Friends and loved ones are remembering the life and career of music photographer Herbert W. Worthington, III on In Memory of Herbert Worthington III, a new Facebook tribute page, created in his honor. Worthington passed away on Sunday at his South Pasadena home.
Worthington is best known for photographing Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1977 album cover Rumours. Providing the concept, inspiration, and even the foot stool for the Rumours album cover, Worthington captured the mystical allure of the band and was instrumental in creating the iconic imagery (such as the crystal ball), which is still associated with Fleetwood Mac today. He continued to have a professional relationship with Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks, photographing the covers of her first two albums Bella Donna and The Wild Heart, and many other photos for her subsequent solo projects. According to AllMusic, Worthington also photographed covers for Buddy Miles, Paris, and Lita Ford, among others, in his long career as a rock music photographer.
In recent years, Worthington maintained a relatively low profile, but kept in touch with Fleetwood Mac. In 1997, Worthington gave an interview for Classic Albums Rumours, a documentary on the recording of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, in which he provided insight into the lively and spontaneous photo session for the album’s cover.
Worthington’s fans and colleagues described him as a warm, approachable man who always had time to talk and sign an autograph. His friends have shared similar stories, as well as photos from Worthington’s early career, on the tribute page.
Herbert Worthington’s work with Stevie Nicks lives on in special calendars, prints, and posters that he printed and high resolution images that he shared with The Nicks Fix.
