Ochs was born on February 27, 1943, in
Austin, Texas. He grew up in
Ohio and New York. In the late 1960s, Ochs served as manager to his brother, singer-songwriter
Phil Ochs. In the 1970s, Ochs led the publicity departments at
Columbia,
Shelter and
ABC Records. He would allow friends, including rock critics
John Morthland and
Lester Bangs, to use the pictures for free to illustrate their articles. Ochs began to take a more professional approach after two incidents. First, the
Los Angeles Free Press attributed one of his photos to the "Michael Ochs Archives". Then,
Dick Clark sent Ochs an unexpected check for $1,000 after Clark used some of Ochs's pictures on a television special. According to the
Los Angeles Times,
Rock Archives "put [Ochs's] archives on the map". In 1987, 26 years after the death of photographer
Ed Feingersh, Ochs discovered several rolls of negatives of
Marilyn Monroe by Feingersh. They included a shoot commissioned by
Redbook made during the week March 24–30, 1955. They were the only candid images of Monroe made specifically for publication. During the 1990s, as record companies reissued large numbers of CDs, they often turned to Ochs for photographs to include in the liner notes. The archive was also tapped for illustrations for books — according to a 2006
New York Times estimate, about half of the
rock and roll books issued at the time included photographs from the collection — and as background photos and research material in the production of documentaries, feature films, and television programs. The original exhibition featured works by author
Kurt Vonnegut, musicians
Graham Nash and
Marilyn Manson, photographer
William Claxton and artists
Ralph Steadman and
Robbie Conal.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sponsored the exhibition and this non-profit traveling show premiered at their
Cleveland museum continuing on to Seattle's Experience Music Project and assorted universities around the country. Ochs died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on July 23, 2025, at the age of 82. At the time of his death, he had
Parkinson’s disease for five years, as well as
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney and heart issues. == Published works ==