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Album cover models: where are they now?

From Nirvana's iconic Nevermind baby to Blink's Enema nurse

Album cover models: where are they now?
26 September 2016

To celebrate 25 years since the release of Nirvana's Nevermind - the album responsible for a generation of teenage angst - the baby from the iconic cover has recreated the photograph in his current form as, well... not a baby, funnily enough.

With the Nirvana infant sparking a wave of nostalgia and "Oh lord, we're that old?" discussions, we got thinking about what the stars of some of our other favourite albums might look like now.

After having a good dig around the internet, these are the fruits of our nostalgic labour.


Nirvana - Nevermind, 1991

Then:

Now:

Twenty-five years ago he was a baby on an album cover, now Spencer Elden is a street artist living in California.

Spencer was kind enough to recreate the iconic album cover to commemorate the album's twenty-fifth anniversary. It's a pretty good effort, and thankfully he opted to wear swimming shorts this time too.


Notorious B.I.G - Ready To Die, 1994

Then:

Now:

The Ready To Die album cover fueled speculation in the Hip Hop world for years and years. A lot of people thought that the baby was in fact Biggie himself - but in actual fact it was a model.

Keithroy Yearwood got the job through a baby modelling agency and reportedly only made $150 from the photograph.


Korn - Korn, 1994

Then:

Now:

You know Justine Ferrara as the girl from the cover of Korn's self-titled album, landing the gig through her uncle Paul Pontius who first signed Korn to Epic.

Her mum wasn't initially too happy about her starring role as she thought it might cause "punk kids" to recognise her daughter in the street. However, twenty-two years later Justine remains happy, healthy and uncorrupted by punk kids. She also admits that she's not a fan of Korn's music, going on to forge her own career in the music industry.


U2 - War, 1983

Then:

Now:

Peter Rowen was the boy who appeared on the cover of U2's War in 1983. 

These days he spends his time behind the camera as opposed to in front of it, working as a professional photographer.


Placebo - Placebo, 1996

Then:

Now:

David Fox is number four in the above line-up from Never Mind The Buzzcocks in 2015.

In 2012, Fox actually made news by threatening to sue Placebo for the use of his image, saying that he hadn't given his permission and that he had been subjected to bullying at school because of it's use.


Ian Dury And The Blockheads - New Boots and Panties, 1977

Then:

Now:

Baxter Dury is Ian Dury's son, aged just six-years-old at the time the album cover was shot outside a branch of Woolworths.

These days he's a forty-four-year-old musician with a grand total of four albums under his belt. Like father like son.


Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream, 1993

Then:

Now:

Back in 2007 Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan posted that he was searching for the two girls who appeared on the Siamese Dream album cover, stating that he wanted to find the girls who "are not conjoined anymore, as far as we know."

The girl on the right turned out to be Ali Laenger, pictured above. 

Pumpkins' bassist Nicole Fiorentino has claimed to be the other girl in the photograph, saying that she didn't tell the other members because they might not let her in the band. It makes for a pretty good story but her claims have been disputed by Laenger. Perhaps we'll never know the truth.


Blink 182 - Enema Of The State, 1999

Then:

Now:

Adult film star and Penthouse 'pet' Janine Lindemulder starred on the cover for Enema of the State back in 1999.

The more recent photo above shows her mugshot after having been arrested on harassment charges at the "wiser" age of forty-seven.