Legendary photographer Jim Marshall to receive Trustees Award

We're big Jim Marshall fans around here. We've loved his music photography for years. Looking for reasons to run his art, we hired Marshall to shoot behind the scenes at the 2005 Indy 500 (Salute to Tradition, June, 20, 2005), and we had him shoot the Nissan GT-R's creation in 2007 (Bringing a Star to Life, 12/24/2007). So we were thrilled when we heard that Marshall's estate (he died in 2010) announced he is being posthumously awarded the Trustees Award from The Recording Academy – a Special Merit Award honoring music contributions in areas other than performance.

Jim Marshall
Bruce Springsteen

This is one of the music industry's highest honors, and Marshall is the first shooter to receive it. The ceremony is being held Saturday, Jan. 25 and gets a formal acknowledgment during the 56th Annual Grammy Awards telecast Sunday, Jan. 26. The Grammys are held at the Staples Center in L.A. and broadcast live, 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

This is where you come in. You'll be able to view a new collection called “55 Years of Grammy Award Winners through the lens of Jim Marshall” in an exclusive and limited show held at the Leica Gallery in West Hollywood (Leica was Marshall's camera of choice). The show is on display from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2. Marshall loved his whiskey, so the show kicks off with Jack Daniel's sponsoring An Evening with Jim Marshall, also at the Leica Gallery, with tastings of its Limited Select Sinatra Whiskey. Country rocker Dale Watson performs live, and the public is welcome.

“Jim's photographs, his children, remain indelible memories of the music from a timeless era, and we are so honored that the highest recognition in the music industry is being given to him,” said Amelia Davis, Jim Marshall Photography LLC manager.

Jim Marshall
Track testing in Germany.

Starting in the late '50s -- extraordinary times for music -- Marshall was everywhere that mattered and shot anyone who was anyone. He was in the Village with Bob Dylan; at sound check with Hendrix at Monterey Pop; greeting the Woodstock sunrise with The Who; and probably flipping the bird right back at Johnny Cash after catching San Quentin's legendary moment…The list goes on. Marshall didn't stop until he died.

He shot a photograph of at least one Grammy awardee for each of the 55 years since the Grammy's began, a feat that speaks to his keen instinct for being in the right place at the right time.

How did he do it? Davis attributes it to unencumbered access. “He was able to spend time with them on planes, backstage and anywhere else he could manage without time limitations and legions of other people telling him what, where or how many minutes to shoot,” said Davis.

Trust us: This is a show you won't want to miss. If you're in the L.A. area, it's a must.

By Wes Raynal