After having a massive stroke, Marin rock photographer releases book of his life’s work
By Paul Liberatore | IJ correspondent | November 12, 2026
Photographer Ross Pelton got up at 4 a.m. every day for five years to work for countless hours on his new coffee table book, “From My Eyes to Yours,” a collection of photographs he’s taken of rock stars and celebrities over his 40-year career.
“It’s my life’s work,” he said one day this week. “And the way people react to these famous musicians is fun to watch. When I show it to people, they say, ‘You took that picture? Tell me about it.’”
The 60-year-old San Anselmo resident recalls the time that a mischievous Ozzy Osbourne threw a bucket of water on him and doused him with a pressure washer before going onstage at Ozzfest, the annual festival the heavy metal idol founded with his wife, Sharon.
“It was super cold, windy and I was soaking wet,” said Pelton, noting that the dry T-shirt a roadie gave him was of little consolation.
At that same festival, Marilyn Manson put a cigarette out on his own chest. You can see the burn mark in the photo Pelton took of him and Osbourne mugging together.
Of all the stars he photographed — from Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani and LeAnn Rimes to Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant — his favorite was guitar idol Eddie Van Halen, who was seemingly more interested in making sure the photographer got lunch and got paid than he was in having his picture taken. Pelton’s photo of Van Halen, who died in 2020 at age 65, graces the cover of “From My Eyes to Yours.”
“He was one of my closest friends,” Pelton said. “He was a big sweetheart, the nicest guy you’ll ever meet in the world.”
He also photographed Marin’s Sammy Hagar, former Van Halen lead singer. Hagar, who lives in Mill Valley, wrote the book’s foreword, saying: “I’m truly inspired by how prolific Ross has been with his photography. Not only in the amount of rock greats he has shot, but in his tenacity and the creativity he puts into his work.”
It took the tenacity that Hagar mentions for Pelton to bring this book project to fruition, digitizing more than 1 million slides and negatives before selecting the photos that appear on his book’s 545 pages.
Ten years ago, Pelton suffered a massive stroke. He had been lying unconscious on the floor of his apartment for an estimated four and a half days before his landlord found him.
“I woke up in the hospital with more tubes and things stuck inside me than you can imagine,” he recalled. “They told my parents I wasn’t going to make it. My doctor said that in 55 years of practice, he’d never used the word ‘miracle,’ but you’re a miracle. They basically wrote me off, but here I am.”
After six months in MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, he spent another three months in a rehabilitation facility, relearning how to walk and talk. He still has debilitating stiffness on his left side, limiting his ability to travel and do the kind of jobs he’s done throughout his career as a rock and fashion photographer.
He raised the $20,000 it cost to print the first 500 copies of his book through a GoFundMe campaign. Printed in China on glossy paper, it weighs a whopping 9 pounds. Photos feature studio work, live performance shots, portraits, candids and an “all-access” chapter with pictures from backstage.
