Ed Sheeran

Memories We Made

Christie Goodwin, John Sheeran

• Publisher: Harper
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780062883278
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music Biographies

Photographs selected by Christie Goodwin and Ed's father, John Sheeran

When I first met Ed Sheeran he was unknown and unsigned—just a young busker trying to make it big. But I could see something special in Ed. I agreed to photograph him for free to help him on his way to the top.

That was the beginning of a ten-year collaboration, with the two of us crossing paths as Ed became one of the biggest stars on the planet—a story told here, through my camera.

Including images and stories I'm sharing for the first time, with additional captions by Ed's father, John, this is an up-close and intimate view of Ed Sheeran.

Christie Goodwin

John Sheeran

This photo shows Ed rehearsing at Wembley Stadium the day before the biggest gig of his life. No one had ever played Wembley entirely solo before. It is difficult to imagine how daunting a prospect this must have seemed to Ed at this particular moment, standing at the front of a vast empty stage, facing tens of thousands of empty seats.

Wembley Stadium

— LONDON, 9 JULY 2015 —

John Sheeran

Here is a photo of Ed’s management and crew, many of whom tour the world with him for months on end. They are an extraordinary team, able to work under intense pressure day in, day out, from city to city. They are like one big family, doing fantastic professional teamwork in a positive spirit. Like Ed, for many of them Wembley Stadium in 2015 represented the summit of their careers. I think this group shot wonderfully captures their sense of collective pride and achievement. I can imagine how difficult it must have been to get everyone together for this photo.

Wembley Rehearsals

I was 14 when I got my very first camera, back in the late 1970s, a Carena 35mm SLR. My daddy bought me this camera because I used to run off with his camera, which he didn’t like very much. He was a captain-at-sea, and often I joined him on his round-the-world voyages.

I remember how with my very first roll of film I shot some seagulls that flocked around my dad’s ship. As soon I had snapped up the 24 frames on the film, I was impatient to have it developed and see if anything good had come out of it. I still remember the moment I opened the pouch, and the first picture in the pile was a close-up of this majestic wide-winged seagull flying dead centre of my frame. When you looked at it, it made you feel as if it was going to fly right into you. I remember staring at the picture– in awe that I had captured that one-fifteenth of a second in time of a seagull’s flight. And that very first picture from that very first film roll is still the reason why I am taking pictures today. To stop time and grasp that one still moment forever – to admire, remember and reminisce.

Fast forward more than 40 years. Many of the jobs I get are last minute. Nobody hires the photographer first. I knew I wanted to be at Wembley with Ed, and I had a gut feeling the call would come. I had several shoots already lined up, but my manager had the same gut feeling and had kept the day of rehearsals and the day of the first show off the books just in case we got the call. And the call came, just two days before Ed’s groundbreaking and record-breaking three nights at Wembley Stadium. Ed’s manager Stuart Camp basically said I would be responsible for shooting everything, and for delivering photos to his label and the media. Stuart and Ed trusted me to get on with it – it was one thing less for them to worry about.

Disappointingly, I wasn’t available the other two nights, so I really had to get it right the first time. There would be no second chances. As you can imagine, the thought of being able to record hundreds of moments of what would probably be the defining highlight in Ed’s career was both a thrill and an honour.

On the day of the rehearsals we arrived quite early at Wembley Stadium, and as soon as I had walked onto the field, covered in huge metal sheets, it hit me how big this event was going to be. There were crew busy everywhere, finishing the work on the stage, pulling up the lighting rigs, dragging around sound monitors. Forklifts were scurrying over the field, vans kept driving in and out. It was an overwhelming sight. I stood there in the middle of it all with my two cameras, which all of a sudden seemed incredibly tiny, just like me. I was in awe and I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by it all. This was it. The next day, on Friday night, Wembley Stadium was going to be packed with 90,000 people to watch one man with a guitar and a loop pedal board single-handedly entertain the crowd for two hours. How amazing was that?

We ran into Mark and Stuart, who explained to us what was happening that day and where I would be shooting from. The beauty was that I pretty much had complete freedom and was allowed to shoot from pretty much anywhere – as long as I got the shots. It was music to my ears.

Ed arrived soon after and walked over the field to look up at the majestic stage – his stage. He turned to us and came over and said hello. We hugged. I asked him if he felt nervous, and he just smiled and said, “Not at all . . . yet.” I thought he was awfully brave, as I felt nervous and I wasn’t the one who had to entertain such a large crowd the following day. I could hide behind my cameras.

I never take pictures of myself with the artist I work for. The artist is the client and I’m the photographer. Do you take selfies with your doctor when you go for a check-up? Exactly! But that day Patrick insisted he take a shot of me and Ed together to document the moment. I reluctantly obliged. Ed then walked around to the back of the stage and walked up the ramp, and I followed him like a little puppy dog. Trevor, Ed’s guitar tech, came to hand him his guitar and together they went over a couple of details. Trevor remained by Ed’s side while Ed hit his first chords. The sound check with Ed was the ideal time for me to shoot some clean shots on that magnificent stage in that impressive stadium in broad daylight.

John Sheeran

I am so pleased that we selected Christie’s photos of Ed rehearsing and performing with Elton John at Wembley Stadium for this book. Elton has had a profound influence on Ed as a trusted mentor over several years, encouraging and supporting him. Imogen and I cannot thank him enough. Ed has learned so much from him about developing his career, navigating the machinations of the music industry, and coping with the negative aspects of fame. You can tell from these photos that Ed and Elton have a strong professional respect for each other, and a very close personal bond and friendship. They are rehearsing two songs – one by Elton, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, originally a duet with Kiki Dee, and one by Ed, “Afire Love”, written as a moving memorial to his grandfather, my father, who died in 2013. The rehearsal photos reveal their serious intent, as they are both determined to achieve the best for each other. The shot of Ed walking away from Elton back to his microphone shows his absolute focus and concentration on the task in hand. And then, when the rehearsal is over and t...