Darrell Westmoreland was up early Saturday with a camera slung over his shoulder and sunglasses on. Even though this was a day meant to celebrate him, he was ready to work.

After all, it was also Aberdeen Founders Day. Westmoreland wouldn’t miss a chance to shoot an event. That’s his thing, as it has been for more than 50 years. It’s why he is the 92nd person to receive an Aberdeen Walk of Fame star.

A couple hours before he unveiled his star to a group of excited family members, friends and fans just a few feet from the corner of West Wishkah and South K streets, he was riding in a red 1955 Chevrolet pickup that was a float for Aberdeen Founders Day. His dear friend Monica drove while his daughters Darnell Sue-Lindahl and Corrie Westmoreland-Vairo, who flew out to Aberdeen to celebrate with their dad, were riding in the truck with him as he stood outside ready to shoot.

After the parade, Lee and Dani Bacon, owners of The Music Project building, threw a private event where people spoke about Westmoreland. It was a total green room experience inside the Unplugged section of the building. But, it led to some good cheer and fun stories.

“We’re really excited that you guys all were able to come here to celebrate Darrell today,” Dani said.

Connecting with Westmoreland

Dani talked about how she and Lee quietly started their project about six years ago and didn’t really make known what they were doing until about three years ago. She said how there were skeptics as to what the project would look like. She said how she guessed Westmoreland “might have been one of those skeptics,” and how he didn’t really interact much with the Bacons until about six months ago when the Bacons started working on World Music Day.

“Boy, he definitely got full-tilt and invested in The Music Project and what we had going on here,” Dani said. “I really feel like we’ve grown close and we see each other every day it seems like.”

Dani said what she knows to be true about Westmoreland.

“When he welcomes you into his circle of trust, there is no better friend or protector,” Dani said. “He will be there as fast as his car will drive if you need him. He loves his community and everything that happens in it. He may be retired, but we all know that’s never really gonna happen. He definitely has a fire in his belly that really makes him a passionate person about anything that’s happening, and he wants to share his craft with those who are serious about what they are doing in photography. And anybody who is involved with music, he’s absolutely a person who will put you out there for everyone to enjoy.”

Dani closed by telling the crowd how proud she is to call Darrell her friend and “even my family. I’d call you my family now.”

“You’re so deserving of this star that’s being presented to the people who come to Aberdeen from all over the world,” Dani said. “And thank you for trusting Lee and I to be in your world.”

Sativa Miller, a photographer in town, gave credence to Dani’s message about how Westmoreland shares his craft with anybody who is “serious about what they are doing in photography.”

“He’s the man who inspired me to be a photographer,” Miller said.

During the event and during the star unveiling, Pat Anderson, Rick Moyer, Wil Russoul and Johnny Manson spoke about how great it’s been to know Westmoreland.

“Darrell has been the consummate professional his entire (career), over 50 years,” Anderson said.

In addition to what turned into a mini comedy roast from Anderson, he also got serious about another element of what Westmoreland has always done and why he respects him for it. The anecdote showed Westmoreland’s ethics as a photographer, it showed that he’s not a paparazzo.

“One thing that Darrell always made clear, because I would ask him ‘do you ever take pictures of someone doing something they shouldn’t be doing and getting into compromising positions?’” Anderson said. “And he goes ‘Nope.’ I go ‘Why?’ He goes ‘I didn’t want to embarrass them and I didn’t want them to be put in a compromising position.’ This is going back 50 years. With everything that you’ve done, you could have a treasure trove of craziness, but you chose not to take pictures of people in compromising positions. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is integrity.”

Unique family experiences

But it was the out-of-towners with the best speeches. Westmoreland’s daughters spoke about growing up with the music photographer.

“In the ‘80s, if you don’t all know, parents used to take their kids to work a lot,” Westmoreland-Vairo said. “Maybe they go to an office building, or (elsewhere), but Darnell and I, we went to concerts together and backstage, and even during the weekdays, sorry Dad. … But the record label offices and radio stations, that’s where we spent our time going to work with our dad. We had no idea that it was such a big deal until we got older.”

“We had absolutely no idea, we thought this was normal,” Sue-Lindahl said. “We would go to school and the next day we’d be tired and the teachers would ask ‘why are you tired?’ And we’d be like ‘well, we were out last night. We were hanging out with Aerosmith … they’d be like ‘that’s, you’re lying.’ (We’d go) ‘no, we’re not lying.’ And so they didn’t believe us. They’d call our parents and they asked Dad ‘why are your kids lying at school and telling us they’re going to concerts at night and meeting these famous people?’ And then dad would be like ‘No, here’s the photos. Look at this, this is what we do.’”

Through their speeches, both daughters made Westmoreland and everyone else laugh.

“Funny story, so playing off of that, when you’re a kid and they ask you ‘what’s your favorite food, right? ‘You can write it down,’” Westmoreland-Vairo said. “Most kids say pizza or macaroni and cheese, I would say ‘Green Room food, you know, backstage.’”

The food could be vegetable trays, chips, lasagna, or something else. Whatever was back there, they ate it and loved it. And then they ran into Ozzy Osbourne, who connected with Westmoreland because his children were Westmoreland’s daughters ages. They told the intimate crowd how Osbourne rubbed Westmoreland on the head. And then they spoke about Steven Tyler.

“Steven Tyler knew Dad and all of us like on a first name basis, which was really cool,” Sue-Lindahl said. “We didn’t realize how cool that was until later. But he knew Darrell and also probably did a pat on the bald head every once in a while.”

And according to the daughters, rubbing his head is “good luck.” But, maybe ask him first.

