Howard Bingham

“Everyone says I love people, so it’s only fair that I have the best friend in the world, and that’s Howard Bingham. He never asks for anything; he’s always there when someone needs him. There’s no one like him. He’s the best there is. And if you write that, I don’t want Howard to think I’m getting soft, so write down that he’s lucky I’m his friend too. And tell him I said I’m the only person in the world who likes him.” – Muhammad Ali

Howard Bingham and Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) met in 1962, while Ali was in Los Angeles to announce an upcoming fight. At the time, Bingham had never heard of Cassius Clay, but he introduced himself, snapped a few pictures, and left. Later that afternoon, they met again; Ali and his brother were standing on a street corner watching the girls go by when Bingham noticed them and offered to show them around the city. The following year, Ali asked Bingham to join him in Miami, where he was training, just to hang out for a while. They’ve been best friends ever since.

For more than thirty years Bingham has been a witness to and partner in the dramatic, thrilling, and tumultuous life of Muhammad Ali. And through it all, he has been there with his camera in hand, recording every facet of Ali’s life like no one else.

Muhammad Ali: A Thirty-Year Journey presents the best of Howard Bingham’s stunning photographs of Ali. Combining the best elements of photo documentary and portraiture, Bingham shows us the life of Muhammad Ali as few people have had the privilege to witness it. Bingham’s pictures show us the young Cassius Clay looking prettier than any athlete, much less a boxer, should; Clay in training as he pursues the heavyweight crown; and the young champion’s growing commitment to the Nation of Islam and his relationships with Malcom X and Elijah Muhammad. Bingham’s camera takes us behind the scenes as Ali refuses induction into the Army, and documents his exile from boxing and his growing presence in black America. Finally, Bingham’s photographs show us Ali’s return to the ring, the later stages of his career, and his life away from boxing. But Bingham also shows us a different side of Ali, moments from his private life that few have seen. And, through it all, there’s Ali’s face, that still beautiful face, smiling, filled with intensity, or at ease in the reflection of his best friend’s lens.

This is a friend’s tribute, a loving treasure trove, and a remarkable record of one of the most amazing lives the world has known.

From Howard Bingham, Muhammad Ali: A Thirty-Year Journey (Simon & Schuster)