George had some bad luck when he graduated from college with an arts degree in photography. They called it World War II. He spent the next four years commanding a sub chaser off the Aleutians Islands. After the war, George moved from his home state of Iowa to Los Angeles to continue his studies. "When I wasn't studying or taking pictures, I could be found at the Jazzman record shop, adding to my collection." There he met Nesuhi Ertegun, who interested George in taking photos for the Record Changer magazine. "Because I was a jazz fan I wanted to get to know the musicians personally and I always tried to take a great picture of the individual playing a musical instrument. Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. But my Jazzman record collection really began at that time."
George returned to Iowa in 1948 and carried his records and interest in Traditional Jazz into radio station WHO, which in those days reached the entire United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. And what a radio show it was. It is impossible to say how many of todays jazz fans were nurtured by Fletcher but its a bunch. The show lasted until WHO went Country & Western after 13 years and the Jazzman was no more. But he continued his photographic business in Des Moines, where he was born. He wanted to retire to New Orleans but I talked long and hard against it...primarily because the dreams in his head were a lot better than the reality of the streets. I think he wanted away from the Iowa winters but in the end he didn't move. Born on March 15, 1918, George passed away on December 3, 1990. His wife Darleen sent me a copy of the obituary. We wrote little but talked on the phone...I wanted to hear his voice. A great voice, a great photographer, and a great spirit. GCW