Martyn Goddard has been a freelance photographer for over four decades. He began his career in rock music photography upon graduating from the Harrow College of Art. He also wound up working with a certain piano player from Harrow, which he told this Web site about. . . .
EJW: How did you meet Elton?
MG: I had shot live Queen photos in 1973 and showed my work to John Reid, who managed both Queen and Elton.
EJW: What were some of your more memorable assignments?
MG: I did shoots for the Louder Than Concorde tour in London and spent a week in Antigua for the Jump Up album and tour programme. I also shot the cover for the tribute to John Lennon, the Empty Garden single, which went to #13 in the U.S. charts.
One of my Elton images and a story about one of our encounters are in Volume 1 of my book published in 2016, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Fast Cars.
EJW: Elton’s drummer is also a fan of rock and roll and fast cars. Did you ever take pictures of him?
MG: Yes, I photographed Nigel Olsson for Radio Luxembourg’s magazine, Fab 208 magazine, when he was promoting a solo record.
EJW: Has there been any sort of Elton happening lately?
MG: My Elton John and Queen images have been used in many of my exhibitions, including one that was just at the Haggin Museum in Stockton, California. I gave a talk there, and Elton’s name came up.
Visitors always want to know what happened on the various shoots {including one that was postponed when the singer decided he had to listen to the commentary of Watford v West Ham in the fourth round of the FA Cup}.
