Collection: Glen Craig

Glen Craig is a living legend of photography. He has captured iconic images of the greatest artists in a half-century of American and British music: Miles Davis, B.B. King, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Little Richard, the Who, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, the Doors and countless others. 

At Parsons School of Design in New York, Glen studied under photography legend Benedict J. Fernandez.  An introduction to Gordon Parks, the legendary Life magazine photographer, grew into a treasured mentorship and opened a new world to me. I greatly valued his sage advice.

In 1965, a chance encounter with B.B. King propelled Glen into the world of music photography. His images of the King of the Blues made the front cover of Cashbox, America’s leading music-industry publication of that era. The pictures caught the attention of Bruce Geddman, editor of Hullabaloo Magazine. Glen chief photographer of Hullabaloo, a thriving rock-music ‘zine.

During his next few years at Hullabaloo, Glen photographed many music legends and legends-to-be, from Aretha and Miles to Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis to the Loving Spoonful and the Young Rascals to Julio Iglesias and Celia Cruz.

Glen was working with B.B. King in the late 1960’s when executives at Columbia/CBS Records introduced him to Miles Davis in New York.  Columbia wanted to help Davis cross over to a more mainstream audience. Davis, notoriously wary, developed a trusting relationship with Glen that enabled the photographer to capture images of the jazz giant in his home, at the gym, and in his studio. Glen went on to photograph Miles in 1970 for Zygote Magazine, which ran an 18-page feature on the artist.

Glen’s next chapter began with a phone call from Sid Bernstein, the man who had brought The Beatles to America. Glen went to work with Sid as a creative director and press officer. The time Glen spent with Sid delivered a crash course on the music business.

Glen Craig’s published credits include:

The New York Times and International Editions, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, The Times of India, Time-Life, Paris Match, Faz, Welt, Zeit, Suddeutsche  Zeitung ,  Rolling Stone, USA, Germany ,UK., Italy, France,  Vogue, Esquire, GQ ,The New Yorker, Huffington Post, CNN / CNN International, MSNBC, The Economist, ABC News, BBC Radio 4, Yahoo News, CBS News, WPIX N.Y. News, Fox News, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Bloomberg Business, Changes Magazine, Zygote, Circus, Hullaballoo, Tiger Beat, Crawdaddy,  Beatles Magazine, NME, NPR, Guitar Player, Sadowsky  Guitars, Martin Guitars, Skylum Software, Air Mail, Downbeat, Swing Journal, Jazz Weekly, Jazz Wise,  Jzzit, The Nation, Relix, Mojo, Fader, Musik Express, Rocks-Magazin, Billboard, Cashbox, Record World, Ebony, The Berklee College of Music, Leica Fotographe International, Time-Warner Book Group, Time-Life Books, Bullfinch Press, Grove Atlantic Press, Epix Entertainment Network, Network Entertainment Canada, Fremantle Media, TPD Films, Lightbox Entertainment, Motto Pictures, Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Universal Pictures Content Group, Sky Documentaries UK and Altitude UK.

My work appears on the following record labels: Atlantic Records, Virgin, A&M Records, Warner, Sony, and Universal Music Group. In addition to my photography, I have produced and shot print ads for Puerto Rico Board of Tourism, Gibson Guitar, Peru Board of Tourism, AT&T, and Southern Bell. 

Glen remains a working photographer in advertising campaigns, fashion editorials, portraiture, travel, the music industry and architecture. His visual language is influenced by many years as a graphic designer. A playful and creative approach infuses all of his projects.

My goal is to create a beautiful image that serves a purpose. Vibrant color is a central feature of my work. Whether I am directing a team through the production of a commercial or working as a solo photojournalist, illustrating the narrative of a story, I strive to make great work every day, and to enjoy myself doing it.