Legendary music photographer Mick Rock has passed away at the age of 72.
The news has been confirmed through Rock's social media accounts.
The message read: "We share with the heaviest heart that our beloved psychedelic traitor Mick Rock has embarked on Jung's journey to the other side." "Those who are lucky enough to be in his orbit know that, Mick It will never be more than just'impressing people in the 70s'." He is a photographic poet—a true force of nature. He does what he likes every day, always taking his own delightful The way people point fingers. "
Rock's list of photography themes reads like a Who's Who of Music Icon. David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Queen, Syd Barrett, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, T. Rex, Blondie and Thin Lizzy are just some of the behaviors that Rock's lens can capture.
The photos of Bowie taken by this photographer are arguably the most famous in his collection. These photos were taken in the Ziggy Stardust era of the musician and are one of the truly iconic shots of music. His relationship with Bowie also extends to other media, as the rock director has music videos of "John, I'm Just Dancing", "Let the Fairies", "Space Wonders" and "Life on Mars".
Rock started filming bands when he was at Cambridge University. The initial hobby quickly became the passion of life. His work has enriched the covers of many classic albums, including Queen II, Reed's Transformers and Coney Island Baby, Joan Jett's I Love Rock'n' Roll and The Stooges' Raw Power. Locke is also the chief photographer for films such as "Rocky Horror Movie Show" and "Hedwig" and "Inch of Wrath".
"I never felt like a voyeur, although I did watch a lot!" Locke once explained his work to the "London Times". "I work from the inside out. I collect all the ingredients like a chef, mixing, stirring, and tasting until the smell starts to rise, and then I'm going to the game. It's an addictive feeling , I need to shoot regularly, otherwise I don’t feel right."
Although Locke was known for his work in the 1970s, the artist continued to photograph musicians for more than 35 years. The Black Keys, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Michael Stipe, Stone Age Queen, Daft Punk and Jane's Addiction are among the more modern performances shot by Rock.
In 2015, he ventured into a TV show with Mick Rock. This is a reality show. Photographers visited musicians in their hometowns and inspected the people and places that inspired them. A documentary about rock is called Shooting! Released in 2017. He also starred in the 2020 documentary series ICON: Music in the Lens, documenting the historical and cultural influence of rock photography.
In addition to showing his photos in exhibitions, Locke also regularly publishes photo collections of his works. His most recent, SHOT! Author: Rock: Mick Rock's photography will be released in 2022.
The cause of death was not immediately announced.