Paul Beriff was only trying to get to grips with the essentials of photography when he started arranging opportunities to photograph the future legends and pioneers of rock music in Leeds and across Yorkshire.
The Headingley-born lad dropped out of school at 15 and was inspired to take up photography from looking through the pictures in Life Magazine and Picture Post while doing his round. He said: “I was very impressed with it and I wanted to be a photographer for Life Magazine.”
After getting a job in the copy room at the Yorkshire Evening Post, Mr Beriff bought a camera with his wages and started emulating the pictures he admired.
He said: “I used to follow police cars and fire engines around Leeds on my push bike. One day a car crashed through a glass window on the Headrow and I was the first there.”
Mr Berriff’s pictures were splashed on the front page and, with newfound encouragement, he decided to reach out to theatre managers across the region to take pictures of the up and coming stars of the time.
He said: “It was 1963 and the pop era had just started. So I thought I would use that to test out my camera.”
Over the next few years, while Mr Berriff was still just a teenager, he would visit the Odeon Theatre in Leeds and travel to Huddersfield, Hull and Doncaster to shoot the bands before they took to the stage.
Mr Berriff later went to work in television and, amazingly, it wasn’t until 10 years ago that he rediscovered the collection of photographs and shared them with the world.
A selection of the shots, some of which had never been publicised before, were displayed at Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds over the weekend as part of Photo North Festival, which celebrates the best Yorkshire photography.
Check out the gallery below for some of Mr Beriff’s pictures and the incredible stories behind them. To view more of Mr Berriff’s pictures or purchase the prints, visit his website.
13. Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison in his dressing room during his 1964 concert tour in Yorkshire. Mr Berriff explained that while Roy Orbison became renowned for wearing sunglasses, it was only because he left his regular glasses on the flight to the UK that he started to wear them. But the look would become integral to his image. | Paul Berriff
14. The Searchers
The Searchers photographed before a concert in Doncaster in 1964 | Paul Berriff
15. Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd photographed in the Abbey Road Studios in London on March 22, 1967, recording 'Scarecrow'. Mr Berriff had been invited down with a reporter from the Yorkshire Evening Post by Roger Waters to shoot pictures of them recording their debut album. | Paul Berriff
16. Pink Floyd
Mr Berriff met Pink Floyd in Leeds and was the only photographer to capture pictures of them recording their debut album, 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn'. | Paul Berriff
17. Jimi Hendrix
A striking portrait of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. This black & white image was taken just before Hendrix appeared on stage during a 1967 concert in Yorkshire. | Paul Berriff
18. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix relaxes in his dressing room at the Odeon Theatre in Leeds before his concert on April 5, 1967. Mr Berriff described the guitar virtuoso as quiet. | Paul Berriff