A social media post was shared yesterday which announced the tragic passing of 72-year-old Mick Rock. The talented artist was given the title of “The Man Who Shot the 70s” and became renowned as music’s most sought after photographer. Through his celebrated images, Rock became as iconic as the musicians he photographed.
The tragic news was shared via a Twitter post on the photographers’ page. The post opened with the emotional statement, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share our beloved psychedelic renegade Mick Rock has made the Jungian journey to the other side.” The full statement can be read below and was shared alongside a photograph of Rock taken by his daughter Nathalie Rock.
Photo: Nathalie Rock pic.twitter.com/I50ofDuO0r
— Mick Rock (@TheRealMickRock) November 19, 2021
Rock’s work can be seen in any music fan’s collection and many of his photos have become important artefacts of music and culture. The British born photographer is responsible for the seminal album cover for Queen’s album Queen II. The instantly recognisable black and white background with the band members in position has become one of music’s most famous album covers. Rock was also David Bowe’s official photographer and snapped some of the musician’s most iconic images. The two first connected when Bowie was on the Ziggy Stardust tour, during a gig at Birmingham Town Hall the duo met backstage.
Rock was responsible for the then-controversial image which showed Bowie simulating a sexual pose upon Mick Ronson’s guitar. Rock has stated that this was the shot that catapulted himself and Bowie into stardom. In a 2020 interview with asifmag, Rock described the historic shot. “The guitar fellatio shot with Mick Ronson was an image that really got around, especially when it got to America, And David would talk about being bisexual and would put on lipstick and drive people crazy. Mick wasn’t gay and the photo isn’t meant to suggest they had a thing, David was just trying to bite Mick’s guitar. For the first time people started to ask, ‘Who took this picture?”
Rock worked with many other artists during his long and storied career and gained a reputation for snapping photographs that truly encapsulated the era. Artists in which Rock photographed ranged within genres and spanned across many decades. Rock photographed the famed rock icons of the 1970s including T.Rex, Lou Reed, Blondie, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop. He also snapped some of Punk’s most popular groups such as The Sex Pistols and The Ramones. Later on, in his career Rock worked with some of modern music’s most influential artists including Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg and Lady Gaga.
Tributes have been pouring in for Rock since the news had been shared. Included within the tributes was Sharon Osbourne who shared an emotive statement. “We lost a legend, a true artist @therealmickrock His work will live on forever. There are too many epic photos to choose from, but I urge you to scroll through just a few of his greatest hits. All our love and respect to his family.” Tim Burgess, the Charlatans singer, also posted a tribute stating Rock “ “made music look so exciting“.
