Bill Dobbins became an icon in the bodybuilding community because of his work.
The bodybuilding world is mourning the loss of an icon who made a major impact on the sport. Photographer Bill Dobbins has passed away at 82 years old, first reported by RXMuscle.
A cause of death has not been shared at this moment but Dave Palumbo shared that Dobbins battled cancer multiple times during his life. He shared other memories of Dobbins and his work in the bodybuilding world.
“I used to enjoy talking to him at all of the shows because he had so many stories. he bridged four, five decades of bodybuilding and have all that insight on how the industry came about and where it was going. I’ll miss his friendship and I’ll miss seeing him at the shows.”
Dobbins began his career in the music industry before making the transition into the bodybuilding and fitness world. He enjoyed a career that spanned across five decades that included connections with the IFBB and NPC. Dobbins worked with some of the all-time greats.
The Career of Bill Dobbins
Bill Dobbins began his work in the music industry in Europe. He eventually returned to the U.S., where he appeared at WNBC and WABC as a radio producer. Dobbins continued to move around and ended up in California.
While on the West coast, Dobbins became involved with Gold’s Gym. This led to a relationship with many bodybuilders at the time, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dobbins eventually took over promotional work at the legendary gym and this gained the attention of many within the bodybuilding community, including Joe Weider. He began writing for Muscle & Fitness and was eventually named the founding editor of Flex magazine.
Olympia owner Jake Wood shared his a heartfelt message on social media following the passing of Dobbins.
“He left this world to go do Heavenly photo shoots on this last Saturday the 27th. Bill was definitely an icon in the fitness world. I don’t have the words to reflect the great impact that his work has has on myself and others.”
Along with his work at Flex, Bill Dobbins published eight books of his own and worked on three with Schwarzenegger. He enjoyed his work as a writer, editor, and content creator within the fitness community. Dobbins created relationships with many within the bodybuilding world and left an impact in many ways.
Generation Iron sends condolences to family and friends during this time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
