Snooky Flowers

Saxophonist who had access to legendary musicians in the making

About Snooky

Cornelius “Snooky” Flowers was larger than life. Landing in the San Francisco Bay Area at a peak moment in rock and roll history he and his saxophone found him jamming with all of the great players who were changing the world. When Janis Joplin left her original band Big Brother & The Holding Company, she turned to Snooky who helped her form the Kozmic Blues Band.

For most of the 1970s, Snooky played in the Elvin Bishop Band, and at Bill Graham’s closing of the Fillmore West in 1971, Snooky was jamming with everyone including Carlos Santana and Tower of Power. In the mid 1970s, he picked up a camera, and with his saxophone being an entre’ to an all access pass in the music world, he started photographing musicians, and primarily the Grateful Dead. With a simple naivete as a photographer, but great access, he captured some iconic photos of The Dead!

Snooky passed away in March of 2020 just as the Pandemic was beginning.