One of Jim Britt's most important photos was done while he was Chief Photographer at ABC Television; it became the cover of Time magazine.
LOS ANGELES, CA, February 17, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Jim Britt with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Britt celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Having accrued more than 60 years of expertise, Mr. Britt has garnered a laudable reputation as a singer and photographer within the entertainment industry. Beginning his career performing in jazz nightclubs, he eventually moved to Los Angeles from San Francisco in search of opportunities. Mr. Britt eventually excelled as a photographer and assistant art director for Motown Records in Los Angeles.
Throughout his work with the record company, Mr. Britt learned a great deal of how the business operates, and much more about studio lighting, dark rooms, special effects, layout and design and more. By 1975, he had become chief photographer for ABC TV in Los Angeles and New York City. However, just a few years after serving as chief, Mr. Britt decided to enter business for himself as an editorial and commercial photographer, during which he found great success.
Though he reduced his commitment to his musical endeavors for some time whilst pursuing his photography career, Mr. Britt eventually found a way to return to his roots. In 1989 he moved into a large studio in the Helms Bakery Complex in Culver City. He brought his Steinway piano into the studio and in 1991 with his friend Ruth Price they started the Jazz Bakery where on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights the photo studio would be transformed into a jazz concert hall seating as many as 100 people. In 1994 he began singing in clubs in the Los Angeles area while still working as a photographer. Rick Clemente, a good friend, had just bought a restaurant and together they built a jazz room called the Jazz Spot.
Opening to the public in 2000, the Jazz Spot quickly became a premier jazz venue with local and nationally recognized artists. Today, Mr. Britt and his wife Kathleen divide their time between their homes in Indian Wells, CA and Ketchum, ID.
Today, Mr. Britt's photography is represented in New York by Britt Fine Art Consulting, www.brittfineartconsulting.com and can be viewed at his website www.jimbrittphoto.com. It can be seen on display at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery and in the Gallery's book, "American Cool," from the 2014 exhibit. One of Mr. Britt's most important photos was done while he was Chief Photographer at ABC Television; it became the cover of Time magazine. The Roots cover was the first time the magazine had used a photo from a network for its cover.
Mr. Britt is also proud of a photograph he took during the 1980s titled "Sisters," which included a four-page spread in People magazine about his two daughters. After it was published, a public relations agency in New York contacted him and it continued to gain more publicity because it was so well received. The girls, who wore braces at the time, became the faces behind an iconic ad and source of articles in the 2000s. In 2017, it was also published as a small art book by the editor of 'Dazed and Confused' in England. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Britt has published several of his own books as well, including "Jim Britt Photos and Stories" in two volumes.
Mr. Britt first attended college at the University of Washington in Seattle. While pursuing his degree, he met several local Seattle musicians who would become his mentors. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1959, he moved to San Francisco and began singing with a vocal group called The Cables of San Francisco. In 1968, Mr. Britt, his wife and two children moved to Los Angeles.
Mr. Britt is a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers. He notably received a Key Arts Award from The Reporter in Los Angeles in 1979. A celebrated Marquis listee, Mr. Britt has been featured in the 21st edition of Who's Who in the West.
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