Bainbridge Island’s Linda Wolf, a renowned writer and photographer, has achieved remarkable success throughout her career. As the founder of Teen Talking Circles, Wolf has made significant contributions to youth empowerment. Her diverse accomplishments include serving as a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Citywide Mural Project, co-founding Women in Photography International, authoring three photography books, and creating the video montage I Am a Full Woman.
Wolf’s work has been featured in prestigious publications and exhibitions, including 24 Hours in the Life of Los Angeles. She also spearheaded the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics “L.A. Welcomes the World” billboard project. Her photographs are part of the collection at the Bibliothèque Nationale and other nationally recognized venues.
Perhaps most notably, Wolf served as the official photographer for the legendary 1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Her iconic images captured the essence of that extraordinary time when, as she describes, “43 people, 3 kids, and a dog” embarked on a whirlwind two-month, 48-city tour aboard Cocker’s private jet, “leaving audiences awestruck at every stop!”
Now, history is set to repeat itself as Wolf and the original tour members, including Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Chris Stainton, Bobby Jones, Chuck Blackwell, Bobby Torres, Pamela Polland, Claudia Lennear, Donna Washburn, and Matthew and Daniel Moore, reunite to celebrate the life and work of the late Joe Cocker.
The reunion, scheduled for September 11 as part of the Lockn’ Festival in Arrington, Virginia, is being orchestrated by the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and their bandmates aim to recreate much of Cocker’s iconic Mad Dogs and Englishman album on stage. Originally, Cocker was slated to participate, but he withdrew due to his cancer diagnosis and sadly passed away last year.
Wolf will once again be behind the lens, documenting this historic reunion. She plans to create a commemorative book to mark the occasion. The event has already garnered significant attention, with Rolling Stone magazine featuring Wolf’s photographs prominently in their latest issue.
According to Rolling Stone, the original tour was born out of necessity for Cocker. Exhausted from his Woodstock performance, the English singer found himself in a predicament: he needed to continue working to maintain his visa, despite having recently disbanded his group. In a stroke of fortune, he quickly assembled a new ensemble, featuring notable talents like Coolidge and Russell. (It’s worth noting that Tedeschi and Trucks opted not to include drummer Jim Gordon in the reunion, as he is currently serving a life sentence for a tragic incident in 1983.)
Reflecting on the upcoming event, Wolf enthuses, “This show promises to be an extraordinary spectacle, showcasing immense talent and soaring passion in honor of the big-hearted, beautiful soul that was Joe Cocker.”
The reunion concert not only pays tribute to Cocker’s musical legacy but also serves as a testament to the enduring bonds formed during that groundbreaking tour. For Wolf, it’s an opportunity to revisit a pivotal moment in her career and to document the coming together of these legendary musicians once more.
As the Lockn’ Festival approaches, anticipation builds for what is sure to be a memorable celebration of music, friendship, and the indelible mark left by Joe Cocker and the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Wolf’s photographs, both past and present, will undoubtedly play a crucial role in preserving this remarkable chapter in rock and roll history for generations to come.
