Rock and roll photographers try to get as close to their subjects as possible, and few got as close as Pattie Boyd.
Married to George Harrison from 1966 to 1977, the former Vogue model inspired his song “Something.” She also inspired the ardor of Harrison’s good friend Eric Clapton, who wrote “Layla” about Boyd in 1970. Boyd married Clapton in 1979.
Her photos of these two, of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood (another lover) and other musicians, will be part of an unusual live show April 19 that will bring Boyd and her colleague Henry Diltz to the Fox Theatre to show their still frames (and some video) on the big screen and to talk about their craft.
It's all about the visual side of rock and roll. (By chance, another gallery show in April, featuring paintings by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will emphasize the same thing.)
Diltz has captured some of the most iconic portraits in rock history, shooting album covers for James Taylor, the Doors and Crosby, Stills & Nash among many others. He was the official photographer at Woodstock and Monterrey Pop, is a guest lecturer at the Berklee School of Music and this year will receive the Lucie Award for lifetime achievement in photography.
The presentation is called “Behind the Lens” and is part of a 13-city tour of the photographers and their work, which is sponsored by the Morrison Hotel Gallery. Both Diltz and Boyd will be offering signed prints after each show.
Tuesday, April 19, Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree Street. Information: foxtheatre.org
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