I first met Neil Young in 1966 when he came to LA and joined Stephen Stills to form the
Buffalo Springfield. I was transitioning from five years as a folk musician in the Modern
Folk Quartet to becoming a guy with a camera who was able to hang out with musician
friends and document their lives.
In the early ’70s, I spent some time going up to Neil’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern
California with my art director partner, Gary Burden (who still directs all of Neil’s
artwork). We would take morning walks around the ranch inspecting things or hang
out in the living room while Neil was just being Neil. I did what I always did, which was
to photograph everything I saw.
I have always enjoyed Neil’s music and lyrics tremendously, as I have with most of the
people I have watched through my camera. I have been to many of his concerts through
the years and have spent many hours listening to him talk and laugh—which he does
a lot! There’s a good reason certain people rise to the top of the heap: they have an
amazing viewpoint and they are able to articulate and share it through their music.
That is Neil Young!
By the way…my favorite song of his is “Cortez the Killer.”
— Henry Diltz, June 2016
Henry Diltz is a giant of American popular music photography. Perhaps best known for their
depiction of the Laurel Canyon scene of the ’60s and ’70s, his photographs have appeared on
countless album covers and are etched into the history of rock and roll. He is a co-founder of
The Morrison Hotel Gallery, which also represents his work exclusively. For more, including
his popular book of portraits, Unpainted Faces, visit MorrisonHotelGallery.com