Hank O'Neal
Encyclopedia
Hank O’Neal is an American music producer, author and photographer. He is equally well known in all these disciplines.
. His father was a professional soldier and educator in the US Army in Texas and the Pacific (1929–1947) and, following World War II, an educator and public school superintendent in upstate New York (1953–72). O’Neal was raised throughout Texas, primarily Fort Worth, Bloomington, Indiana
, and Syracuse, New York
. After first attending Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute, he graduated from Syracuse University
in 1962.
and ultimately accepted employment with that organization. He reported for duty in January 1963 and remained with the CIA in Washington D.C. and New York City until 1976. He served in the US Army during the same period (1962–1967), rising to the rank of Captain. The nature of his employment allowed him the flexibility of pursuing other interests during these years.
and their production company, HOSS, Inc. - over 100 music festivals (The Floating Jazz Festival The Blues Cruise, Mardi Gras At Sea, Big Bands At Sea and others from 1983–2002), published a number of books and articles on jazz, photographed most of the giants of jazz from the second half of the 20th Century, exhibited these photographs regularly and served on the boards of various non-profit organizations that serve the jazz community, including the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program of The New School (1985 to present), The Jazz Foundation of America (1993 to present) and more recently The Jazz Gallery (1995 to present) and more recently The National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
In the 1970s he became friendly and associated with a diverse group of photographers, notably Walker Evans
, André Kertész
and most importantly, Berenice Abbott
, with whom he worked for the last 19 years of her life.
Between the years 1970 and 1999 in addition to undertaking many photographic projects, O’Neal also published numerous books related to photography. In 1999, at the urging of Evelyn Daitz, the gallery director, he had a major retrospective of his work to that point at The Witkin Gallery. The focus of his activities have been more directed towards photography since then. He has had many exhibitions since that time. In 2003 his photographic career was summarized in a major profile in The New York Times.
Hank O'Neal sits on the Honorary Founders Board of The Jazz Foundation of America
.
Hank worked with the Jazz Foundation to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina
. During 40 years in the music business, O’Neal has served on the boards of various non-profit organizations, including the Jazz Foundation of America
, the Jazz Museum in Harlem, the Jazz Gallery and the Jazz and Contemporary Program of The New School.
A Vision Shared (St. Martin's Press, 1976)
Berenice Abbott - American Photographer (McGraw-Hill, 1982)
Life Is Painful, Nasty and Short ... In My Case It Has Only Been Painful and Nasty - Djuna Barnes L 1978-81 (Paragon, 1990)
Charlie Parker (Filipacchi, 1995)
The Ghosts of Harlem (Filipacchi, 1997) French language edition
The Ghosts of Harlem (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009) English language edition
Hank O’Neal Portraits 1971-2000 (Sordoni Art Gallery, 2000)
Billie & Lester in Oslo Billie & Lester in Oslo (A Play with Music, 2005)
Gay Day – The Golden Age of the Christopher Street Parade (Abrams –2006)
Berenice Abbott (Steidl, 2008)
100 Jazz Pianists (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009)
All the King's Men (Limited Editions Club, 1990)
Hank O'Neal - Photographs (Text and 12 gravure prints), Limited Editions Club, 1990)
The Ghosts of Harlem (Text and 12 photographs), Glenside Press, 2007)
.
Youth
His mother, Sarah Christian O’Neal was a musically and intellectually inclined housewife from Tyler, TexasTyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
. His father was a professional soldier and educator in the US Army in Texas and the Pacific (1929–1947) and, following World War II, an educator and public school superintendent in upstate New York (1953–72). O’Neal was raised throughout Texas, primarily Fort Worth, Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, and Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. After first attending Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute, he graduated from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in 1962.
Early career
In 1960 O’Neal was introduced to a representative of the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and ultimately accepted employment with that organization. He reported for duty in January 1963 and remained with the CIA in Washington D.C. and New York City until 1976. He served in the US Army during the same period (1962–1967), rising to the rank of Captain. The nature of his employment allowed him the flexibility of pursuing other interests during these years.
