#popsie randolph

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The marquee at the Brooklyn Fox Theater reads "Alan Freed In Person, with The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, The Kalin Twins, The Elegants, The Danleers and more plus screen fare," August 29, 1958.

Photo: Popsie Randolph via Getty Images/ABC News

[labyrinthofstreams]

Connie Francis recording her album Country & Western Golden Hits at MGM Records in New York.

Photographed by Popsie Randolph.

July 10, 1959.

[kiki-de-la-petite-flaque]

Joni Mitchell's career is undoubtedly on the rise, and a year from now, she may well be a star.” - The Cash Box on Joni’s one week engagement at the Bitter End in New York City that occurred 55 years ago today.

Photo by PoPsie Randolph

[pixnflixnwrites]

"Charlie Christian has left his mark on many thousands of musicians who never knew his name. That's about as influential as you can get." - Kevin Whitehead Ph: PoPsie Randolph

[mia-seth-adventures]

Wilson Pickett backed by Jimi Hendrix & Cornell Dupree, New York, 1966. Photo by William 'Popsie' Randolph

[bluesrocknrollingstones]

Popsie Randolph's photos of the Stones , 1964

Brian on the first photo is so cute 😍

[kvetchlandia]

PoPsie Randolph Joni Mitchell Performing at the Bitter End, 147 Bleecker St, Greenwich Village, New York City 1968

[hooked-on-elvis]

Elvis' first LP cover 📀

A LITTLE BACKGROUND STORY ABOUT THE PICTURES USED AS COVERS FOR ELVIS' FIRST LP "ELVIS PRESLEY" RELEASED ON MARCH 23, 1956. All the pictures were taken in 1955.

THE FRONT COVER

Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley and Bill Black in July 31, 1955, during concert in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Williams V. "Red" Robertson.

Known as the "Tonsil Photo", the picture of Elvis holding his 1955 Martin D-28 guitar (with custom made tooled leather cover with his name "Elvis Presley" blazoned across the front), as used on the front cover for his first RCA LP, was taken on July 31st 1955 in Tampa, Florida, according to Tampa photographer William V. "Red" Robertson, who took the picture.

Colonel Parker hired quite a few different studios and photographers to photograph Elvis in the 50s for commercial purposes. Williams Vernon "Red" Robertson was one of the professional photographers hired by Parker, in his case to photograph a show with Elvis Presley on July 31, 1955. Robertson did field work for his Robertson & Fresh commercial photography studio, a firm active in Tampa from 1932 to 1960. Roberton's business partner, Harry Fresh, processed and printed the images. You can see some other pictures from Robertson & Fresh's studio in here (digitalcommons.usf.edu archives).

The "tonsil photo" since taken was extensively used in newspaper and print to promote future shows in the 50s, and due to its use in Elvis' first LP, specially, it's one of the most famous pictures of the King of Rock and Roll.

[1] Elvis' Martin D-28 guitar backstage at the Mosque in Richmond - June 30, 1956 Photo © Al Wertheimer -- [2] The "Tonsil Photo" used in a February 8th ad for the shows on the 10th in the Charlotte Observer. Friday, February 10, 1956, Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ made their first appearance in Charlotte with four shows at the Carolina Theatre. [3] Elvis' tooled leather cover (trimmed) and D-28 - Aug 5, 1956 Photo © Bob Moreland.

Other pictures of Elvis taken that same day, July 31st 1955, in Tampa, Florida:

Elvis at Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory in Tampa, FL on July 31, 1955.

THE BACK COVER

On November 30th 1955, Elvis and the Colonel flew to New York, where they register at the Hotel Victoria on Fifty-first Street.

On Thursday, December 1st 1955, Elvis and the Colonel met RCA executives, including president Larry Kanaga and publicity director Anne Fulchino, at the RCA's Twenty-fourth Street studio in New York.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: I think there isn't photos of Elvis with RCA's president Larry Kanaga (at least I haven't found one yet) but below is a photograph from another day (in the future) of EP and Anne Fulchino, publicist for RCA Victor's Pop Record Division. They were waiting for the elevator at CBS Studio 50 in New York City on Saturday, March 17, 1956. Photo by ©Alfred Wertheimer.

Back to December 1st, 1955: A photo shoot was arranged and pictures of Elvis and the Colonel, Elvis and Steve Sholes and Elvis and fellow RCA recording artist Eddy Arnold, who happened to be in New York for a session, were taken in December 1st 1955.

December 1st, 1955, RCA's Twenty-fourth Street studio in New York: Elvis and Steve Sholes; Elvis and Eddy Arnold; Colonel Parker, Eddy Arnold, Elvis and Steve Sholes.

After the pictures with other people, Elvis was photographed by himself... a lot (I mean it). From all the pictures, four of them (posed action shots of Elvis) were used on the back of Elvis' first album.

THE PICTURES ON THE REAR JACKET OF ELVIS' FIRST RCA LP:

Note: I haven't found the 2nd picture in a satisfying quality yet but if I do, I'll update the post.

Some other pictures taken that same day:

Elvis Presley. December 1st 1955. Photo shoot at the RCA's Twenty-fourth Street studio in New York. Photographs by William "Popsie" Randolph.

Credits: Pictures from Pinterest Elvis fan accounts (too many different accounts); Discogs (album sleeves), elvispresleymusic.com.au (some more pictures and info from the December 1955 day in Elvis' life); scottymoore.net (some other pictures and info from the December 1955 day in Elvis' life); digitalcommons.usf.edu (information about one of Elvis' early photographers, William V. "Red" Robertson, who was responsible for the "Tonsil photo").

[rosen01]

"Comedian Jerry Lewis poses for a portrait backstage at the Jerry Lewis Variety Show at the RKO Palace Theater on Broadway on February 7, 1957 in New York, New York."

(Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

[ffs-free-me]

Photo: Chet Baker, PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

[rockmusicassoc]

In The Rock 5/4/1966: Wilson Pickett plays an Atlantic Records release showcase at Harlem’s Prelude Club, with a pre-experience Jimmy Hendrix sharing guitar duties with the legendary Cornell Dupree. Photo by William Popsie Randolph #CornellDupree #WickedWilsonPickett #JimiHendrix #RockHonorRoll

[fearnoarts]

Dinah Washington Photo by PoPsie Randolph

[pixnflixnwrites]

Sid Caesar by PoPsie Randolph

"His virtuoso abilities in language and mime were as seductive as hitting from both sides of the plate." - Billy Crystal (Via Deny Fear@dean_frey)

[jedivoodoochile]

Wilson Pickett, apoyado por un guitatrrista llamado Jimi Hendrix, NYC 1966.

📷 William 'Popsie' Randolph.

[bluesrocknrollingstones]

a Popsie Randolph photo of the Stones , 1964 from the MalloyArchive