Bob Gruen is one of the most well-known and respected photographers in rock and roll. From John Lennon to Johnny Rotten; Muddy Waters to the Rolling Stones; Elvis to Madonna; Bob Dylan to Bob Marley; Tina Turner to Debbie Harry, he has captured the music scene for over forty years in photographs that have gained worldwide recognition.
Shortly after John Lennon moved to New York in 1971, Bob became John and Yoko’s personal photographer and friend, making photos of their working life as well as private moments. In 1974 he created the iconic images of John Lennon wearing a New York City t-shirt and, standing in front of the Statue of Liberty making the peace sign – two of the most popular of Lennon’s images.
Bob has worked with major rock acts such as Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Elton John, Aerosmith, Kiss & Alice Cooper. He toured extensively with the emerging punk and new wave bands including the New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Clash, Ramones, Patti Smith Group and Blondie.
His “Sid Vicious with Hot Dog” photo was acquired in 1999 by The National Portrait Gallery, London, for their permanent collection. In June 2004 Bob was presented with MOJO Magazine’s prestigious Honours List Award for Classic Image in London. “All Dolled Up,” a DVD documentary made by Bob Gruen and Nadya Beck of their early ‘70s video footage of the New York Dolls, was released in 2005.
In the spring of 2007 FAAP University in Sao Paulo, Brazil presented an exhibition of Bob Gruen’s work. Titled ROCKERS, the exhibition attracted 40,000 visitors. The ROCKERS exhibition was also shown from April to July 2008 at Morrison Hotel Gallery on the Bowery in New York City. In November 2010 Bob was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. For his many charitable contributions, Bob received the first ever John Lennon Real Love Award in December 2014 at the 32nd Annual John Lennon Tribute Concert.
Recent PHOTO EXHIBITS include:
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn – “David Bowie Is” – 2018
Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver – 2017
Parko Ikebukoro, Tokyo – 2017
Pearlstein Gallery, Philadelphia – 2017
Blender Gallery, Sydney – “Because The Night” – 2017
Beit Hatfutsot Museum, Tel Aviv – “Forever Young: Bob Dylan At 75” – 2016
Saatchi Gallery, London – “Exhibitionism” – 2016
Sotheby’s S/2 Gallery, London – 2015
The Beatles Story Museum, Liverpool – 2015
Kaapeli, Helsinki, Finland – 2015
Huntingdon Gallery, London – 2014
Pop Gallery, NYC – 2014
Fort Napoleon, Belgium – 2013
Recoleta Cultural Center, Argentina – 2013
Centro Cultural Borges, Argentina – “Rock Seen” – 2011
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn – “Who Shot Rock & Roll?” – 2009
MoMA – Museum of Modern Art, NYC – “Looking at Music – Side 2” – 2009
Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico – 2008
Morrison Hotel Gallery, NYC – 2008
FAAP University Museum, Sao Paulo, Brazil – 2007
Recent BOOKS by Bob Gruen:
“See Hear Yoko” – Bob Gruen and Jody Denberg (Harper Collins, Spring 2015)
“Rock Seen” – Bob Gruen (Harry Abrams, Inc, Fall 2011)
“New York Dolls – Photographs by Bob Gruen” (Harry Abrams Inc, 2008)
“ROCKERS” (Cosac Naify, 2007)
“John Lennon – the New York Years” (becker & mayer!, 2005)
“The Clash, Photographs by Bob Gruen” (Music Sales, 2004)
More recently he has also photographed Green Day, The Strypes, Longshot and other new popular acts.
Please see bobgruen.com for more info.
Bob Gruen, (born 1945) is one of the most famous Rock Photographers.
He spent most of his career as a freelancer hustling shots to Rock Scene.
Bob captured Rock and Roll in its prime, living with bands, joining them on the road and sharing in the lifestyle. He was so active in the music scene, Crossing all America in a bus with the most known Rock Stars including Tina Turner, Sex Pistols and many more.
He captured one of the most recognizable icons in the history of music photography, John Lennon wearing his New York City T-Shirt. His Photo of Led Zeppelin is one of the most famous in the world.
His iconic images—including John Lennon wearing a New York City t-shirt (1974), Led Zeppelin standing in front of their airplane and Sid Vicious eating a hot dog (in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London)—have appeared worldwide in every form, from magazine covers, posters, T-shirts and even postage stamps.
He is the author of 14 books including Rock Seen, John Lennon: The New York Years, See Hear Yoko and New York Dolls. He lives in New York.
Bob Gruen is the man behind the iconic photos of the main figures in the music scene during the past 40 years!