First published in 2015. “I was born a rebel,” Tom Petty once sang, and he wasn’t kidding. As a certifiable legend of rock music who has sold tens of millions of albums and filled countless arenas, he still takes a passionate stand about the things he believes in.  Take the environment, for example. Standing at the plate glass window of his Malibu beach house, he points out a spot where several dolphins are about to appear. “You’ll see... 

FREEZE FRAME Photographer Brian Friedman captures onstage moments in a snap Love of music figured prominently in Brian Friedman’s evolution as a photographer. A drummer since age 6, the Long Island-based lensman converted a teen hobby shooting local concerts into a lauded professional career. Vibrant and distinctive, Friedman’s work has ranged from photographing Michelle and Barack Obama to shooting unforgettable performance images (like the... 

UNFLINCHING FOCUS Photographer Chris Baldwin captures lasting impressions of grit and grace Chris Baldwin was smitten the moment he got his first camera at 15, and immediately began relentlessly documenting his love of nature. Following college, he worked as a field biologist before returning to his first love. Based in L.A., Baldwin has established a reputation for capturing striking images in the world of sports, lifestyle and music (like the above... 

John Legend remembers vividly the day that he and Roots drummer and bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson first met 10 years ago. Legend, then an aspiring singer, songwriter and keyboardist attending the University of Pennsylvania in the Roots’ hometown of Philadelphia, had been drawn to the buzzed-about series of public jam sessions the hip-hop group had been putting on at the Five Spot nightclub on Bank Street. “They were the heart of the... 

HEARING RED Taylor Swift turns up the emotional heat on her latest smash album By Russell Hall t’s midafternoon, and word has been circulating throughout the day that Taylor Swift is set to star as Joni Mitchell in a forthcoming biopic—but nothing’s confirmed. “If you see paparazzi shots of me shooting a movie,” Taylor says, “then you’ll know I’ve signed on to do it.” In any case, it’s quite likely the 22-year-old Swift will sooner... 

LINDA PERRY Blending the tried-and-true and the unorthodox is her hit-making secret By Michael Gallant “If you want to make music that’s safe, something that’s been done before, I’m not that person,” says Linda Perry. “If you want to go edgier, get heavier and dig deeper, I’m your guy.” After gaining recognition as the charismatic lead singer and chief songwriter for ’90s rock band 4 Non Blondes, Perry has built a singular hit-making... 

BUTCH VIG The pioneering platinum producer continues to explore new sonic landscapes By Michael Gallant When Butch Vig helped create Nirvana’s 1991 masterpiece Nevermind, little did he know the project would fundamentally transform the rock world. Though the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum producer had been toiling behind the glass for nearly a decade, that iconic album marked the beginning of a singular career. Following Nevermind, Vig helmed groundbreaking...