Leon Russell and Willie Nelson share a laugh backstage at Willie Nelson's inaugural Fourth of July Picnic in Dripping Springs, TX, 1973.
Willie was inspired by the previous year's "Dripping Springs Reunion" featuring Earl Scruggs, Hank Snow, Sonny James, Tom T. Hall, Tex Ritter, Roy Acuff, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. The "reunion" was unfortunately not very successful, probably due to poor advertising, so he decided to launch his own Fourth of July Picnic the following year at the same location.
Willie and his team knew that inviting Leon Russell to perform would capture a lot of attention - he was one of the biggest rock stars in the world at the time and would capture the attention of Rock & Roll fans in addition to the Country music fans they expected. He also made sure to invite Jim Marshall, THE Rock & Roll photographer, to document the whole thing.
On this first of many events, Leon Russell and Willie performed together to open the event at sunrise, in front of a crowd of roughly 300 people. The Fourth of July Picnic has continued annually since that day attracting tens of thousands of fans each year.
Release Notes:
This is a signed original Lifetime Photograph by Jim Marshall.
Lifetime Photographs were typically:
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Printed as 11" x 14" or 16" x 20" (sheet size), and were not designated as limited editions (with very few exceptions).
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Produced as silver gelatin prints (black & white), or C-prints and pigment prints (color), and occasionally as platinum and dye-transfer prints.
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Printed and signed by Jim Marshall between the mid-1990s and 2010. Older pieces are usually smaller and dry-mounted, and we classify those as "Vintage."
Collector's Notes:
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These signed photographs come directly from Jim Marshall's estate archive, and are now extraordinarily rare and increasingly valuable.
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Pieces will usually ship within a few days of purchase.
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Buyers will receive a certificate of authenticity following delivery of your artwork.
Please contact us with any questions about pricing and availability!