Film director, celebrity portrait photographer and recording artist Lynn Goldsmith was born on this day, February 11, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan.
Goldsmith attended the University of Michigan where she graduated magna cum laude in three years with 2 degrees in English and Psychology. She was the youngest woman director ever accepted into the Director’s Guild of America as a director.
Goldsmith directed ABC’s In Concert, the first rock show on network television. After directing a documentary piece on Grand Funk Railroad for ABC, Goldsmith made a film on Grand Funk called “We’re an American Band” in 1973. This led to her becoming the band’s co-manager
In the mid-seventies, she left managing and directing to focus on her photography. Goldsmith started the first photo agency that represented images of famous people in the entertainment field. She chronicled Bruce Springsteen’s rise, the Rolling Stones’ stadium tours, and Michael Jackson’s ascent, Cultural heroes like Bob Dylan and Patti Smith became frequent subjects for her lens. The company, LGI, grew over the next 20 years to represent over 300 photographers worldwide.
Lynn’s photographs have appeared on the covers and in publications in many countries for the past 50 years. She has done over 100 album covers. In addition to her editorial work, Goldsmith has also focused on fine art photography with conceptual images. Her photographs are in the collections of The Smithsonian among other museums and her 3D videos created in 1982 are in the collection of Moma.
Let’s wish Lynn a Happy Birthday.