together, they retired in 2010. Photographed on set during videotaping.
Judith Light & Conrad Bain
actress, producer, and advocate, she won two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She later starred as Angela Bower in the long-running ABC sitcom Who's the Boss? from 1984 to 1992, and was featured in many other television sitcoms, dramas and films. Also shown is Conrad Bain, His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude, and as Charlie Ross in Mr. President (1987-1988). Photographed at the Beverly Hills Celebrity Fashion Show.
The Gap Band
R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson; and it was named after streets (Greenwood, Archer, and Pine) in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After 43 years together, they retired in 2010. Photographed on set during videotaping.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & George Duke-1
former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving called him the greatest basketball player of all time. Also shown is George Duke, keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a professor of music. He first made a name for himself with the album The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. He was known primarily for thirty-odd solo albums, of which A Brazilian Love Affair from 1979 was his most popular, as well as for his collaborations with other musicians, particularly Frank Zappa. Also known for his work in the Clarke/Duke Project with Stanley Clarke. Photographed at Magic Johnson's birthday party.
Millie Jackson
R&B and soul recording artist. Beginning her career in the early 1960s, three of Jackson's albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies sold. Jackson's songs often include long spoken sections, sometimes humorous, sometimes explicit. She recorded songs in a disco or dance music style and occasionally in a country style. Photographed in concert at the Beverly Theatre.