Collection: Mark Weiss

Mark “WEISSGUY” Weiss, known as “The Guy Who Rocked the ‘80s,” began his photographic journey in Matawan, New Jersey at the age of 13, when he made a deal with a neighbor to mow his lawn in the summer in 1973 in exchange for a 35mm camera. Mark spent his teenage years sneaking his camera into concerts at Madison Square Garden and other venues in the tristate area, taking photos of Peter Frampton, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, among many others. Mark then sold his photos for a buck a piece out of his high school locker and outside of concert venues. He was arrested for selling his photos outside a KISS concert in 1977. The next day, he walked in to the offices of the leading rock & roll magazine, Circus, with his portfolio; shortly after, he landed his first published photo – a Circus magazine centerfold of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Soon after, Mark became the magazine’s staff photographer.

Throughout the ‘80s, Mark traveled with bands on their tour buses and planes, and shot legends in the making as they climbed their way to sold-out arena and stadium shows around the world. Mark was living the rock & roll lifestyle and becoming fast friends with the bands, which gave him unparalleled access. He became known for his iconic images of Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Kiss and countless others whose sound and image defined the era.

Mark branched out and began having his work published in other magazines around the world. He quickly became a fan favorite photographer and a star in his own right, with a Creem magazine readers poll ranking him as one of rock’s top photographers of the era. Weiss also became the staff photographer for US Magazine in the ‘80s, which expanded his rock world to include portrait shoots with more mainstream musicians and celebrities, including Phil Collins, Cher, Rodney Dangerfield, Alec Baldwin and a very young Drew Barrymore, then promoting E.T. Throughout the ‘80s his photos were seen by millions, appearing on the covers of the most iconic albums of the decade including Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet and Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry. 

Mark released his best-selling book, The Decade That Rocked, in 2020. The book has been published in four languages and continues to be on best-selling charts in the U.S., with over 1,300 five-star Amazon reviews. His book has received high praise from and was featured in Rolling Stone, Spin and The Washington Post. A book release event was held at The Monmouth Museum in New Jersey, where an exhibit of his photographs, along with his tour jackets and laminates, gold and platinum albums and his darkroom equipment from his early days, was on display for several months, offering a true flashback museum experience.

Since the release of his book, Mark has been inducted into the Album Cover Hall of Fame, as well as the Metal Hall of Fame. He also had a display case at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas and his photos were included in an exhibit at The Heavy Metal Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Most recently, a photograph of Eric Clapton that Mark took at the age of 15 has been displayed next to Clapton's 1956 Fender Stratocaster at the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona. 

Mark’s photographs were displayed prominently throughout the legendary Helen Hayes Theatre in NYC, during the run of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages. Mark was recently featured in the Through the Lens documentary series on Gibson TV, filmed at the Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip, where many of his photographs are hanging.

His photographic contributions to non-profit organizations including Lunch Break, Rockit Academy, Light Of Day and the Harry Chapin Foundation, have raised over $100,000 through the years.

Today, Mark continues to shoot the bands he loves, and embraces the era by exhibiting his photography in galleries around the world, meeting the rock & roll fans at book signings, conducting photography workshops and mentoring young photographers so that they can carry on the rock & roll torch.

"Mark was the perfect guy to have hanging around with us and be a fly on the wall. He was one of the boys. That’s why he did so well with so many artists. We didn’t feel like he was a company man or a corporate guy; he was someone that loved music and loved the lifestyle. He was one of us. He’s still there with us, as he should be." — Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)