About James Shive
James Shive, a native of New Jersey, is a lifelong a professional photographer whose massive Archive of rock & roll images spans more than 15 years of iconic pictorial rock history ranging from 1974-87. Most notably, Jim has a go-to reputation for his vast collection of rock concert images including rare, early photographs of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – before their rise to international stardom. All taken during live performances, most were made in the New Jersey tri-state area as early as 1974, before the release of “Born to Run,” and include the now infamous string of six sold-out shows at the Palladium Theater, New York City, in 1976. In August 2011, Jim’s photograph, taken at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, 1978, was featured as the opening memorial to the late Clarence Clemons in “Rolling Stone Magazine” and during a private memorial for Clemons that Fall.
Jim’s photograph also graces the cover of the book “The Light in Darkness.” In 2012, he contributed the winning image to “The Friends of Bruce Springsteen Special Collection,” and he was instrumental in organizing "Photographers for Sandy Relief" later that year. A contributing photographer to “Backstreets Magazine” since its inception, Jim also has been a regular Guest DJ on Sirius XM-E Street Radio.Jim’s images have appeared around the world in print, Internet and on television, among them The New York Times, Cream, Circus, Relix, the aforementioned Rolling Stone Magazine, and VH1. Jim also has been a Guest DJ on The Sound 100.3, Southern California's classic rock station. In May 2011, he released his images to the public for the first time in 30 years through his web site www.ShiveArchive.com, an extensive gallery of more than 5,000 never-before-seen photographs.More than 549 of Jim’s images are housed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives in Cleveland, Ohio (see below). His prints are sold and collected around the world from his vast catalogue that include Bob Dylan, The Who, Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Blondie, The Ramones, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, Dan Fogelberg, and Warren Zevon, to name a few, in addition to Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Jim’s prints are valued as rock ‘n’ roll collector’s items. His catalogue is represented by Tandem Stock Stills & Motion in Los Angeles, owned and operated by his son, noted nature photographer Ian Shive. Jim is married. He lives in the Southwest – for now.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, based in Cleveland, OH, in 2013 acquired 549 images of James Shive, that will be utilized by the Museum’s Library and Archives. The digital contribution by Shive, well- known throughout the music industry for his vast photographic catalogue of live rock and roll concert performances and particularly his iconic images of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, before and after the band’s meteoric rise to fame, consists of 549 black-and-white and color images that will be preserved at the Museum indefinitely in recognition of its significant value in documenting rock and roll history for future generations, as well as made available for research purposes and for public viewing.
