Jimmy and Jane Barnes

Jimmy and Jane were inseparable from the beginning. 'At first sight, I thought Jimmy was handsome,' Jane remembers. 'Mostly though I was attracted to his wit and humour, he made me laugh.' Jimmy recalls that he would 'run away from the band on tour and hitchhike to be with her. Then the next day, I'd have to hitchhike back in time to be on stage.' We hear so much about the supposed inextricability of 'sex and drugs and rock n roll' that it's easy to forget about the enduring relationships that have been forged behind – and in spite of – the limelight. Jimmy and Jane Barnes' partnership has lasted more than forty years so far. As Jane says: 'We have made the choice to grow old together, for better or for worse, and as time passes there is nothing better.'

Photographer Jesse Lizotte is Jimmy and Jane's nephew. His challenge for capturing the essence of their bond in this portrait was to show 'this softer, more gentle side' of his uncle, and not the rock 'n' roll hardman of countless other images. 'Jane had come to me with a French love poem, alongside a series of paintings by Chagall,' Lizotte explains. 'I wanted to create a floating illusion, and to incorporate the roses that Jimmy picks from their garden and arranges for Jane every day.'

Purchased 2021
© Jesse Lizotte