Cheeseburger in Paradise 1986

INTERVIEW MAGAZINE

Founded in 1969 by pop art icon Andy Warhol, Interview Magazine was one of the most influential cultural magazines of the late twentieth century. Published from Warhol’s legendary New York studio, The Factory, the magazine pioneered a new style of celebrity journalism in which artists, musicians, and actors interviewed one another in candid conversations that blurred the line between journalism and pop culture. By the mid-1980s, appearing in Interview meant entry into Warhol’s orbit of cultural cool—a world where rock stars, film icons, and avant garde artists shared the same stage.

SHOOTING JIMMY

Key West Photoshoot with Jimmy & Alan Messer.

In 1986 I was on assignment for Interview, and flew down to Miami on a red eye, rented a car, drove to Key West (4 hours down the overseas highway), and found a motel with barely enough time to sleep before the early morning session at Jimmy’s rented home on the water next to Dog Beach.

I was so tired that my mind was moving slower than my body as I vamped through some standard photo setups, but the shot just wasn’t there. Jimmy went back into his house to roll us a joint, and re-emerged wearing these parrot glasses.

“Warhol’s gonna love these,” Jimmy laughed, as he ran next door to Louie’s Backyard to order a cheeseburger for the setup.

Now inspired, I remembered the picture I came to make! “Cheeseburger In Paradise” was the first Jimmy song I heard in 1978 working at Anchor Records in London, so when I got this assignment, the cheeseburger was already top of mind.

Jimmy had terrific instincts, and just like that the magic struck, and I captured this now famous photo of Jimmy on Dog Beach in Key West. It was a classic Warhol-Buffett moment, memorialized by the iconographic cheeseburger.

ALAN MESSER

Alan Messer is a legendary music photographer whose career began in London in 1967 at just 16 years old. He quickly became known for capturing rock and pop icons like John Lennon, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones. After moving to Nashville in 1978, his British style brought a fresh perspective to the country music scene, leading to collaborations with legends like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Purchase the Large Format Limited Edition Signed Print by Alan Messer (36″ x 36″)

Stop by OurKeyWest Boutique at 613 Simonton Street to view the limited edition 36” x 36” large format print of “Cheeseburger in Paradise 1986” on archival acid free paper. Only 12 total produced. Only 1 in Key West.

Order small colorized gift version here: shop.ourkeywest.com