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Allman Brothers Tour Mystic Photographs Donna Hopkins
Kirk West, official photographer of the Allman Brothers Band, has completed the principal photography for the cover of the upcoming Donna Hopkins debut CD, Free To Go. The photo session was staged in the backyard of Kirk's home -- the Big House in Macon, Georgia.
For Immediate Release
For Information Contact:
Ron Currens, Artist Manager
Phone: (770) 457-7505
Fax: (253) 540-0554
Email: rcurrens@attbi.com
Photos available on request
Allman Brothers Tour Mystic Photographs Donna Hopkins
Kirk West, official photographer of the Allman Brothers Band, has completed the principal photography for the cover of the upcoming Donna Hopkins debut CD, Free To Go. The photo session was staged in the backyard of Kirk's home -- the Big House in Macon, Georgia.
Donna met with Kirk to discuss the photo shoot while getting a personally guided tour of Kirk's exhibit at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Shootin' Stars: Music Photography of Kirk West. This exhibit featured most of Kirk's album covers as well as more than 120 photos of rock, country and blues greats shot by Kirk during his storied career.
Kirk got his first camera from his grandmother on his eighth birthday and made photography his career after moving to Chicago in search of the Blues. A member of the Photo Reserve, Kirk was one of three photographers with access to almost any backstage at a show or club in the Windy City. His work has appeared in magazines including Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, Musician, and Guitar Player. In 1979 he became the Allman Brothers Band official photographer and when the band reformed for their twentieth anniversary in 1989 he was brought back in that capacity.
In 1990 Kirk began to assist the band with tour management and has since continued as both photographer and tour manager. His official title is "Tour Mystic," reflecting the great affection the band has for him. In 1993 Kirk and his wife Kirsten moved to Macon and purchased and renovated the "Big House" at 2321 Vineville Avenue -- the last residence of the original Allman Brothers Band prior to Duane's death in 1971. Two of the ground floor rooms are set aside as an archive and gallery of Allman Brothers Band memorabilia. Kirk also helped initiate the Allman Brothers Band magazine, Hittin' the Note.
When explaining to Kirk what she visualized for her album cover, Donna described to him a recent dream she'd had. She saw herself in an old wooden structure with a dirt floor, part inside and part outside. Kirk nodded his head and said, "Yeah, I got that." Turns out the scene Donna had dreamed actually existed -- it was the old garage in back of the Big House, in Kirk's back yard. Ten days later that's where the photo shoot took place.
Just selected Atlanta's Best Blues Act by Atlanta Magazine, Donna has laid down the tracks for her first CD, titled Free To Go, at Tree Sound Studios in Norcross. This much-anticipated first album ("the one I've been waiting for," she says) will be a showcase of her gutsy vocals, her amazing guitar playing, and her formidable song-writing skills.
Kirk adds, "Donna is a cutie and I like her. Her music is really tasty -- she aint just the hot sauce, shes the whole enchilada. It was a good day in the sun and we had a great time shooting in my backyard."
For more information about Donna Hopkins contact Ron Currens: 4603 Holliston Road, Atlanta, GA. 30360-2033; call: (770) 457-7505; fax: (253) 540-0554; or visit www.donnahopkins.com.
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