Val Wilmer facts for kids

Valerie Sybil Wilmer (born 7 December 1941) is a British photographer and writer. She is known for her work on jazz, gospel, and blues music. She also writes about the culture of British African-Caribbean people. Some of her most famous books are Jazz People (1970) and As Serious As Your Life (1977). Her life story, Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This, was published in 1989.

Early Life and Music Passion

Val Wilmer was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, on 7 December 1941. Her family moved back to London after World War II. She is the sister of the writer and poet Clive Wilmer.

Val started her journey into jazz by listening to old recordings. Books like Shining Trumpets and Jazz helped her find important songs. At age 12, she loved listening to Bessie Smith and Fats Waller. She would visit record shops to find new jazz music.

Just three years later, Val began writing about Black music. She was encouraged by people like Max Jones. Her mother often went with her to concerts because Val was still very young. Val felt lucky that her mother supported her unusual interests. She didn't want to follow typical paths for girls at that time. Instead, she wanted to explore the world and be active.

Writing About Music

Val Wilmer understood the early history of jazz and blues music. She started writing about jazz and other African-American music. She often focused on the social messages within the music. Her very first article was about Jesse Fuller. It appeared in Jazz Journal in May 1959 when she was only 17.

Val often wrote letters to musicians she admired. Many famous musicians from across the world wrote back to her. She found it amazing that these great artists replied to a young girl in England.

Val noticed that writing about music was mostly done by men in 1959. She faced challenges as a woman in this field. It was even harder as a white woman writing about Black culture. But these experiences helped her grow and understand herself better. Through her writing, Val gave a voice to a mix of cultures and histories.

Since 1959, Val has interviewed hundreds of musicians. She has written many articles and reviews. Her work has been used in many books and films about famous musicians. For example, her interviews with Thelonious Monk were used in his biography.

She became well-known for her interviews with saxophonists Joe Harriott and Ornette Coleman. Val also became a music critic and photographer. She wrote about how Thelonious Monk's music changed over time. She noted that his music became easier to listen to but was still deep and meaningful.

Val's articles often showed the unfairness that Black artists and women faced in music. She used the musicians' own words to highlight these issues. For instance, she quoted Memphis Slim about how record companies made it hard for him to own his music. She also wrote about her friend Kitty Grime, showing how women's knowledge was often overlooked in the music world.

Even though jazz and blues are her main focus, Val understands many types of music. She wrote about how Jimi Hendrix's visit to England in 1966 brought new energy to the music scene.

Val Wilmer has written for many different magazines and newspapers. These include Melody Maker, DownBeat, Jazz Journal, and The Guardian. She often writes obituaries (articles about people who have died) for musicians.

Jazz People (1970)

Val Wilmer's first book, Jazz People, came out in 1970. Many people now call it one of the best books ever written about jazz. It includes interviews with American musicians like Thelonious Monk and Archie Shepp. The book focuses on the personalities and stories behind the music.

The Face of Black Music (1976)

Val Wilmer is also a very important photographer. Her book The Face of Black Music (1976) is filled with photographs. Like Jazz People, this book is seen as a key text in music writing.

As Serious As Your Life (1977)

Wilmer's book As Serious as Your Life was published in 1977. Its title comes from something McCoy Tyner told her: "Music's not a plaything; it's as serious as your life." This book was the first to explore "free jazz" and the musicians who played it. It also shared the experiences of women in the "new jazz" scene. The book was reprinted in 2018 and is still considered very important.

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This (1989)

Val Wilmer's autobiography, Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This: My Life in the Jazz World, was published in 1989. It tells the story of her journey as a writer and artist. The book also shares her personal experiences in the jazz world.

Photography Work

Val Wilmer is a highly respected photographer. She has taken famous pictures of many artists. These include Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington. Her photos have been shown in major museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. They are also part of the National Portrait Gallery collection.

She has also written about photography and interviewed other photographers. In the 1980s, she helped create an issue of Ten.8 magazine. This issue focused on the work of African-American photographers. Val's photos have often been used with music albums.

In 1983, Val Wilmer and Maggie Murray started Format. This was the first photography agency in Britain made up only of women photographers.

In 2013, a huge photograph by Val Wilmer was put up outside Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. It showed Ronnie Scott smoking a cigarette. Her work was also part of the London Jazz Festival's online exhibition in 2020.

In November 2023, a special exhibition of her work opened in North London. It was called Blue Moments, Black Sounds – A Retrospective. A book called Deep Blues 1960–1988 was published with the exhibition. It shows amazing photos of African American blues musicians.

Awards and Recognition

In 2009, Val Wilmer received a Parliamentary Jazz Award. This award honored her great contributions to jazz music.

In 2017, she was featured in "The Wire Salon: An Audience with Val Wilmer." In 2018, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a special program about her life. Many people say that "Wilmer is as important as the musicians and music she has documented."

In 2019, Val Wilmer won the Lona Foote/Bob Parent Award for her excellent photography career. This was given by the Jazz Journalists Association. In 2020, she became a Patron of the National Jazz Archive.

In October 2023, Val Wilmer was interviewed on BBC Radio 2's The Blues Show. She talked about musicians she had met and photographed, like Muddy Waters. In February 2024, she was featured on BBC Radio 4's famous program Desert Island Discs.