A champion for Aberdeen, the still humble Darrell Westmoreland acts as though his job that led him to photographing “big time” musicians on stage, backstage, at parties and in between, was just a job.

While yes, it’s a job, it’s one the 73-year-old photographer “to the stars” has thoroughly enjoyed.

Cue Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” because you’ll want to listen to music as you read along. Or maybe Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” because as Seattle Refined said of Westmoreland’s work in February 2019, “It’s a career most people dream of.”

And through more than 50 years, he’s met many of the biggest names in music, including Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Eddie Van Halen, Tom Petty, Steve Miller, Heart, Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

But for those of us who have not worked with, hung out with, or even met those world-renowned musicians, and even for those among us who have done all of that, Westmoreland’s career behind the camera lens is something a good deal of people would envy.

It took a lot for Westmoreland to get to this point. Westmoreland talked a bit about what got him started.

“Pretty much everybody knows I started at the Satsop Rock Festival. That was my introduction to the music industry,” said Westmoreland, who was a stringer photojournalist for The Vidette in September 1971 during the Satsop River Fair and Tin Cup Race Rock Festival. “Prior to that, I was shooting actually for The Vidette and even some stringing (as a photojournalist) for The Daily World. There seemed to be a lot of political stuff I was shooting at the time. There was also whatever news event that they needed covering, kind of what you do in a lot of ways. They send you out on assignments, say ‘hey, there’s this assignment.’”

Westmoreland’s book “Snap, Click, Flash: All Access Pass” shares the ins and outs of his career and offers many cool photos on-stage, backstage, at parties and everywhere in between. The book can be found on Westmoreland’s site: www.snapclickflash.com.

“As time went on I got introduced to the record companies through (the late) Stan Foreman, who was actually … he was not only a DJ, but he controlled or ran KGHO back in the day, which was the station, a pop station Top-40,” Westmoreland said. “He ended up working with Capitol Records.”

“At that time, I was living in Tacoma,” Westmoreland said. “I went to school at Clover Park Vocational Tech School to get a degree in photography. As I was doing that I was building up clientele, did a lot of shooting for the (Associated Press) and United Press International. And that’s where Stan got the job for Capitol Records. Anyway, so with that being said, he hired me. He hired me a couple times. And then I ended up meeting some other record reps because most concerts had two or three artists and each artist was on a different label normally.”

Foreman hired Westmoreland to do some public relations and meet-and-greet shots in Seattle. Foreman has a quote near the start of Westmoreland’s book that shows the talent the music photographer had in his early-20s.

“I first met Darrell in 1974 when I was the general manager/program director of radio station KGHO,” Foreman said. “Darrell came to my office and showed me some pictures from a recent Elton John concert. They were really great shots and I asked Darrell where he got them. He told me he had shot them himself. I was amazed. The photos were as good as anything I had ever seen taken at a rock concert.”

Westmoreland has many fans on the Harbor, including Aberdeen City Councilor Sydney Newbill, who recently called Westmoreland’s book “Snap, Click Flash: All Access Pass” the “coolest book.”

“I find his book and stories to be very awe inspiring,” Newbill said.

As Westmoreland continued to talk about his rise through the industry, he said the next label was Columbia Records, then MCA Records, and then “within about a year and a half I was shooting for multiple, multiple labels.”

Westmoreland’s career grew along the Pacific Northwest coast.

“I was the guy, I literally locked up the whole Seattle market, and would go down to Portland and shoot,” Westmoreland said. “Being set with that, we would go into the radio stations and try to get the artist’s new record or album played. So then all of a sudden I built up an association with the radio stations.”

Westmoreland’s work got more recognition. His images were getting seen in the trade magazines. He didn’t just do rock. He did rap, pop, country, jazz.

“The cool thing about that was I got to experience all the different genres of music, (got) exposed to it,” Westmoreland said. “And then as I was running with the labels, as I call it. I would meet up with the record rep and then we would jump in the limo. We’d go get the artist or group and then run with them, taking them to radio stations and taking them to the record stores.”

You can see some of Westmoreland’s work for free in the windows of the D&R Event Center, which is on South I Street, next to the D&R Theatre. Westmoreland has also been written about in Coastal Currents, Seniors Sunset Times, and larger publications.

Westmoreland said they’d take artists into local record stores for meet and greets, to promote the album, to engage with the fans.

“That was a key part of what I did also,” Westmoreland said.

Throughout Westmoreland’s illustrious career, it’s hard to point out artists and bands who he hasn’t photographed. And soon, the Montesano native will receive another honor and it’ll be permanent.

