About Ian Wright

English-born Ian Wright’s 50-year career as a photo journalist began at age 14 when he entered and won the bronze award for HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Scheme for students. When Prince Philip came to present the awards, Ian was allowed to join the other professional press photographers to photograph His Royal Highness.

At age 16, he got a job as a dark room boy at “The Northern Echo,” a newspaper in the Northeast of England where Harold Evans became editor.  Eventually he was given photography assignments, including the opportunity to cover the emerging pop music groups for a new supplement to the newspaper, “The Teenage Special.” Too young to drive, Ian took the bus or rode his bicycle to the concert venues, carrying all the heavy photographic equipment.

Throughout The Swinging ‘60s, Ian photographed such emerging icons as Ella Fitzgerald, Chubby Checker, The Beatles, Gene Pitney, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks, Roy Orbison, Dave Clark Five, Sandi Shaw, Adam Faith and The Rolling Stones.  Ian was sent to photograph the U.K. debut performance of Ike and Tina Turner on the bill with The Rolling Stones and the unknown group, Jimi Hendrix and The Experience. He photographed Tom Jones and was on hand the evening Gerry Dorsey’s name was changed to Engelbert Humperdinck.

“The Northern Echo’s” legendary editor, Harold Evans, became editor of “The Sunday Times” in London and Ian followed, working as an international photojournalist in Japan, India and the United States. He continued to photograph celebrities and newsmakers and his work was syndicated to major newspapers and magazines throughout the world, including “Stern,” “Paris Match,” “Newsweek,” “Time,” “Look” and “Life.”  “The Sunday Times” also sent Ian to photograph countless fascinating people including, Alfred Hitchcock, the creators of Superman, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster, songwriter Sammy Kahn, Bugs Bunny’s creator Chuck Jones, and Dr. Charles Richter at his home atop the San Andreas Fault.

Ian’s photographs of Prince Charles’ marriage to Lady Diana Spencer and of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson made front pages worldwide. He photographed numerous overseas royal tours and political events.  

Throughout the 1980’s Ian continued to cover major news stories and was commissioned by the BBC “Radio Times” to create portraits of stars who had been invited to appear in the Royal Command Performances, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Larry Hagman, Liberace, Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire and many others.

During the 1990’s Ian and Sir Harold Evans become Professors of Journalism and Mass Communications at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where Ian taught public speaking, presentation and photography.

Ian and his wife Lauren currently reside in Las Vegas.  He travels worldwide giving lectures about his career and relating stories of all the pop music icons he photographer on the brink of fame.  He maintains an avid interest in cricket and is President of the Las Vegas Cricket Club.

If you would like to book a speaking engagement with Ian Wright, please click here.