Joe Keithley - True to Himself

My relationship with D.O.A. and its lead singer Joe “Shithead” Keithley began in the late 70s and progressed until recently when I became obsolete, redundant & retired as a magazine photographer.

It was in our Burnaby home sometime in the mid-80s when Joey (we who know him well call him that) knocked at my door and said, “Alex how would you like to have a picture in Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine?” True to his word my photograph appeared as full bleed on a vertical page on the left , while Black Flag was on the right of a beautiful layout.

I never photograph weddings. I swore about this when I arrived in Vancouver in 1975 and yet there is one wedding that I could not refuse a request to photograph it (can you guess?).

In all the years I  have known Joey I have never seen him change his views on the sins of capitalism, bureaucracy and the protection of the environment. If anything I can state here that Shithead has been true to himself.

While I no longer live in Burnaby I support his bid for mayor of that community and I am sure that my daughter and husband who live there will vote for him.

In my past I have photographed a couple of Burnaby mayors. I hope to photograph the next, Mayor Joe Keithley.

The photograph that made Interview Magazine

Joe Keithley now (no photo credit)