Rock Prophecies

“People said, ‘What was it like working with Jimi Hendrix? Did you have any idea?’ I didn’t ask anybody. I walked in. I walked to the front of the stage. I had a camera. They figured, ‘Well, he must be with the band. He’s got a camera.’” So says Robert Knight, a photographer who took early photos of Hendrix and, tragically, the last images of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Aside from photography, Knight’s gift is finding talented guitarists early in their careers and creating images of pre-legends, such as Jeff Beck, that, post stardom, become extremely valuable. Other musicians appearing in Knight’s photography—and in this film, which is beautifully made by John Chester—include Santana, Slash and the Sick Puppies. —DH