 DEDICATED TO KEITH MORRIS On our return from an assignment recording the Summer Solstice Sun Rise over Stonehenge, we were stunned to find a voice mail message on our home 'phone from a friend letting us know about Keith Morris.
On June 17th Keith was on a dive to a submarine wreck, 20 miles from Guernsey. He failed to re-surface. Despite a search he has not been found and is feared dead.
I last saw Keith on the 26th April when I was on his arm (as so to speak) for the 'Born to Boogie' DVD Premier & Party in Mayfair. But really Keith wasn't into all the 'show biz'. He left me to go to the after screening party because it wasn't his scene.
At the time he was asked to photograph Marc (by Tony Secunda) he was in his element photographing demos, festivals, anarchist musicians and other associated 'Underground' activities for one of the leading 'Underground' magazines at the time: Oz. Artists who came inline with his camera lens included key musical figures of the age, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix.
Keith was the only professional photographer to photograph cult singer/songwriter Nick Drake and also Steve Peregrin Took. Like Bolan, he photographed Took on the request of Took's manager Tony Secunda!
Keith's life moved away from rock photography and he devoted more time to his other passion – adventurous diving, where he was among the most influential divers in Britain.
In recent times he was 'rediscovered' by modern bands who, having seen his work with 'Underground Legends' such as Mick Farren wanted him to capture them in his own inimitable style. When we met at the B2B VIP Screening Keith, forever modest, told me with a puzzled tone in his voice, "They think I'm some sort of Living Legend!". I replied laughing "Oh but you are Keith!"
I first met Keith in 1999. Strangely our meeting had nothing to do with Marc Bolan. I sat in Keith's kitchen* looking at the contact prints of Steve Took which I wanted to include in his Book**. Since then, I've become friends with a number of Steve Took's mates all of whom Keith knew well too.
It was good to have a number of opportunities to talk to Keith about both Marc Bolan and Steve Took. Keith Liked them both, in fact of Took he said "I can't imagine anyone not liking Tookie". Recently, we chatted about Mickey Finn too whom Keith remembered with laugher in his voice.
* The photo above was taken with Keith sitting at his kitchen table, which he commented was the same one that both Marc and Tookie had, at different times, sat at. It was always a pleasure to meet Keith. He always had an 'air' of 'wiseness' which made him laugh and almost blush when he saw that I had made reference to it in print.
** The Took Book is coming along nicely by the way. There was such a lot more to Tookie than I ever imagined when I started, that it is taking time to get everyone interviewed. Steve Took Info.
An example of Keith's very rare honesty and ethics came when he was asked by Mick Farren's Ex-Girlfriend Germaine Greer to take the photographs of her for the men's magazine Suck.
"Why Me?" Keith asked. "Because", Germaine exclaimed, "You are the only photographer who won't sell any photographs to the tabloids when they find out you've taken them!" Keith told me he thought that this was an over exaggeration. But sure enough, as soon as the 'word got out', his telephone was ringing non-stop with offers of money to secretly sell some of the photographs!
Keith didn't 'sell out' his own morals. As the Tyrannosarus Rex lyrics go "Hold the Glove of Gold behind you. Love the Glove or Truth", and Keith Always did!
For so many reasons Keith is soley missed and I pray for a miracle that he still is found.
Keith's son died in a diving accident so now they will be re-united.
Love & Thoughts go to his two daughters.
Fee
His 'Dive' Magazine obituary can be read at
http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=2082&v=1&sp
WATCH A VIDEO DEDICATED TO KEITH containing Interview footage with just a few of his wonderful photos of Marc 'n' Mickey. 1 Minute 39 Seconds. (5.44 meg)
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