Fiona Adams, the iconic photographer who took early snaps of legends such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, has died. She was 84.
As BBC News reports, her son Karl confirmed her death at a hospice on June 26th. Adams was battling pancreatic cancer.
Born in Guernsey, Adams’ photography career began with architectural work. She went on to take assignments relating to advertising, travel, wildlife and general news. But it wasn’t until her pivot to pop culture photography that Adams achieved her worldwide fame.
She went on to take some of the most iconic early photos of The Beatles together. One notable shot taken in 1963 for Boyfriend Magazine featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr jumping in the air at a London bomb site. The photo is on the sleeve of the band’s Twist and Shout EP, which defined The Beatles’ early look.
RIP Fiona Adams. Here is a contact sheet of her groundbreaking 18 April 1963 shoot with the Beatles on Euston Road: London and four young men in the process of rapid change pic.twitter.com/WsIRJVU7TR
— Jon Savage (@JonSavage1966) July 10, 2020
According to Consequence of Sound, Adams’ website says The Beatles “readily agreed” to the photoshoot idea when she suggested it. When they agreed, she quickly jumped in a taxi and took the band to the desolate area — near Euston railway station in London. “I climbed down the rubble into a bombed-out cellar, open to the sky, and had a wonderful session with the Beatles lined up on the wall above,” she said.
Love The Beatles?
Get the latest The Beatles news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Adams didn’t just shoot The Beatles. David Bowie, Nico, Adam Faith, Sandy Shaw, and Dusty Springfield are also among the other high-profile acts in her photos from over the years. Back in 2009, some of her photos featured in Beatles to Bowie — an exhibition of 1960s photography at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The latter part of Adams’ career saw her transition back to travel photography. She then married, had two kids and decided to reduce her number of shoots.
Check out ‘Strawberry Fields’ by The Beatles:
