User:Chester Simpson

Chester Simpson (photographer)

Chester Bowman Simpson (born March 4, 1953) is an American photographer of rock-n-roll musicians and a former USO Celebrity Tour Photographer based in Washington, DC. He had extended access to numerous musicians through the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

Rolling Stone magazine published his first picture while he was still in Art School.

Chester Simpson has traveled the globe as an editorial photographer, photographing domestic and international news, celebrities, and politics. His assignments have taken him to 45 countries and works for associations, corporations, non-profits, and lobbyist in the Washington, DC area.

His photographs have been widely exhibited and reproduced in books, magazines, and movies.

Early life

Chester was born in the blue ridge mountains of Roanoke, Virginia. He grew up drawing, painting and taking pictures but was told he couldn't make a living in art. So after graduating from high school he attended community college studying science and working at Winn Dixie grocery store's in the meat department until he cut his finger badly. He changed his major to Commercial Art taking pictures of subjects he wanted to paint. His professor convinced him to pursue photography full time, and he talked himself into an photo internship at the Roanoke-Times World Newspaper. The newspaper's Director of Photography helped him get a full scholarship at the San Francisco Art Institute, but he had no money for the trip. So, in 1975 he, and a young lady hitch-hiked across america to San Francisco.

Photography Career

In San Francisco he met two of his major influences: legendary master photographer Ansel Adams, and Jim Marshall, the famous rock-n-roll photographer. While attending school, he assisted photographers to learn the business side of photography and started hanging out and taking photographs in punk rock clubs at night. Rolling Stone magazine published his first picture while he was still in Art School. He went on to shoot for MTV and major labels including Warner Bros, MCA, A&M, Capitol, CBS, and Chrysalis. He also shot assignments for magazines such as BAM, Berkeley Barb, California, Circus, Creem, NME, Melody Maker, Newsweek, New West, People and Time.

In 1985 he moved to Washington, D.C. and accepted a position as director of photography at the Pentagon newspaper. He was introduced to the USO and went on 35 USO Celebrity Tours around the world to entertain troops. He has photographed performers such as Anita Baker, Ruth Pointer, Paul Rodriquez, Neal McCoy, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Oleta Adams, Mark Collie,  MCLYTE, Spyro Gyra, Larry Gatlin, Rick Skaggs, Jeffery Osborne, La Toya Jackson, Billy Joel, Jay Leno, Sheryl Crow, Sinbad, First Lady Hillary & Chelsea Clinton, Clint Black, Hootie & the Blowfish, Gin Blossoms, B.B. King, Paula Cole, 10,000 Maniacs, Blues Traveler, Gerald McRaney, Toby Keith, and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, to name a few, in most every war torn area of the world.