Bill Attends Q&A and Book Signing at the Iconic Images Gallery
Bill attended a special Q&A and book signing event at the Iconic Images gallery in Chelsea in December.
He talked about his love of photography and how it all started, met some wonderful fans, and signed and dedicated copies of his book ‘Stones From The Inside’.
Thank you to everyone who braved the snow to come along!
Copies of ‘Stones From The Inside’, Bill’s collection of iconic Rolling Stones photos, are available to purchase online, or stop by the Iconic Images gallery to view and purchase prints of Bill’s work.
Images from the event are below – enjoy!
Bill pays tribute to David English - the 'godfather' of English cricket
Bill has paid tribute to his "dear and lovable" friend David English, known as the "godfather of cricket" and who sadly passed away on Saturday.
David was a famed cricketer, author, fundraiser, record company executive and actor – but he is most remembered for his love and involvement with English cricket.
"I played charity cricket for many years with David English, who was the creator and captain of the Bunbury Charity Cricket team.," says Bill.
"We shared many great moments together at charity matches and numerous social engagements during the forty years or more that I knew him. He introduced me to, and I was honoured to play together with most of the great international and county cricketers of the time – including Ian Botham, Viv Richards, and David Gower.
Bill has many fond memories of his time with David, including this photo of the pair walking off at a charity cricket match after they'd scored 62 runs between them in four overs to win the match (see photo, below).
Bill also shared a number of other photos (below), including this iconic black-&-white shot and a colour photo of the pair at a social engagement.
Bill says that he wants to "say goodbye to a dear and lovable friend who will never be forgotten".
Bill pays tribute to Olivia Newton-John
Bill has paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John following the sad news of her passing on August 8, 2022.
The British-born Australian actress, singer and activist was famed for her role in the 1978 movie Grease. She won four Grammy Awards for her songs, with five number-one hits on the Billboard 100 and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
Olivia Newton-John is one of the best-selling female artists in the 20th Century, chalking up over 100m global sales.
Bill says he met Olivia at at reception for singer Tony Bennett (see photo, below), where he chatted to her and found her to be a lovely woman. Bill sends his condolences to her family.
Bill's 'Desert Island Books' featured in the Mayfair Times
Bill was asked to write about his ‘Desert Island Book’s for Mayfair Times August issue – the five books from across his lifetime that have meant the most to him and had a significant impact.
See the article below for Bill's memorable books – which ones have you read?
Bill featured in Sloane Square Magazine
Bill recently met with journalist Adrian Day to discuss his research into the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and his love for the area where he has lived and worked for many years. Bill is compiling his research into a book on Chelsea, complete with his own photos, which will be published next year.
The interview was featured in the latest issue of Sloane Square Magazine, which also featured a piece of the unveiling of Henrietta Caledon’s new map of Chelsea in Ropers Gardens. Bill contributed to the creation of the map and attended the event.
Bill attends Iconic Images private gallery viewing
On June 9th Bill spent the evening at the wonderful Iconic Images gallery in Chelsea, where several of his photos of the Stones are currently being exhibited for sale.
These will be available to view and purchase until further notice, and a larger collection of Bill’s photography can be found in his book ‘Stones From The Inside’.
New map of Chelsea unveiled with Bill's contributions
Bill is an authority on the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where he first began rehearsing with the Stones in the early 1960’s, and where he still lives and works today. He has spent several years researching the history of Chelsea and its past and present famous inhabitants, as well as taking photographs of the area.
Bill recently advised local artist Henrietta Caledon on the history of Chelsea and its famous inhabitants, past and present, to help produce a beautiful new illustrative map of Chelsea.
On May 24th the map was officially unveiled at Ropers Gardens by the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Councillor Gerard Hargreaves, and Bill said a few words on the occasion.
Bill has also compiled his own research and photographs into an authoritative book on Chelsea, soon to be published.
Bill auctions off Sticky Fingers memorabilia
Memorabilia from the walls of Bill’s legendary Sticky Fingers restaurant, which sadly closed its doors in June 2021 due to the covid pandemic, were up for auction with Julien’s Auctions in May.
The auction included guitars from iconic performances, tours and recording sessions, such as Bill’s 1965 Framus Star Bass, 1969 Fender Telecaster, and 1978 custom Travis Bean bass, as well as gold record awards, tour posters, rare photos and much more. Bill opened Sticky Fingers in May 1989 to display part of his memorabilia archive to the public, and to provide a fine and decently priced American style menu.
Bill says of Sticky Fingers:
“Every year we celebrated the restaurant's anniversaries, and Halloween, with wonderful parties. The restaurant was also host to annual visits by numerous American Radio Stations, and thousands of fans from every corner of the globe. I would take great pride in reading the fan letters that would arrive at the restaurant thanking me for the wonderful food and service, and the experience of looking at the mass of memorabilia and instruments displayed on the walls.”
The restaurant was also popular with a number of celebrities who visited over the years, including Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry, who told Bill it was their favourite place to eat. Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Mick Fleetwood, Ronnie Wood, and Mick Ronson were all fellow musicians who visited frequently, and Gary Brooker, Stevie Van Zandt, Steve Stills and Don Was, would come to eat after their shows in London. Jerry Hall would regularly visit with her children, while Twiggy and actors Dennis Hopper, Jeremy Irons, Leslie Nielsen, Lionel Bart, Gina Lollobrigida, Herbert Lom and Bob Hoskins all dined there.
The auction was part of Julien’s annual ‘Music Icons’ auction, which was held on May 20th, 21st and 22nd, and offered bidders a chance to own a piece of Sticky Fingers history for themselves.
Bill attends Photo London for a book signing of Stones From The Inside
On May 14th Bill attended Photo London at Somerset House with Iconic Images for a signing of his book of photographs of the Stones, ‘Stones From The Inside’.
He signed a large number of books and had a lovely time meeting fans, and reconnecting with photographer Gered Mankowitz, who shot many iconic photos of the Stones over the years
Some of Bill’s signed photo prints were also exhibited for sale. These have since been moved to the Iconic Images Gallery in Chelsea, where they can be viewed and purchased. Bill’s book ‘Stones From The Inside’ can also be purchased here.
