Photo Exhibit Documenting Behind the Scenes of Shoals Music
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame will be hosting a photo exhibit featuring the work of Dick Cooper, opening Wednesday, October 21 in the lobby of the museum. The exhibit will remain on display through the end of 2020.
Although known as a fixture of Alabama music for decades, Dick Cooper has been a practitioner of photography since the age of seven when he was first exposed to the art form in his father’s photo lab. Over his lifetime he has perfected his own unique style, incorporating lessons from his mentors along with decades of practice in his professional capacities. His careers in journalism and the music industry afforded him unique opportunities to capture rare, candid moments behind the scenes with artists like Bob Dylan, Etta James, Bob Seger, Glen Frey, and countless others who are featured in the exhibit.
“I was extremely fortunate to talk Barry Beckett into hiring me as his assistant,” Cooper said. “Even though I had no training in the field, he recognized that I was willing to learn, and brought a number of tangible assets, such as recognizing a potential hit song and photographically capturing the dramatic camaraderie of recording sessions. These photographs are a testament to his foresight of the extra dynamic I brought to the sessions.”
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is ten dollars.