Stunning New Photography Book 108 Rock Star Guitars
Provides Rare, Up-Close Views Of Guitars Belonging to
Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck,
Eric Clapton, Ace Frehley, Slash, and Many More
In Stores 10-8
Book Signing and Concert Benefiting Les Paul Foundation Planned For Cutting Room in New York on 10-8
Featuring Les Paul Trio with Vinny Martell (Vanilla Fudge) and Special Guest Pearl Thompson (formerly Porl Thompson of The Cure)
LOS ANGELES, September 19, 2013 – 108 Rock Star Guitars by Lisa S. Johnson is the stunning new fine-art photography book featuring rare, up-close images of the guitars belonging to some of the world’s most iconic players, including Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Ace Frehley, Slash, Billy Gibbons, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Nancy Wilson and many more. The 396-page volume, bound in embossed red leatherette, includes nearly 500 photographs focusing on the wear and tear details — nicks, scratches, sweat stains, burn marks and personal adornments and modifications — that provide an extraordinary view of the artist’s personality and playing style.
108 Rock Star Guitars arrives in stores on October 8, 2013. To mark the occasion, The Cutting Room, one of New York’s premier music venues, will host a book signing and concert from 6 pm to 10 pm, also on October 8. The evening’s proceeds will benefit the Les Paul Foundation.
*6-8 pm: Photographer and author Lisa S. Johnson will sign copies of the book.
*Music provided by rock ‘n’ roll DJ Steve Lewis.
*8-10 pm: Concert featuring the Les Paul Trio (Lou Pallo, Paul Nowinski and John Colianni) with Vinny Martell (Vanilla Fudge) and Special Guest Pearl Thompson (formerly Porl Thompson of The Cure).
*Tickets are $27 and can be purchased at The Cutting Room (located at 44 East 32nd Street between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue) or online at http://www.thecuttingroomnyc.com.
Books will be available for purchase at the venue. The regular edition (SRP: $108) includes a 16-page booklet with behind-the-scenes information on the book and one of three custom guitar picks featuring a holographic design. The deluxe, signed, limited edition (SRP: $540) includes the book, booklet, guitar pick and a hand-rolled purple chiffon silk scarf in a die-cut collector’s box.
Les Paul, the late, legendary musician and inventor, who is best known for his contributions to the early development of the solid body electric guitar and whose signature model Gibson is a favorite among rock’s elite, allowed Johnson — at the time a technical sales rep for Kodak — to photograph his guitar after one of his regular Monday night sets at the Iridium Jazz Club. That early shoot ultimately inspired the book, which took 17 years to complete. He wrote the book’s foreword a few months before he passed in 2009.
About 108 Rock Star Guitars and Lisa S. Johnson:
108 Rock Star Guitars is a compilation of photographer/author Lisa S. Johnson’s stunningly personal and intimate portraits of the cherished guitars owned by the gods of rock. From the guitars of Les Paul to Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, Nancy Wilson to Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde and many others, this ultra-lux, coffee table photo book reveals — through Johnson’s signature macrophotography style — the intimate details, etchings, totems, and personal touches that embody the true spirit of the musician and that few — save for their stage crew –have seen from this perspective. Alongside these images, she provides personal anecdotes describing her 17-year journey to photograph these iconic instruments and documents her travels from the backstage hallways of some the world’s most famous concert venues, to the artist’s private homes. The former Kodak representative showcases a variety of the last film stock ever manufactured for Kodak Professional and the transition to digital, in her exquisite homage to image and music. http://www.108RockStarGuitars.com.
About The Les Paul Foundation:
The mission of the Les Paul Foundation is to honor and share the life, spirit, and legacy of Les Paul by supporting music education, engineering and innovation as well as medical research. The foundation awards grants to music, music engineering and sound programs that serve youth, establishes music-related scholarships at schools and programs for students, provides grants for medical research and programs related to hearing impairment, and supports public exhibits displaying Les Paul’s life achievements. http://www.lespaulfoundation.org/.