Back when I was a teenager, I met a photographer named Jay Nolan who was doing a story for the Tampa Tribune on the emerging tattoo/body piercing scene that was shifting from kinky older men to a youth culture phenomenon.
He was a gangly midwesterner, easily twice our age, with a signature mustache (think skinny hulk hogan) that he still has to this day. Instead of just taking the shots and moving on to the next story, our little community adopted Jay as one of our own; he’d swing by BRAVO! Body Jewelry to shoot the breeze while working his beat for the Tribune, sharing updates on his latest assignment, or telling us about the concert he’d just used his press pass to shoot.
Music was always Jay’s passion.
Over the last thirty years I’ve kept in touch with Jay - Uncle Jay - deviling him every time he posts some absolute banger of a shot to his Instagram that l can’t wait to see it in his forthcoming book (that he’s not actually working on) or at his gallery show.
So here we are. Uncle Jay IS having a gallery show, featuring his music photos, and if you’re in/around the Tampa area… you should check it out.
I’ll be there on Thursday so if you see me, say hi!