Nancy Lee Andrews

Nancy Lee Andrews (born May 14 1947) is another of those great Jersey Girls (like Beatles artist Shannon) who went to college at N.Y.U. Nancy worked as a model for the Ford Agency and posed for pictures by some of the most famous photographers of the day like Richard Avedon, Gordon Munro and Milton Green. It was Milton Green who recognized that Nancy had a desire to be on the other side of the camera and got her started as a photographer.

Encouraged by former Beatle, Ringo Starr, with whom she shared her life for six years (1974-1980), Nancy began shooting fashion assignments for designer boutiques along Rodeo Drive and trendy Melrose Avenue.  She branched quickly into the music business, snapping photos of legendary artists such as George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Band, Keith Moon, Ted Nugent, Carl Perkins, Edgar Winter, Bernie Taupin, Greg and Duane Allman, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Donovan, Carl Radle (of Derek and the Dominos and Nancy’s first boyfriend) Arlo Guthrie, Dr. John, Ron Wood, Hoyt Axton, Harry Nilsson, Sonny Bono, Engelbert Humperdinck and Dolly Parton.  This in addition to shooting publicity and photo packages  and the covers for two of Ringo Starr albums – Ringo the 4th and Bad Boy.   

Nancy Lee Andrews In Her Own Words: on Meeting Ringo

I met Ringo at the former home of actor peter Lawford in Santa Monica. It  wa being rented by John Lennon and May Pang while they were recording Harry Nilsson’s Pussycats album. It was May of 1974 and I was there for, you could call it a Rock N roll Family get together (also living in the house was Ringo, Keith Moon, Klaus Voormann and Harry Nilsson and many of their wives and family). I was sitting next to Ringo at a poker table and he was so charming and witty and really cute. His eyes just twinkled at me that day.

A few months later I got a call from May asking me to bring their car over and hang out and have dinner. They kept their ’68 Barracuda in my garage. When I knocked on the door of their suite at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Ringo answered the door and said “I remember you, you’re my poker partner.”

After dinner John, May and I went down to Sunset Sound Studios where Ringo was working on Goodnight Vienna. The three of us spent hours encouraging Ringo as he laid down his vocals. When we finished we went over to the Fiddler a Sunset Strip hangout, where the boys dropped quarters in the jukebox and sang and May and I chatted.

As it got late Ringo became more melancholy holding my hand, touching my face and looking at me with those big blue watery eyes.
‘The poor guy” I said to John and May, “He’s still in love with his wife, his heart is broken.”

John said softly “Nancy he’s a good lad, give him a chance, you two will be together”

So I was basically set up with Ringo by John Lennon.

Nancy Lee Andrews In Her Own Words on
Becoming a Photographer:

I was on the other side of the camera for years, modeling for some of the greatest photographers of our time. One day I would be working for Sears Catalog and the next for Richard Avedon, Hiro, Irving Penn, Bert Stern, Dick Ballerian...

But the one who handed me a Nikon camera and said 'try it and let's see what you get' was Milton Greene. I guess he recognized from my questions about lighting, composition and technique that I had a burning desire to click the shutter.

From that first roll of film I was hooked on the process to capture the moment. Create the moment. Sometimes lucky enough to just raise my camera and click, recording the moment unfolding in front of me.

The moment is never the same and people are the most fascinating subjects on earth. I love what I do.

Nancy published a book of her photographs in September of 2008 called “A Dose of Rock and Roll”. This book is over 290 pages and filled with some amazing pictures of the best Rock and Roll stars of the 70’s and 80’s. Here is a review that I found on the book page at Amazon.com and I whole heartedly agree with it:
I just received my copy of this book and could not put it down. The author's photos give the reader a gentle and intimate look into the lives of some of rock's well-known (and not-so-well-known) musical movers and shakers of the wonderful 70's, but maybe even more revealing is the commentary accompanying the great photos . . . soulful and gentle. A beautifully done book and a wonderful gift for anyone who lived and loved the music of those times.

When I met Nancy at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans I was very surprised at her kind and gentle nature. She and I got along great and I could not be happier that she is joining on our Beatles Tribute Cruise.