http://imbodybuilding.com/articles/joe-valdez-rip/Joe Valdez R.I.P.
The world of bodybuilding lost another of its most renowned physique photographers and contributors when Joe Valdez died in his sleep at 5:54 on Wednesday, August 16, 2005, at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Home in Woodland Hills, California. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 1, 1932, Joe was one of the best photographers in the iron game, with 400 magazine covers—many for foreign bodybuilding magazines—to his credit. In addition to his prolific photography, he was involved in organizing the National Physique Committee in Southern California and was its first district chairman. He was also a prominent physique contest judge for more than 30 years.
I first met Joe in 1965 at the AAU Mr. America contest, which was held in Los Angeles. He approached me and introduced himself by saying that he worked in the photography department at Warner Bros. Studios and wanted to learn physique photography. I set up a photo session with several of the contestants for the next day and invited Joe to observe. From that day forward he shot physique photos, and within a few years he became one of the best in the business
Joe’s background as a second assistant cameraman speeded his mastery of physique photography. He worked on every Aaron Spelling TV production, including “Dynasty,” one of the top-rated series of its time. His likable personality made him very popular with all the stars he met in Hollywood. Joan Collins mentions him a few times in her biography. Joe was very close to Academy Award winner Barbara Stanwyck, who affectionately called him “Santa,” and he was friendly with Charlton Heston and Angie Dickinson.
Joe was a hard-working person with a sharp wit. While at Gordon Mitchell’s memorial gathering at World Gym in Marina del Rey, Joe greeted the newly elected governator—Arnold—by saying, “I always knew you’d be working for me someday.”
Joe kept amazing records of bodybuilding contests for decades. He was also one of the founders of GraphicMuscle.com and was responsible for the Today’s Birthdays feature that appears daily at GM.
“Joe really did have an idiot savant’s knowledge of bodybuilder’s birthdays and could remember the date of anybody’s he jotted down, which he never stopped doing,” recalls Bill Comstock. “He’d go up to complete strangers, anywhere he would see a bodybuilder, and without introducing or explaining himself ask, ‘When is your birthday?’ I was with him many times when bodybuilders didn’t react kindly to his birthday solicitations. More than once I thought he was going to get himself killed.”
Joe was one of the most beloved personalities in our sport. He helped many up-and-coming bodybuilders succeed. He always took three photos of each pose during a photo shoot: one for the subject, one for publication and one for himself. He never charged his models and always gave them free photos. Almost all of his magazine covers were given to publishers for free—he only wanted to help bodybuilders get the recognition that they deserved.
Joe photographed rising young stars like Rory Leidelmeyer, Robby Robinson, Bob Paris, Rich Gaspari, Shawn Ray, Danny Hester, Manny Molina, Stan McQuay, David Johns, John Brown, Richard Jones and many others, often giving them the first publicity that helped propel them to worldwide recognition and fame. He also claimed that he persuaded Vince Taylor to become a bodybuilder after meeting him on a photo shoot with John Brown.
In recent years, despite his failing health, Joe attended almost every contest in Southern California—in his wheelchair and with an oxygen bottle. He truly loved bodybuilding, and the same can be said about him by the many friends who mourn his passing. Joe always wanted to write a book titled Everybody I Know Is Famous, Except Me. He’ll always be famous to his many friends in the bodybuilding world and his close acquaintances in show business.
