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Peter Simon Brings Photography, Memories To Boston Gallery

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It's impossible to look at Peter Simon's photographs and not hear the sound-track of a particular era. And of course, that sound track is from the 1960s. That's when Peter Simon shot his best-known work — pictures of the folk and rock and roll musicians who defined that era.

"Here's Odetta, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, early Grateful Dead...Then there's a whole Grateful Dead section," Simon says.

Simon was a student at Boston University back in the 60s, when he started taking pictures in a serious way — first for the campus newspaper, then The Boston Globe and Rolling Stone magazine. He shot photos of the love-ins, the anti-war protests, the communes, the nude beaches — but most of all, of the musicians. He is the brother of Carly Simon, so he felt comfortable with them, and they with him.

Many of Simon's photographs are now on display at the Yes.Oui.Si gallery in Boston. That's where I met him recently. He's in his 70s now, but still has a youthful twinkle in his eye. When talks about his pictures — like the one of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Reggae artist Peter Tosh — he makes it clear that he wasn't just photographing an era, he was living it.

The last chance to see Peter Simon's exhibit at Yes. Oui.Si. gallery is Thursday, April 26 through Saturday, April 28, from noon to 6 p.m.

Guests:

  • Peter Simon, photographer

This segment aired on April 24, 2012.

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