Music
During a forty year career in music, he formed two record companies, Chiaroscuro Records and Hammond Music Enterprises, built two recording studios (WARP and Downtown Sound), produced over 200 jazz LPs/CDs and - in conjunction with his business partner, Shelley M. ShierShelley M. Shier
Shelley M. Shier is a Canadian-American entrepreneur and theatrical producer.- Youth :Her mother, Rosaline Cutler Shier Sonshine, is a socially active housewife from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Harry Shier was a noted Canadian industrialist and investor with strong ties to the...
and their production company, HOSS, Inc. - over 100 music festivals (The Floating Jazz Festival The Blues Cruise, Mardi Gras At Sea, Big Bands At Sea and others from 1983–2002), published a number of books and articles on jazz, photographed most of the giants of jazz from the second half of the 20th Century, exhibited these photographs regularly and served on the boards of various non-profit organizations that serve the jazz community, including the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program of The New School (1985 to present), The Jazz Foundation of America (1993 to present) and more recently The Jazz Gallery (1995 to present) and more recently The National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
Photography
His first photographs were taken as a teenager and young man but O’Neal didn’t begin to pursue photography seriously until 1969 when he acquired a professional camera and began documenting recording sessions and jazz concerts he was producing. Long before Berenice Abbott admonished him to always have a project, he undertook his first, in rural East Texas during the years 1970-1973. These photographs led to his first exhibition in September 1973, at The Open Mind Gallery in New York City.In the 1970s he became friendly and associated with a diverse group of photographers, notably Walker Evans
Walker Evans
Walker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans's work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
, André Kertész
André Kertész
André Kertész , born Kertész Andor, was a Hungarian-born photographer known for his groundbreaking contributions to photographic composition and the photo essay. In the early years of his career, his then-unorthodox camera angles and style prevented his work from gaining wider recognition...
and most importantly, Berenice Abbott
Berenice Abbott
Berenice Abbott , born Bernice Abbott, was an American photographer best known for her black-and-white photography of New York City architecture and urban design of the 1930s.-Youth:...
, with whom he worked for the last 19 years of her life.
Between the years 1970 and 1999 in addition to undertaking many photographic projects, O’Neal also published numerous books related to photography. In 1999, at the urging of Evelyn Daitz, the gallery director, he had a major retrospective of his work to that point at The Witkin Gallery. The focus of his activities have been more directed towards photography since then. He has had many exhibitions since that time. In 2003 his photographic career was summarized in a major profile in The New York Times.
Humanitarian Causes
Hank O'Neal sits on the Honorary Founders Board of The Jazz Foundation of America
Jazz Foundation of America
The Jazz Foundation of America is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York founded in 1989. The JFA’s programs help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunities in schools and the community...
.
Hank worked with the Jazz Foundation to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. During 40 years in the music business, O’Neal has served on the boards of various non-profit organizations, including the Jazz Foundation of America
Jazz Foundation of America
The Jazz Foundation of America is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York founded in 1989. The JFA’s programs help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunities in schools and the community...
, the Jazz Museum in Harlem, the Jazz Gallery and the Jazz and Contemporary Program of The New School.
Books (text and illustrations)
The Eddie Condon Scrapbook of Jazz (St. Martin's Press, 1973)A Vision Shared (St. Martin's Press, 1976)
Berenice Abbott - American Photographer (McGraw-Hill, 1982)
Life Is Painful, Nasty and Short ... In My Case It Has Only Been Painful and Nasty - Djuna Barnes L 1978-81 (Paragon, 1990)
Charlie Parker (Filipacchi, 1995)
The Ghosts of Harlem (Filipacchi, 1997) French language edition
The Ghosts of Harlem (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009) English language edition
Hank O’Neal Portraits 1971-2000 (Sordoni Art Gallery, 2000)
Billie & Lester in Oslo Billie & Lester in Oslo (A Play with Music, 2005)
Gay Day – The Golden Age of the Christopher Street Parade (Abrams –2006)
Berenice Abbott (Steidl, 2008)
100 Jazz Pianists (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009)
Books (photographs only)
Allegra Kent's Water Beauty Book (St Martin's Press, 1976)All the King's Men (Limited Editions Club, 1990)
Portfolios
Berenice Abbott - Portraits In Palladium (Text Only, Commerce Graphics/ Lunn Limited, 1990)Hank O'Neal - Photographs (Text and 12 gravure prints), Limited Editions Club, 1990)
The Ghosts of Harlem (Text and 12 photographs), Glenside Press, 2007)
External links
.