A lot of people know Van Halen is "my" band to the point where friends were calling me and texting me to make sure I was okay when Eddie passed away. Not long after, I got a request that was as close to a dream come true as can be.
This is a true story: I was having lunch with legendary music photographer Neil Zlozower and I picked up a few VH prints from his studio. That night, still in the Van Halen mode, I searched for even more Zloz photos that he didn't have on hand and I would have to order. It was a rabbit hole and kept me up way past midnight. As I headed to my bedroom to retire for the evening, I looked at my bookcase and saw his Van Halen photo book and his Eddie Van Halen photo book. I said to myself, "It would have been cool to work on those."
The next morning, Zloz called me and said, "I want to do another Eddie book and I want you to design it."
In case you don't know, Zloz is an absolute icon in the industry and his VH photos are the standard. I got the opportunity to look at EVERY SINGLE IMAGE he shot of the band from 1978 to 1998. I acted as designer, art director, and creative director on the project and even named the book. It's 384 pages and it’s the biggest book Zloz has ever done. It's truly a tribute to Eddie with images that aren't in Zloz's other books or seen elsewhere.
“My Ed by Zloz book is my first book working with my good friend and amazingly talented art director, Daniel Gray. I must say, Daniel really pushed me to the limits on this book to include some never seen, obscure Ed photos that I didn't even know I had in my files!!! Without Daniel, this book never would have happened!!!!!!
Thanks Daniel for the great work!!!!!”
Zloz
About halfway into Zloz’s book, I got a call from renowned rock journalist Steve Rosen. He had written a memoir about his friendship with Eddie Van Halen and asked me to design it. I acted as designer, art director, and creative consultant and even helped name this book. It's huge at 609 pages and includes never before seen interviews with Eddie. This book came out just a few weeks ago.
“As art director for my book, Daniel Gray brought vision, artistry and an unerring sense of form and function. He possessed all the technical tools but his contribution was far greater and more meaningful than simply laying out text on a page or figuring out which photos to use.
He carefully and studiously chose specific fonts to best impart the emotional sensibilities of my book.
Daniel examined the text - the book came in at over 580 pages - and laid out the pages so perfectly that you didn't even realize how many pages there really were! He shuffled around photos and grouped them together for maximum effect. On top of all of this, he became a would-be editor and became an essential part of the editing process by cleaning up the grammar, correcting spelling mistakes, and so much more.
I wanted my book to be beautiful and carry with it a certain gravitas. Daniel achieved those ends.
Countless readers have contacted me and told me how amazing the book looks and how much they were blown away by the graphics and layout. Daniel Gray worked tirelessly on my book and for that I am forever grateful.”
Steve Rosen - author: Tonechaser: Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen
It's been an amazing experience doing both books and I thank Neil and Steve for the opportunity. I also want to thank Eddie for the music and inspiration that I've always tried to apply to my own career.
The fan response has been incredible and I’ve been interviewed on three podcasts for my work on the books.