Michael Ochs Archives

Michael Ochs
Born	1943 (age 73–74) Austin, Texas, United States
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Adelphi University Ohio State University
Occupation
Known for	Collection of rock music photographs

Michael Ochs (born 1943) is an American best known for his extensive collection of pictures related to rock music dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The Michael Ochs Archive, located in Los Angeles, contains 3 million vintage prints, proof sheets and negatives which are licensed daily for use in CD reissues, books, films and documentaries.

The Los Angeles Times called Ochs "America's preeminent rock 'n' roll photo archivist" and described his archive as "the dominant force in the rock image marketplace";The New York Times called it "the premier source of musician photography in the world". Ochs sold the archive to Getty Images in 2007.

Ochs was born in Austin, Texas, in 1943. He grew up in Ohio and New York. He attended Adelphi University and The Ohio State University. Ochs served as manager to his brother, singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, from 1967 until the singer's suicide in 1976. Ochs also led the publicity departments at Columbia Records and ABC Records.

Ochs began collecting photographs as a hobby. He would allow friends, including rock critics Dave Marsh and Lester Bangs, to use the pictures for free to illustrate their articles. Ochs began to take a more professional approach after two incidents. First, the Los Angeles Free Press attributed one of his photos to the "Michael Ochs Archives". Then, Dick Clark sent Ochs an unexpected check for $1,000 after Clark used some of Ochs's pictures on a television special.

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