The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's latest exhibit, Just Can’t Get Enough: The Photography of Robert Alford, focuses on a photographer who peaked right around the same time MTV started its whole video-killed-the-radio-star takeover in the early '80s.
Some of the highlights from the new exhibit, which opens on September 19, include a 1978 photo of the Cars' late Ben Orr (a Lakewood native); a 1980 pic of the B-52’s hanging out in Detroit, almost a decade before they became mega-huge with "Love Shack"; the Clash checking out Detroit's Motown Museum in 1982; Billy Idol preparing for a rebel yell in 1984; and Prince getting all Princely onstage in 1993.
You probably figured out by the two Detroit mentions above that Alford lives there. He was born in Denver, though, and spent most of his professional career shooting for magazines like Creem, People, and Rolling Stone. He also shot some album covers.
He's still active, but most of the work in the exhibit comes from the early '80s.
Alford will also be in town opening day and will discuss his work with the Rock Hall's curatorial director Howard Kramer at 7 p.m. Tickets are free, but you need to RSVP here.
The exhibit will run through May 2013. —Michael Gallucci
