Mark “WEISSGUY” Weiss, known as “The Guy Who Rocked the ‘80s,” began his photographic journey in Matawan, New Jersey at the age of 13, when he made a deal with a neighbor to mow his lawn in the summer in 1973 in exchange for a 35mm camera. Mark spent his teenage years sneaking his camera into concerts at Madison Square Garden and other venues in the tristate area, taking photos of Peter Frampton, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, among many others. Mark then sold his photos for a buck a piece out of his high school locker and outside of concert venues. He was arrested for selling his photos outside a KISS concert in 1977. The next day, he walked in to the offices of the leading rock & roll magazine, Circus, with his portfolio; shortly after, he landed his first published photo – a Circus magazine centerfold of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Soon after, Mark became the magazine’s staff photographer.

Throughout the ‘80s, Mark traveled with bands on their tour buses and planes, and shot legends in the making as they climbed their way to sold-out arena and stadium shows around the world. Mark was living the rock & roll lifestyle and becoming fast friends with the bands, which gave him unparalleled access. He became known for his iconic images of Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Kiss and countless others whose sound and image defined the era.

Mark branched out and began having his work published in other magazines around the world. He quickly became a fan favorite photographer and a star in his own right, with a Creem magazine readers poll ranking him as one of rock’s top photographers of the era. Weiss also became the staff photographer for US Magazine in the ‘80s, which expanded his rock world to include portrait shoots with more mainstream musicians and celebrities, including Phil Collins, Cher, Rodney Dangerfield, Alec Baldwin and a very young Drew Barrymore, then promoting E.T. Throughout the ‘80s his photos were seen by millions, appearing on the covers of the most iconic albums of the decade including Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet and Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry.

Mark released his best-selling book, The Decade That Rocked, in 2020. The book has been published in four languages and continues to be on best-selling charts in the U.S., with over 1,300 five-star Amazon reviews. His book has received high praise from and was featured in Rolling Stone, Spin and The Washington Post. A book release event was held at The Monmouth Museum in New Jersey, where an exhibit of his photographs, along with his tour jackets and laminates, gold and platinum albums and his darkroom equipment from his early days, was on display for several months, offering a true flashback museum experience.