I recently began digitizing all my old photos and thought I would do a weekly series, highlighting some of the people who helped usher in and create the 80's (which later became known as the Decade of Decadence). These photos have been tucked away in a vault for the last 35 years and have never seen the light of day. Now they can be immortalized in the Steemit blockchain for everyone to enjoy.
TOMMY LEE
Today I'm sharing a portrait of Motley Crue's drummer, Tommy Lee. Not only did Tommy teach me how to play the paraddiddles, we actually lived together briefly before Nikki, Vince, and Tommy moved into the legendary Motley House (which was at 1140 Clark St. - so many websites have this info wrong).
The portrait below was taken in my studio with a Rollieflex twin lens reflex camera. Tommy's mom loved the portrait so much she had a 30"x40" print made to hang in her living room.
Years later, while Tommy was on the Shout At The Devil tour, I stopped by his parents home (Tommy had the coolest parents) and his mom still had that portrait on the wall. Tommy must have had thousands of photos taken but she chose to display this one. Sadly Tommy's mom passed in 2012 but her memory will go on.
After Tommy's mom ordered the print, I sent the neg to be printed at my lab. When I went to pick the finished print, the guy at the lab asks me, "we have a bet going, is the person in this picture a male or female?". Back in the 80's guys were not doing their hair like this. Tommy Lee and Motley Crue were pioneering a new look that would soon take over the world.Past Featured Musicians: Greg Leon, Vince Neil
