Michael Ochs
Encyclopedia
Michael Ochs is an American
photographic archivist
best known for his extensive collection of pictures related to rock music
dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The Michael Ochs Archive, located in Los Angeles
, contains 3 million vintage prints, proof sheets and negatives which are licensed daily for use in CD
reissue
s, books, films and documentaries.
The Los Angeles Times
called Ochs "America's preeminent rock 'n' roll photo archivist" and described his archive as "the dominant force in the rock image marketplace"; The New York Times
called it "the premier source of musician photography in the world". Ochs sold the archive to Getty Images
in 2007.
, Texas
, in 1943. He grew up in Ohio
and New York
. He attended Adelphi University
and The Ohio State University
. Ochs served as manager to his brother, singer-songwriter
Phil Ochs
, from 1967 until the singer's suicide in 1976. Ochs also led the publicity departments at Columbia Records
and ABC Records
.
Ochs began collecting photographs as a hobby. He would allow friends, including rock critics Dave Marsh
and Lester Bangs
, to use the pictures for free to illustrate their articles. Ochs began to take a more professional approach after two incidents. First, the Los Angeles Free Press
attributed one of his photos to the "Michael Ochs Archives". Then, Dick Clark sent Ochs an unexpected check for $1,000 after Clark used some of Ochs's pictures on a television special
.
In 1984, Ochs published Rock Archives: A Photographic Journey Through the First Two Decades of Rock & Roll, which featured an introduction by Peter Guralnick
. Writing in The New York Times, Janet Maslin
praised Rock Archives as "an amazingly comprehensive photograph collection" that "offers glimpses of just about everyone seen or heard from during rock's first two decades". According to the Los Angeles Times, Rock Archives "put [Ochs's] archives on the map".
During the 1990s, as record companies reissued large numbers of CDs, they often turned to Ochs for photographs to include in the liner notes. Ochs' pictures are featured in practically every release by Rhino Records
and Bear Family Records
.
The archive is also tapped for illustrations for books — according to one estimate, about half of the rock and roll
books issued in recent history include photographs from the collection — and as background photos and research material in the production of documentaries
, feature film
s, and television program
s.
Ochs sold the Michael Ochs Archives to Getty Images for an undisclosed amount in February 2007.
Ochs was one of three producers of the 2010 documentary film
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
. Interviews with Ochs and his sister Sonny
were featured in the film, which focuses on both Phil's life and the turbulent times in which he lived. The film also features interviews with his friends and associates, as well as archival news footage and photographic stills, including selections from Michael's collection.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographic archivist
Stock photography
Stock photography is the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online...
best known for his extensive collection of pictures related to rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The Michael Ochs Archive, located in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, contains 3 million vintage prints, proof sheets and negatives which are licensed daily for use in CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
s, books, films and documentaries.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called Ochs "America's preeminent rock 'n' roll photo archivist" and described his archive as "the dominant force in the rock image marketplace"; The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it "the premier source of musician photography in the world". Ochs sold the archive to Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images, Inc. is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still images and illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage...
in 2007.
Biography
Ochs was born in AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in 1943. He grew up in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He attended Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
and The Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. Ochs served as manager to his brother, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, from 1967 until the singer's suicide in 1976. Ochs also led the publicity departments at Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
.
Ochs began collecting photographs as a hobby. He would allow friends, including rock critics Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
and Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
, to use the pictures for free to illustrate their articles. Ochs began to take a more professional approach after two incidents. First, the Los Angeles Free Press
Los Angeles Free Press
The Los Angeles Free Press , also called “the Freep”, was among the most widely distributed underground newspapers of the 1960s. It is often cited as the first such newspaper...
attributed one of his photos to the "Michael Ochs Archives". Then, Dick Clark sent Ochs an unexpected check for $1,000 after Clark used some of Ochs's pictures on a television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
.
In 1984, Ochs published Rock Archives: A Photographic Journey Through the First Two Decades of Rock & Roll, which featured an introduction by Peter Guralnick
Peter Guralnick
Peter Guralnick is an American music critic, writer on music, and historian of US American popular music, who is also active as an author and screenwriter. He has been married for over 45 years to Alexandra...
. Writing in The New York Times, Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
praised Rock Archives as "an amazingly comprehensive photograph collection" that "offers glimpses of just about everyone seen or heard from during rock's first two decades". According to the Los Angeles Times, Rock Archives "put [Ochs's] archives on the map".
During the 1990s, as record companies reissued large numbers of CDs, they often turned to Ochs for photographs to include in the liner notes. Ochs' pictures are featured in practically every release by Rhino Records
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
and Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
.
The archive is also tapped for illustrations for books — according to one estimate, about half of the rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
books issued in recent history include photographs from the collection — and as background photos and research material in the production of documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s, and television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s.
Ochs sold the Michael Ochs Archives to Getty Images for an undisclosed amount in February 2007.
Ochs was one of three producers of the 2010 documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune is a documentary film on the life and times of folk singer-songwriter Phil Ochs. The film, released theatrically in January 2011, was written and directed by Kenneth Bowser...
. Interviews with Ochs and his sister Sonny
Sonny Ochs
Sonia "Sonny" Ochs is a music producer and radio host. She is known for the "Phil Ochs Song Nights" she organizes, at which various musicians sing the songs of her brother, singer-songwriter Phil Ochs....
were featured in the film, which focuses on both Phil's life and the turbulent times in which he lived. The film also features interviews with his friends and associates, as well as archival news footage and photographic stills, including selections from Michael's collection.
Published works
- Rock Archives: A Photographic Journey Through the First Two Decades of Rock & Roll. Introduction by Peter Guralnick. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1984. ISBN 0-385-19434-X.
- 1000 Record Covers. Cologne: Taschen, 1996. ISBN 3-8228-8595-9.