Born on May 25th, 1942 in Durham, northern England, Barrie Wentzell was educated in Kent and London, attending Maidstone Art School in Kent in the late 1950‘s. His first job at Manhattan Displays on Greek Street in London’s Soho occupied him from 1959 to 1961, during which time he became an avid scrabble player under the tuition of author, performer, wit and philosopher, Quentin Crisp. He continued on to work at Color Applications, a photo studio in the Belgravia area of London learning photography basics from 1961 to 1962. It was then, upon meeting his soon to become mentor, photojournalist Maurice Newcombe, that he would be inspired to pursue a photographic career of his own.
During the early 1960’s, Barrie began diversifying into the worlds of fashion, music and advertising. In 1965 he had a chance encounter with the young Diana Ross. The image he made of this yet-to-be global super-star became a riveting front cover of The Melody Maker, England’s most renowned music publication, which caught the attention of Bob Houston, the assistant editor at the time. Houston was to contact Barrie and sign him on as exclusive chief photographer for the paper.
Barrie went on to shoot for the Melody Maker from 1965 until 1975, one of the most important decades in the history of popular music, photographing many unknown musicians who would later become legends and household names.
Celebrated artists such as Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Count Basie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and rock and roll icons such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and countless more all have their place in Barrie Wentzell's vast archive. In 1975, Barrie abandoned his Soho studio, leaving photography and the longest running party behind to move to the Isle of Wight and pursue a completely different direction.
Today, some 30 years later, he continues to contribute his work to exhibitions, museums, private collections, books and CD’s worldwide and licenses reproduction rights for his images to the trade. He is currently working on a book of his own to coincide with a documentary film and international exhibition. Barrie lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
John Lennon & Yoko Ono in the kitchen of their home in Tittenhurst Park Ascot, UK in 1971, taken after an on-site press interview.
Bob Dylan relaxing and having a pint during the recordings for his BBC concert at BBC Studios in June 1965
Elton John performing 'Crocodile Rock' onstage at the Edmonton Sundown in London in March 1973
A rather pensive Jimi Hendrix captured in his manager's, Mike Jeffreys, office in 1968
Iconic shot of Jimi Hendrix, 1969, in his flat on Brook Street, Mayfair, London, during an interview for Melody Maker
Contact sheet of Jimi Hendrix photographed at his London home on Brook Street in 1969
The Rolling Stones onstage performing during the television show "Ready, Set, Go"
Keith Richards performing onstage during an episode of Ready Steady Go! in London in 1966
John Entwhistle & Pete Townshend from The Who recording overdubbing in London in 1968
John Lennon relaxing at Brian Epstein's house in London whilst at the launch party for their album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
At Brian Epstein's house in London during the launch party for The Beatles album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.
Bob Dylan rehearsing for the recording of his BBC In Concert show at BBC Studios, Shepherds Bush in London in June 1965
Jimi Hendrix onstage during his legendary performance at the Woburn Music Festival in 1968
The Beatles outside Brian Epstein's home in Belgravia, London during the launch party for 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band' in 1967
Jimi Hendrix after performing on Lulu's TV show in London in January 1969
Jimmy Page playing his legendary bowed guitar solo during 'Dazed & Confused' whilst onstage with Led Zeppelin in Belfast in March 1971
Barrie Wentzell shoots the back cover for Cat Stevens album 'Tea for the Tillerman' on Primrose Hill, London.
Contact sheet of David Bowie images taken during an interview in London, 1972. One of the images was used on the cover of Melody Maker
Early image of Elton John pictured with long term collaborator Bernie Taupin on Hampstead Heath, London in the summer of 1970.
"We met in his manager's office in Mayfair, the original Kinks had gone and future photo shoots were done in the ’Pub.’
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In the studio in Santa Monica, California in 1980, Bob Dylan is captured whilst leaning on his guitar case.
Early shot of The Fall at Central Station Car Park, Manchester in the summer of 1978
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