"I photographed Ray Charles in his recording studio in Los Angeles for People magazine. When I saw that Ray had a chess set there, I was surprised, since he was blind. Then I realized that it was a Braille chess set especially for the blind. The black and white squares had different heights and the shapes of the figures were simplified. I told Ray that I thought this was amazing and had never seen a Braille chess set before. He asked, "Do you want to play against me? Do you think you can beat me?" So, two thoughts went through my head – firstly, what a great photo this would make, Ray playing chess, and secondly: Of course I can beat you!

So I accepted the challenge, set up the figures, took a few photos, and of course he beat me in seven moves." -NEAL

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The Story behind the Picture – by Neal Preston



Neal Preston - Exhilarated and Exhausted

BOOK TIP

Neal Preston is one of the greatest rock photographers of all time. "Exhilarated and Exhausted" is an unrestricted retrospective of his 40-year career. This was produced in collaboration with Neal and is the first time he has granted unrestricted access to his legendary archive – it is considered one of the most important and extensive photo collections in the music industry. This extraordinary band is a who's who of rock kings.

Neal has been the official tour photographer for Led Zeppelin, Queen, Bruce Springsteen and The Who, and has also photographed extensively the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson and many more.

The book includes his portraits, backstage moments, live performances, post-performance highs and lows, and outtakes. Neal's photographs vibrate with a palpable and inimitable intensity. Neal is a true insider, and the images are brought to life by his liner text – a stunning insight into life as a rock 'n' roll photographer on tour.