About Bob Gruen
Baby boomers have seen and admired the work of Bob Gruen ever since his initial work with Ike and Tina Turner back in 1970. Since that time, Bob has not only photographed some of the most iconic people in rock music, many of his photos have become iconic, as well.
Bob has been a friend to Boomerocity since 2010 when we first interviewed him (here). The interview was so well received that none other than his dear friend, Yoko Ono, posted it on her website (here). It only seems natural to feature some of his work here on Boomerocity. Whether the images are those you have seen countless times or ones that have rarely been seen by the public, Bob’s photos presented here on Boomerocity will bring back memories and smiles.
You can own your own authorized copy of these and other images by visiting BobGruen.com.
You can also read our other interviews with Bob here and here as well as read more about his accomplishments here.
Teens in the seventies were hit with some pretty mind blowing rock and roll acts. Our parents had Elvis whose shaking hips were all the scandalous rage. Then, our older siblings as teens in the sixties had the Beatles and the Rolling Stones with their own controversies.
The seventies had to outdo all of that . . . and it did.
First, we had the outer-worldliness of David Bowie. Then the shock rock of Alice Cooper. On the heels of those ground-breaking acts came Kiss.
With the band members' true identity hidden behind kabuki style make up that transformed them into a demon, two space aliens, and a cat, Kiss catapulted to fame. Their looks and music was only part of the band's appeal. Kiss had a stage show unlike anyone with pyrotechnics, fire-breathing, and blood-spitting such the world has never seen. All of that and more allowed the band to ride a perpetual wave of publicity, controversy, and notoriety that has last to this very day.
While Kiss's music has often been panned by music critics over the years, there is no denying that the band has made their indelible mark of the soundtrack of baby boomers during their youth.
Case in point: Kiss's anthem, "Rock and Roll All Nite" from the band's third album, Dressed To Kill. The album's iconic cover photo was shot by our dear friend and monthly contributor, Bob Gruen.
Click Above To Order Your Copy of the Remastered CD
Not surprisingly, Bob was right there when Kiss began to make the New York City music scene. He's traveled with them and shot lots of photos of them. But it's this "Dressed To Kill" photo that so clearly shows the contrast, mystique, and fun that makes Kiss one of the bands for the ages.
In the video on the right of this page, Bob shares exclusively with Boomerocity followers the story behind this month's featured photo that he shot.
Watch it. Tell your friends about it. After watching it, please consider ordering your own official copy of this historic photo directly from Bob by clicking here.
Click On The Video Below To Listen To Bob's Story Behind This Iconic Photo!
Click On The Lower Right Corner To Enlarge This Video
You Are At The Right Place With Bob Gruen & Boomerocity!
The foundation of most successful people is being at the right place at the right time. That is certainly the case with our dear friend and renowned rock photographer, Bob Gruen. For over fifty years he has photographically documented the music scene with photographs that have become as iconic as the legendary artists in them.
Over the years, Bob has shared his photographs in a variety of books and Boomerocity is proud to have most of them in its own library. Naturally, with word of yet another amazing book being released by Gruen, we are stoked!
The book is entitled, "Right Place, Right Time: The Life of a Rock & Roll Photographer" (Abrams Press; October 20, 2020). It is Bob’s “first memoir of his winding, adventure-filled journey.” In it he shares with us such stories as his intimate visits to John and Yoko’s apartment in New York City; having backstage access with KISS; being there in the early days with Blondie’s Debbie Harry; being on the bus with the during the ill-fated US tour of the Sex Pistols; being on the road with Ike and Tina Turner; inside CBGB and many other amazing stories.
Of course, no book by Bob Gruen would be complete without him sharing some of his amazing photographs. He does exactly that with some iconic and never-before-published images that offer a unique peek into the last five decades of the evolution of American music culture.
Don’t just take our word for it. Check out what some of Bob’s friends have to say about this book:
“Bob has seen it all, lived the life, and he doesn’t hold back in this book.” —Billie Joe Armstrong
“Bob catches those explosive, signature moments that every photographer hopes to get.” —Debbie Harry
“Bob Gruen has been a witness to many of the greatest moments in rock and roll’s history.” —Jakob Dylan
“Bob is the guy behind the camera who you actually like! He brings out your best cool.” —Iggy Pop
You can order your copy by clicking on the photo of the book at the top. With the holidays just right around the corner, Right Time: The Life of a Rock & Roll Photographer is the perfect gift for that music nut or photography buff on your gift list so go ahead and order extra copies.
Click Below To Order
Click Below To Order
