Dan Fong, the legendary photographer who captured photos of famous rockers from the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and the Doobie Brothers, has recovered his smile with the help of the University of Colorado's (CU) Anschutz School of Dental Medicine.
Fong underwent significant dental care, including surgeries, and eventually received dentures as a patient at the dental school, according to university news published on July 15.
The school restored his smile and quality of life after Fong underwent an unsuccessful dental procedure at a private practice right before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic left Fong not only unable to see a dentist while his teeth were falling out, but when he finally reached a clinician, he was grappling with an estimated dental bill of about $28,000.
Faced with those costs, the 75-year-old CU graduate resigned himself to living without all of his teeth until he learned about the university's dental clinic and a state-funded program that helps people who are 60 and older with dental costs, according to the news.
Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead play their first show at Folsom Field, University of Colorado Boulder, on September 3, 1972. Photograph by Dan Fong. Image and caption courtesy of CU Anschutz School of Dental Medicine.
Currently, Fong's historic photography collection, which features many of his unpublished works, is a major focus of the university's new "Counter Culture" archive.
After graduating from CU in 1970, Fong opened a photography studio and eventually partnered with a local radio station. Once the station learned that Fong's family had a catering business and that the photographer knew how to cook, it began hiring him to cook for musicians with labels, including Warner Brothers and RCA.
By 1972, Fong landed a catering gig with the Rolling Stones, which parlayed him into other jobs with musicians. From there, he landed the job of tour chef for the Doobie Brothers and eventually became the band's photographer and media coordinator.
Fong's photos grace the covers of a dozen albums, including the Doobie Brothers' "What Was Once Vices Are Now Habits" (1974) and "Takin' It to The Streets" (1976).
