Jim Marshall Rock Photographer Dies

Jim Marshall, who spent more than a half-century capturing rock-and-roll royalty ranging from the Beatles to Ben Harper at work and in repose, has died. He was 74. Aaron Zych, a manager at the Morrison Hotel Galleries in New York City, confirmed Marshall's death on Wednesday. Zych says Marshall had been scheduled to appear at another gallery on Wednesday night to promote his new book with celebrity photographer Timothy White and apparently died alone in his sleep in his New York City hotel room.


The San Francisco resident was best-known for his iconic images from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock in 1969. His more recent subjects included John Mayer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. SAN FRANCISCO -- Music photographer Jim Marshall, who spent more than a half-century capturing rock-and-roll legends including the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin at work and in repose, has died. He was 74.

Marshall's death in New York City was confirmed Wednesday by Aaron Zych, a manager at the Morrison Hotel Galleries, which hosted one of the photographer's last exhibits. Marshall also was the only photographer granted backstage access at what turned out to be the final Beatles concert, at San Francisco's Candlestick Park in 1966. Good timing and his rapport with musicians also helped him catch Johnny Cash memorably "flipping the bird" at a 1969 performance at San Quentin Prison.

Born in Chicago and raised in San Francisco, Marshall began his career in 1959. Getting his break via a chance shoot with John Coltrane who consented to the photographs after Marshall gave him a ride, Marshall would go on to work some of the most famous Jim Atherton, a member of the IATSE Local 695 Motion Picture Sound Recording Engineers, died Tuesday in Toledo, Ohio of natural causes. He was 70.

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