Bob Gruen is one of the most well-known and respected photographers in rock and roll today. By the mid-1970s, he was already regarded as one of the foremost documenters of the music scene, working with major artists such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Elton John, KISS, Aerosmith, David Bowie and Alice Cooper as well as covering emerging new wave and punk bands including the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and Blondie. Tokyo Journal ’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie interviewed his colleague and fellow Tokyo Journal columnist Bob Gruen about his remarkable career.

TJ: How did you get started in your career?
GRUEN: Photography was my mother’s hobby and she taught me to develop and print my photos. After high school, I lived with a rock band and took photos of them, and when they got a record deal they used my photos and I started to meet people in the business.

TJ: How many times have you been to Japan?
GRUEN: I’ve been to Japan 17 times since my first trip with Yoko Ono in 1974. In 1979, I got an apartment in Harajuku that I kept until the spring of 1980.

TJ: What do you like about Japan?
GRUEN: Everything! Especially the food, the beauty everywhere, the efficiency and advanced technology and the respect for art and artists.

The complete article is available in Issue #277. Click here to order from Amazon.