MetaforStudio

25/06/2025

25/06/2025

Legendary Rock photographer Paul Natkin 📸 was on assignment, 24th January 1982, in Chicago, Illinois to photograph Ozzy Osbourne and Keyboardist Don Airey. Don Airey was not on the stage during the bands performance. He was out of view of the audience, so this meant that Paul shot him  during the bands sound check. Paul had every intention of leaving afterwards to go home in time to watch the Super Bowl. Ozzy’s publicist suggested that he stick around and watch the game backstage and then shoot the show. Ozzy back then moved around the stage a lot. Paul said that it would be too much trouble to continue to move himself and his equipment in order to follow Ozzy. Instead, he stayed in place, near the guitarist, Randy Rhoads side of the stage. At the time, Paul stated that he had no real idea who Rhoads was. Still, while he waited for Ozzy to return to his side of the stage, he decided to shoot Randy.
Soon Paul Natkin would take one of the most iconic photos in rock history. As Randy was in mid solo, Ozzy pick Rhoads up  by his right leg. Paul was there to capture this moment. The photo became the most used photo in Paul’s career. This photo would be use as the cover for, RANDY RHOADS TRIBUTE, a poster, a T-shirt, a billboard, and on the cover of every guitar magazine in the world.
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Photographer:
©️Paul Natkin

25/06/2025

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23/06/2025

50 years ago today, Ritchie Blackmore quit Deep Purple to form Rainbow.

"We knew Ritchie was leaving,” Glenn Hughes told Classic Rock, “and let me say this for the record, when he gave his notice in I wanted to leave too. I was thinking: ‘What’s the point?’

"Now there’s another guy gone and it’s Ritchie Blackmore, god of the guitar along with Page and Beck, the holy trinity. It was David Bowie, who was living at my house, who convinced me to stay.”

For the turbulent story of Stormbringer and Ritchie Blackmore's exit, hit the link in the comments.

📸 Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images