Dan Fong was a rock photographer back when that meant hopping on the plane with The Who or the Doobie Brothers.
Fong, the Colorado man behind countless live rock ‘n’ roll shots and album covers, has never exhibited his photos. About 70 hang on the walls at the Fillmore Auditorium, but his first public show and sale will be held tonight at La Rumba.
“He’s always there, not in your way, but there getting little things you’re not posing for,” said John Hartman, a founding member of the Doobie Brothers, for whom Fong shot two album covers. “The photos Dan took were phenomenal. There’s a nuance there.”
Fong shot the Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and others, and he talked to The Post earlier this week about the pictures, many of which have never been seen outside his studio.
Q: Where did you take that photo (shown) of Pete Townshend?
A: In Chicago, at the Chicago Opera House, which is cool because they had this big orchestra pit, and I had it all to myself.
Q: Why Chicago?
A: I was traveling with them at the time. I basically hooked up with them in Denver, when they played at Mammoth Gardens during the “Tommy” tour, and I went with them to Chicago, Detroit and then St. Louis.
Q: It’s an amazing shot. Did any other Who shots make this weekend’s showing?
A: There’s one, it’s 24-by-70 inches with four images on it, the ones I shot right in a row of Keith Moon and John Entwistle hamming it up for me in the dressing room. They’re really precious photographs.
Q: It wasn’t only The Who you traveled with.
A: Yeah, I traveled with the Doobie Brothers from ’72-’76, and it was quite an adventure flying with them. With the Doobie Brothers, that’s what it was like – you became a brother. You took care of each other.
Q: Rock photography isn’t like this anymore. Now most photogs are only allowed to shoot a headlining act for the first three songs from the pit or soundboard.
A: I’d still love to document what’s going on, but it’s gotten too weird. It’s kind of sad … All these groups I shot, it was more than just their stage show. It was in the limousines, backstage, dressing rooms, hotels – the real life, not just these (expletive) 15 minutes. The performer had to be comfortable with me.
Q: How did you first get in with the bands?
A: A lot of it had to do with Barry (Fey). I worked for him in the early days, and I was basically one of the first people to take care of the groups backstage. Even though I had a photo studio, some people found out I could cook, and so I would take care of performers backstage – and that was way before the time that groups demanded a lot of stuff. There came a time when people requested me – like The Dead, they always requested me when they came through town.
ARTRock: Dan Fong
ROCK PHOTOGRAPHY|La Rumba, 99 W. Ninth Ave.; 6 p.m.-2 a.m. today.Nearly 100 prints of The Who, The Stones, the Doobie Brothers and others | FREE BEFORE 10 P.M.; $5 AFTER|303-572-8006