“But the coolest thing about our dad, all jokes aside,” Westmoreland-Vairo said. “Any time anyone found out we were his daughters, they would always say ‘Man, your dad is the most respected, most appreciated, most humble guy in the music business.’”

Sue-Lindahl added how hearing such compliments from so many people in the industry has given them such pride that they “come from such an amazing person in our dad, Darrell.”

“We have so much respect and he still continues to have that in the music business,” Sue-Lindahl said. “And we’re talking anywhere from famous people to DJs, to radio personalities and record labels, (they) always said ‘your dad is just the most respected and one of the coolest people who we know,’ and ‘Congratulations,’ and we’re like ‘Thanks.’ So anyway, we just want to say thank you Dad, it’s been a pleasure. Thank you for the ride and you deserve this.”

The group inside, with toasting drinks in hand, erupted with applause and cheers.

Man of the hour

“I’d like to thank Dani and Lee Bacon, the city government of Aberdeen, since I’m naming everybody, Aberdeen Arts Commission and the board members because that’s why I’m here,” Westmoreland said as he continued his list. “And Aberdeen Parks Department and World Music Day, because we did pull off something that was probably not expected to really be such a success. And yeah, thank you for the star.”

Darrell also revealed what will forever be underneath his star. He was allowed to put in something small, so he showed his humor.

“I’m looking down and there’s two pennies, so I put in my two cents’ worth,” Westmoreland said.

Twinkle, twinkle Aberdeen star

The star unveiling itself included a smaller crowd, but just as enthusiastic and happy for Westmoreland as the crowd inside. Several people spoke highly of the man. Russoul spoke about how Westmoreland adds to the community.

“While he has been known for taking pictures of stars, he also gives his time to all these local events. He goes around and documents things in our town,” Russoul said. “And I think that he sells Aberdeen every day. Every day his photos are somewhere selling who all you are and this town, and I think you represent it so well. I love the fact that Darrell is tied to Stan Foreman. I mean come on! I vote right now for Stan Foreman as the next star.”

Russoul noted how impressive it’s been for Westmoreland to juggle so much, from being a good father, a photographer for “55 (record) labels,” to “living in a dark room” as a photographer. And he noted how he loves that Westmoreland is around to receive the star in person.

Moyer, who added a mini-roast of Westmoreland, summed up what he loves about the man.

“The photography world is very competitive, everybody calls themselves a photographer,” Moyer said. “But (it’s) rare when you find someone like Darrell who is seasoned, he’s a veteran at it. I can ask him a question and he would actually take the time to answer it without being a jerk. Most people would have just gone ‘Yeah, whatever kid, get out of here.’ But he would actually answer me and he would give me some stuff I can really work with. Actually, a lot of the cool things I’ve learned over the past 10 years have been because he’s shared some things with me. And he knows people. If I’ve needed a lens, I call up his buddy who deals lenses … but I just want to point out he’s not only a photographer of the stars (who) hangs out with famous people. This guy, he’s a kind, humble, informative guy who takes a dang good picture. And I just want to say thank you Darrell for being so inspiring. I hope I get some pictures like you, some day.”

And then Johnny Manson, who had the idea for the Aberdeen Walk of Fame Star honor, talked about how Westmoreland has helped him through the years, where Manson’s been a DJ and Westmoreland’s worked as a photographer. He said how Westmoreland has helped him a lot.

“I’ve always explained to people, ‘Darrell Westmoreland, you don’t understand, he’s like this gem that we have here in our community,” Manson said. “You don’t get it, you don’t get the gem that he is. He’s always helping other people, whether it’s Rick Moyer with a lens, or he’s going to grab a lens for the high school, or he’s doing something for somebody else. And I just think it’s so great that we’re able to acknowledge him and his efforts.”

Manson said how Westmoreland has seen him at his highest point and his lowest point. And then he got more sincere.

“He’s always maintained that stability as a good friend and I’ll never be able to repay that, thanks buddy,” Manson said to Westmoreland and his adoring crowd.

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

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Dani Bacon, along with her husband Lee, rolled out the red carpet for Darrell Westmoreland. Westmoreland, known as “Music Photographer to the Stars” in Aberdeen, received the 92nd Aberdeen Walk of Fame star for not only his 50-plus years of shooting so many world-renowned musicians, but also the impact he’s had on Aberdeen and Grays Harbor.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Darnell Sue-Lindahl, right, rubs Darrell Westmoreland’s head for good luck, just as other musicians such as Ozzy Osbourne have done throughout more than 50 years of music photography. Sue-Lindahl flew to Aberdeen for the weekend and said it was “totally worth it” to see her dad and share his big moment with him and her sister Corrie Westmoreland-Vairo.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Darrell Westmoreland and Pat Anderson, right, share a moment during Anderson’s mini-roast of Westmoreland before the “Music Photographer of the Stars” received his honor on Saturday. While Anderson was funny, he was also sincere and applauded Westmoreland’s integrity as a photographer. Westmoreland has seen a lot of musicians in “compromising” positions, but never takes those photos, which protects their public image.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Darrell Westmoreland stands proudly with his daughters, Darnell Sue-Lindahl, left, and Corrie Westmoreland-Vairo, after he unveiled his star to his family and dear friends. Westmoreland, though technically retired, continues to work and people don’t think the “Music Photographer to the Stars” will ever stop doing what he does best.

Darrell Westmoreland, left, and Wil Russoul, worked in close quarters for months in order to put on World Music Day. Westmoreland reflected on the success the event on June 21 garnered for Aberdeen. “We did pull off something that was probably not expected to really be such a success. And yeah, thank you for the star.” (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)