DA Pennebaker

July 15, 1925 – August 1, 2019

Born in Illinois, the son of a successful photographer, Donn Alan Pennebaker made some of the most important rock documentaries of all time. Once described as “arguably the preeminent chronicler of 1960s counterculture”, his work included politically based documentaries along with musical endeavours, an early example of the latter being Dont Look Back, a movie that followed Bob Dylan’s 1965 concert tour of England. Later on, the snowballing success of concert films such as Monterey Pop – which covered the 1967 event of the same name starring The Who, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother & The Holding Company – saw Pennebaker collaborate with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Up Your Legs Forever in 1971. He also made important works pertaining to Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Depeche Mode.

Pennebaker’s unpretentious style was unique. His films were usually narration-free and shot with a hand-held camera, making the viewer feel as though they were in the same room as the subjects, although he wasn’t fond of the term ‘documentary’ being applied to what he did. “For me, I think of them as home movies,” he explained, “because they’re made by one person and not made with the expectancy of a large return.”

Pennebaker’s son Frazer confirmed DA’s death of natural causes. He was 94 years old.