David Edward Byrd, the artist behind psychedelic posters for concerts by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Grateful Dead, and Broadway shows like ‘Follies’, ‘Godspell’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, has passed away at the age of 83.
On Monday, Byrd passed away at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as confirmed by Congressman Jerry Digney. His longtime companion, Jolino Beserra, shared the news on Facebook, stating that he succumbed to pneumonia after a 40-year partnership.
Congressman Jerry Digney announced on Monday that Byrd had died at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to his partner of 40 years, Jolino Beserra, who shared the news on Facebook, Byrd passed away due to pneumonia.
As a passionate admirer of art, I can’t help but acknowledge the significant impact that the legendary graphic artist, Byrd, had on 20th-century pop culture. He contributed extensively to Bill Graham’s Fillmore East, an iconic venue that debuted in Manhattan’s East Village back in 1968. Moreover, I have to mention his design for the inaugural Woodstock festival poster, though unfortunately, it wasn’t utilized when the event was relocated.
In 1969, he created posters for The Rolling Stones’ U.S. tour and designed the set for The Who’s ‘Tommy’ performance at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1971. Additionally, he was responsible for album covers like Lou Reed’s ‘Sally Can’t Dance’ in 1974 and those for KISS members in 1978.
Apart from this, he collaborated with various acts including Janis Joplin, Iron Butterfly, Frank Zappa, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ravi Shankar, Traffic, Prince, Van Halen, and his Broadway career boasts of posters for “Murder Among Friends”, “The Robber Bridegroom”, and “The Grand Tour”.
Growing up as a Floridian who was initially born in Cleveland, Tennessee, I later moved on to pursue my education at Carnegie-Mellon University, where I attained both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Fast forward to 1990, I found myself teaching art at the Pratt Institute in the bustling city of New York for a span of twelve years.
Following his relocation to Los Angeles, Byrd began crafting artwork not only for the Mark Taper Forum and Pasadena Playhouse but also various other performance spaces; he served as an illustrator for Warner Bros., and collaborated with J.K. Rowling on visual designs for the Harry Potter movie adaptations.
You can find a review of his work in the 2023 book titled “Poster Child: The Psychedelic Art & Technicolor Life of David Edward Byrd“, which offers a look back at his life and artistic endeavors.
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2025-02-05 02:54