Aberdeen Walk of Fame

The always active photographer, who turns 74 later this year, will receive his own star — the 92nd — on a nearby downtown Aberdeen sidewalk on July 6 as part of the Aberdeen Walk of Fame . The announcement was made Tuesday morning on Johnny Manson’s radio show “Local Matters” on 94.7 FM, an appropriate avenue to announce since the ideas for the stars were the “brainchild of Johnny Manson,” according to The Daily World. Westmoreland, Wil Russoul, Lisette Bennest and Manson were on the show as Westmoreland talked to Roger Fisher of Heart. Westmoreland has known Fisher since 1976.

“It’s pretty cool, I think, that we’ve got a star on the sidewalk because (Darrell) shot all the stars with images, including you Roger (Fisher),” Russoul said to Fisher, who called into Manson’s show. “And I think that is so special.”

In addition to Aberdeen cementing Westmoreland’s star in July, the photographer, who’s also been the official Washington State Fair photographer for the last 14 years, has been a major part in helping form the biggest music bash Aberdeen has ever had — World Music Day 2024 (WMD). The large-scale event will take place on June 21 throughout downtown Aberdeen and a few other select locations. Fisher will be in town on that day, as will Krist Novoselic, formerly of Nirvana, and Mark Pickerel, formerly of The Screaming Trees.

World Music Day, a free, family-friendly event, is part of a worldwide “celebration of music” called Make Music Day (MMD). MMD was presented by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. You can find the official schedule of the day’s events on 98520.org. But be flexible and stay tuned as the schedule is shifting as more events are being added as June 21 approaches.

With World Music Day six days away once this prints, Russoul, executive director of Downtown Aberdeen Association, spoke about what Westmoreland has meant to him and to Aberdeen.

“Darrell carries a lot more than a camera, even beyond his countless behind the scenes stories,” Russoul said. “Darrell carries the best of Aberdeen.”

Russoul said how Westmoreland “cheer leads,” how he “rolls his sleeves up” and how “every contact he makes includes something wonderful about Aberdeen.”

Recently, Westmoreland took time to talk about the book with a local fan who stared wide-eyed at all of the candid photos throughout the book. They spoke for some time and Westmoreland, a kind person who is loved by many, answered every single question the man had.

Russoul spoke more about Westmoreland’s artistry.

“He has been strategically important to so many people in front (of) and behind his lens, and honestly he has the eye of a true artist meaning he sees someone’s heart. And from there he memorializes that in an image,” Russoul said.

An eight-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist, Phil Greer, said a few years ago that “it’s about capturing the moments.” And boy, has Westmoreland captured some seriously cool moments.

Rick Moyer, of Moyer Multi Media LLC., spoke about Westmoreland’s character.

“Darrell’s not only an amazing photographer, he’s a heck of a nice guy,” Moyer said. “He’s a big league photographer who lives in a small town. The guy’s taken pictures of everybody.”

Moyer said how Westmoreland has aided him through the industry.

“Personally he’s been really kind to me. I’ve had questions in my photography business and he’s helped steer me in the right path,” Moyer said. “That’s really nice of him, because he does it and he really doesn’t have to.”

Dani Bacon, co-owner of The Music Project and The Side One Building in Aberdeen, spoke about Westmoreland and what he means to her and her husband Lee.

“Darrell is such an iconic photographer, capturing moments in music history for decades,” Bacon said. “His integrity and love for his profession is magnificent. Lee and I are so proud to call him our friend.”

For Westmoreland, a photographer for life, he’ll continue, as Elton John wrote, to “Count the headlights on the highway” to his next gig. Stay tuned.

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.

Darrell Westmoreland In a never before printed photo from Darrell Westmoreland, Krist Novoselic, then-Nirvana bassist, seen in between drags of a cigarette on Halloween night, Oct. 31, 1991. Novoselic, born and raised in Aberdeen, will be back in town on June 21 for World Music Day and he’ll be playing with Mark Pickerel, formerly of The Screaming Trees, as part of The Bona Fide Band.

Darrell Westmoreland Gene Simmons, bassist and vocalist for KISS, and Darrell Westmoreland pose for a photo during a fun time in 1990. Westmoreland said on Thursday that Simmons is just a really nice guy. “When you see Gene Simmons as KISS you think there’s a whole other ballgame with his make up, because he’s in a whole other world,” Westmoreland said. “When he’s not in make up he’s literally the nicest guy.”

On Tuesday, Darrell Westmoreland, left, talks with Wil Russoul, right, and Roger Fisher of Heart, who called in to Johnny Manson’s “Local Matters” radio show on 94.7 FM. Once Fisher called in, the official announcement was made that Westmoreland would receive his star on the Aberdeen Walk of Fame. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

Darrell Westmoreland, a lifetime Harborite, has already made an indelible stamp on Grays Harbor. But on July 6, the music photographer for more than 50 years will receive a permanent marking on a sidewalk in downtown Aberdeen. (Darrell Westmoreland)