Famed producer and photographer Terry Manning will return to Memphis this week to play several concerts and open an exhibit of his photography at the Stax Museum.
Things kick off Saturday night (March 12th) from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stax for “Scientific Evidence of Life on Earth During Two Millennia,” an exhibit of Manning's photos, including the one above of a young Dusty Springfield and producer Tom Dowd.
During his week in Memphis, Manning is also playing three concerts: an intimate show with Stax Academy youngsters at Stax on March 15th; The Hard Rock Cafe on Beale on March 17th; and an “Evening at Elvis'” concert at Presley's house on Audubon, under the auspices of the Mike Curb Institute.
Hailing from El Paso, Texas, Manning spent a majority of his early life in Memphis, where he showed up at the door of Stax Records unannounced at age 15 with guitar in hand, ready for work. With the help of Booker T.& the MG’s guitarist Steve Cropper and Stax publicity director Deanie Parker, he began copying tapes and doing odd jobs until finding success as a producer and musician, all the while honing his photography skills.
Manning worked for Stax and Ardent Studios with a wide range of artists, including Booker T. Jones, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Steve Cropper, Al Green, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and many others.
Manning also pursued his photography, shooting musicians he worked with or met, including Lenny Kravitz, Chuck Berry, Janis Joplin, Dusty Springfield, and Jimi Hendrix, among others.
In his teens, Manning was able to photograph Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis on April 3, 1968, capturing some of the very last photos ever taken of Dr. King before his tragic death.
