Chris Whitley

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Chris Whitley, New Orleans LA, 1991. I was sent down to New Orleans by Sony Music to photograph the album cover for an artist by the name of Chris Whitley. I knew his name, and I k new that he had a lot of respect amongst musicians because he was an exceptional artist himself.I met him at Daniel Lanois' place in New Orleans—Daniel was another well-known musician, and acclaimed record producer. It was this grand, antebellum-age mansion in the French Quarter that he turned into a recording studio. It was funky and weathered and had this great patina—the right amount of crud that adds texture to a photograph—it was exactly my style. His home was a hangout for musicians from all over, and Daniel let me use it to shoot Chris.When I met him, we instantly connected. He was young and good looking, but overly thin...he was really easy to photograph. He was collaborative, cooperative, but in some way he seemed to be a tortured soul. There was a room with an old brass bed, like a single, not even a queen. I had him lay on that and and play his guitar—this vintage Dobro. Dobros have this certain twang to them because they're made of steel. They are mostly used in country and blues music, so it seemed really fitting—it tied Chris into the space. From there we went out onto the streets of the French Quarter, getting pictures all over the place.I shot a lot of positive/ negative polaroid film—and by a lot I mean like 350 photographs. I’ll never forget going back to the hotel room that night with my assistants and 350 negatives to wash and hang on this clothesline we had zig zagged across the room. We ordered room service, lit up some joints, and spent hours just processing the film. But anyway, I digress.I would be remise to not mention that Chris passed away not long after this shoot and left us all wanting more. This brilliant, revered musician, somewhat obscure to the public, but known to musicians as a great talent, and now a part of music history. And so these pictures are even more poignant than I knew they would be at the time. Show more