ART AND SOUL
One of Malibu’s best-loved charity organizations is hitting a milestone and will be doing so in style. On May 31, Free Arts for Abused Children will celebrate its 26th year with a splashy, celebrity-studded bash on the glorious grounds of the Landon Estate.
The evening will include musical performances by Doug Cameron, Rick Springfield, Jen Landon, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. It kicks off with a sunset cocktail reception and silent auction followed by gourmet grub and dancing under the stars. Cindy Landon and a handful of high-profile pals have hosted the event for the past 10 years, turning it into a Malibu tradition.
Free Arts is a national non-profit organization that brings the healing and therapeutic power of the arts to abused and at-risk kids. With the help of dedicated staff and countless volunteers, children throughout Los Angeles learn to grow, live and express themselves through dance, drama, painting, music and song.
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
If you’re hot to rock, then Digital Domain Visual Effects Studio in Venice was the place to be the other night. That’s where photo buffs, art lovers and music makers gathered to eye the work of Ethan Russell. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, his photos would jog your memory into an immediate flashback.
Each one of Russell’s groovy gelatin images is hand printed from the original negative. His pics include that legendary black and white snap of a very wild and relaxed looking Keith Richards propped up against a poster that reads “Patience, please…A drug free America comes first.”
But it’s not all black and white. Russell was the man behind the colorful cover of “Who’s Next” as well as the Malibu beach scene that graces the cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “Hasten Down the Wind.”
Russell followed the era’s most legendary stars and famous faces including Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, James Taylor, Chuck Berry, Dave Mason, Frank Zappa and The Eagles, as well as those four lads from Liv-erpool, John, Paul, George and Ringo.
In addition to an array of unforgettable album covers, Russell nailed high-energy moments on stage-a bare-ches-ted Roger Daltry swinging his microphone like a yo-yo, a jumpsuited Pete Townshend doing the splits in mid air, a star spangled Janis Joplin throwing around her massive mop of wavy locks.
The artist seems to have more groupies than a Led Zeppelin-Blue Oyster Cult double bill. Even famed shutterbug Annie Leibovitz is a fan.
“Ethan is the photographer I always wanted to be,” Leibovitz explains. “He always held on to his ideals, and in the world of entertainment that is very hard to do.”
To be sure, Ethan Russell captured a time when youth ruled freedom and ferocity. Thanks for the memories and rock on!