John Fuzek is a columnist, photographer, and podcast host for Motif. He was been part of Motif since the second issue was published in 2004. For over 19 years, Fuzek has been writing about music, interviewing national and local performers for his regular Motif Root Report Column or his Motif Roots Report Podcast, and reviewing and photographing shows.
John went to college and obtained a Masters Degree in Art (photography, painting, graphic design) and worked as a graphic designer and freelance photographer for years. His love of photography began in the mid 1970’s when he would photograph concerts with his borrowed pocket Instamatic camera. Some of the shots taken with that camera rival photographs taken with more expensive gear. He captured Aerosmith, Queen, Seals & Crofts and many others with that little camera. Fast forward to today and he has much, much better equipment and has documented shows with Neil Young, Ringo Starr, Chicago, Dave Matthews, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Styx, Loverboy, REO Speedwagon, Lindsay Buckingham, John Mellencamp, Crowded House, Blue Oyster Cult, Joan Osborne, Yes, Asia, Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Todd Rundgren, Tori Amos, Joe Bonamassa, Indigo Girls, America, Squeeze, and so many more. He has photographed concerts at Providence Performing Arts Center, Boch/Wang Theatre, Orpheum, Mohegan Sun, Providence Civic Center, Xfinity Center (Hartford and Mansfield), Cabot, Chevalier, The Stadium, Greenwich Odeum, The Zeiterion, and many others.
In addition to this, Fuzek is also a musician and promoter. He runs the non-profit organization Hear In Rhode Island that, these days, primarily produces the Rhode Island Folk Festival (since 2014) but has produced other festivals and shows around Rhode Island. He has worked with other festivals as well including Newport Folk and Jazz (1994-2011) and Rhythm and Roots (since 2000). He has a lot experience dealing with nationally known performers. As a musician himself, Fuzek connects with other performers as he has over 35 years of performing nationally, regionally, and locally and has shared the bill with many well known acts like: Steve Forbert, Judy Collins, Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), Livingston Taylor, Paula Cole (Grammy Award Winner), The Beach Boys, Boz Scaggs, Richie Havens, Kevin Bacon & The Bacon Brothers, River Phoenix and Aleka’s Attic, The Marshall Tucker Band, Tom Rush, Don McLean, Willie Nelson and many, many more.
Fuzek has always been about music, and yes, Fuzek rhymes with music! Whether it’s performing, writing about, talking about or photographing it, this is who John Fuzek truly is!
All of “Fuzek’s Fotos” can be found on the Motif Magazine Facebook page.