Jay Blakesberg, The Grateful Dead at the Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California, December 28, 1979
The Four Questions is a monthly series of short-form interviews in which we catch up with an artist we've previously gotten to know through their work at The CJM. This month, hear from Jay Blakesberg, a San Francisco–based photographer best known for his music photography including work with legends like the Grateful Dead, Tracy Chapman, Beck, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dolly Parton, and more. His work was exhibited at The CJM’s 2023 exhibition RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped.
A: The CJM is very personal for me because they hosted my photography retrospective. The connections I made with the Museum staff and the community who came to see the exhibition were very meaningful to me. This is my hometown, and everyone at The Museum came together to make this a huge success—for me, for The CJM, and for the people who got to experience the exhibition. I am very grateful!
A: Right now, I am finishing a Hardly Strictly Bluegrass coffee table book celebrating the 25th anniversary of this wonderful San Francisco event. I produced the book with my daughter Ricki (the force behind RetroBlakesberg) and it includes photographs by me and another dozen photographers. I additionally have an exhibition opening in Los Angeles on July 15 celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead, and my RetroBlakesberg exhibition is also currently on view at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
Jay Blakesberg, The Grateful Dead at the Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, California, December 28, 1979
A: Everywhere! I am a curious person, and I soak it all in! Live music, Instagram, museum and gallery exhibitions, photography books, magazines, film festivals, meeting and talking to interesting people. If you approach life wide open and want to find inspiration, it truly is everywhere—and then it’s my job to turn that inspiration into passion!
A: I’ve been a vegetarian for 45 years, so all of it that fits that bill. I will say that every time I’m in New York City, it is an absolute must to have an everything bagel (NOT toasted) with chive cream cheese, avocado, and a fried egg!
Jay Blakesberg is a San Francisco–based photographer, filmmaker, and public speaker. He is best known for his music photography beginning in 1978. Blakesberg has worked with many legendary artists including the Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Flaming Lips, and more. His work has been published in thousands of magazines worldwide in addition to books and documentary films. He has published sixteen coffee table books of his work, including fourteen under his self-publishing imprint Rock Out Books.