Howard Bingham, American photographer, Died at 77

  Artists

Howard Bingham was born on May 29, 1939, in Jackson, Mississippi and died on December 15, 2016.

He was a biographer of Muhammad Ali and a professional photographer.

He was the son of a minister and Pullman porter.

He had initially failing his photography course, he was hired by a local newspaper.

While working there, Bingham met the young Cassius Clay (later to become Muhammad Ali).

Both had an instant rapport, one that led to a lifelong friendship.

He went on to create arguably the definitive book of photographs of Ali, Muhammad Ali: A Thirty-Year Journey.

He was one of the first black photographers to work on a Hollywood International Cinematographers Guild camera crew.

Adger Cowans joined the local 644 in 1969 which became the local 600 after working on Cotton Comes to Harlem produced by MGM.

Bingham,s photographs have been published in magazines and periodicals including: Life, Look, Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, People, Ebony and others.

Bingham was selected as a photographer for the 1990 project Songs of My People.

Bingham was noted for interviewing James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as photographing the Black Panthers for LIFE at various points in his career.

During 2015, his work was featured in an show called “Light Catchers” at the California African American Museum along with six other prominent African-American photographers.

Howard Bingham passed away at 77 years old.