What’s in a name? Juliet had famously asked Romeo. The answer is, a hell of a lot. Case in point: legendary rock photographer, whose name tells his story. Dubbed "the man who shot the '70s", his images of rock'n' rollers are just as notorious as the musicians he photographed, and in some cases solidify the artist's place in history as much as their music. Take the epochal image of Freddy Mercury on the cover of Queen's "Queen II" album, which has come to define the artist. Or the infamous shot of David Bowie a.k.a. Ziggy Stardust on his knees giving what seems to be fellatio to Mark Ronson's guitar, and, of course, the hauntingly powerful photo of Lou Reed on the cover of the "Transformer" album. 

Mick Rock's name really doe tells his story. Dubbed "the man who shot the '70s", his images of rock'n' rollers are just as notorious as the musicians he photographed, and in some cases solidify the artist's place in history as much as their music. Take the epochal image of Freddy Mercury on the cover of Queen's "Queen II" album, which has come to define the artist. Or the infamous shot of Ziggy Stardust on his knees giving what seems to be fellatio to Mark Ronson's guitar, and, of course, the hauntingly powerful photo of Lou Reed on the cover of the "Transformer" album. 

It’s not just his images that make Rock the man that he is: his stories, antidotes, and devilishly witty humor are just a few of the many things that make the photographer a larger than life personality deserving of the camera’s focus. So, it’s not surprising that after over 40 years of being behind the lens, Rock has become the subject of the biographic documentary, "Shot!", produced by Vice Media. "Shot!" chronicles Mick’s entry into the world of rock ‘n’ roll photography, his relationships with his most famous subjects, his near death experience, and his resurrection. 

As a fan of both Rock and his work, I met with him once a week for several months at the Mercer Hotel and would sit for hours, transfixed, listening to him recount stories of what life and the music scene was like in the '70s and '80s. From the birth of glam rock in the U.K. with David Bowie, to the underground rock scene in the bowels of NYC with Lou Reed—my two idols growing up—listening to Rock made me feel as though I was in their presence. Mick Rock is the type of guy every boy and girl growing up in the '70s dreams of having as a friend. He was there, in the middle of it all, witnessing rock history in the making, and documenting it for all to see. Rock’s career doesn’t end there; today’s talent continues to seek him out. The Misfits, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Michael Stipe, The Chemical Brothers, MGMT, Daft Punk, and even Kate Moss have been subjects of his lens. 

 

His photographs tell another side of rock ‘n’ roll’s history; they offer candid glimpses inside the private lives of some of our musical heroes, as well as create heroes out of them. Mick Rock is unquestionably the seminal rock ‘n’ roll photographer of our era.