Herman Leonard, one of the true giants of music photography, passed away over the weekend. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Leonard a couple years ago through our work with the Morrison Hotel Gallery. At 87, he was sharp as a tack and told some incredible stories about some of his most famous images.
Of those famous shots, the ones that made the strongest impression on me were a couple prints that were ravaged by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina in Leonard’s New Orleans studio. I couldn’t – and can’t – stop looking at these. They’re beautifully decrepit. Like New Orleans itself.
RIP, Herman.
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