Mary Lucia: a conversation with legendary photographer Mick Rock
by Mary Lucia
April 12, 2018
If you don't immediately recognize the name Mick Rock, trust me — you know his work.
Mick Rock is a legendary photographer who has captured iconic images of artists like Syd Barrett, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Queen, the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie, Joan Jett and so many more (see photos below). It could be argued that glam rock might not have even been that "glam" if it hadn't been for the photos of Mick Rock.
Still an active photographer today, Mick Rock has worked with artists like Lana Del Rey and Father John Misty. A new documentary about Mick Rock's life and work, titled Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock, is now available for streaming on a number of services, including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
I recently had the chance to speak to Mick Rock, and although phone interviews tend to sound like 911 calls to me, he is so fascinating, I wanted to share it with you.
I was really excited to talk to Mick about his longtime friendship with David Bowie — and of course, I had to ask him about THAT photo.
Use the audio player above to listen to our complete conversation.
Note: Interview includes a few instances of explicit language.
Audio produced by Luke Taylor.
Resources
Mick Rock - official site
Mick Rock - classic photo gallery
