Legendary David Bowie, Queen and Lou Reed photographer Mick Rock dies at 72

Mick Rock, a legendary music photographer for artists like David Bowie, Queen, Lou reed, the Stooges, the Sex Pistols and more, is dead. He was 72 years old.
Rock’s death was announced via his official Twitter account on Thursday evening. “It is with the heaviest hearts that we share our beloved psychedelic renegade Mick Rock made the Jungian journey to the other side,” the statement read.
âThose who have had the pleasure of existing in his orbit, know that Mick has always been much more than ‘The Man Who Shot The 70s’. He was a photographic poet – a true force of nature who spent his days doing exactly what he loved, always in his delightfully scandalous way. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Born Michael David Rock in Hammersmith, England, he got his start in photography while attending Cambridge University, where he began documenting local concerts.
Rock met Bowie in 1972 and worked as his official photographer for a time, taking some of Bowie’s most iconic photos as Ziggy Stardust. He produced and directed the music videos for Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, “Jean Genie” and “John, I’m Only Dancing”.
Rock’s work can also be seen on some of rock’s most memorable album covers, including Reed’s “Transformer” and “Coney Island Baby”, “Raw Power” by Iggy Pop and The Stooges, “Queen II” by Queen, “The Ramones ‘End of the Century” and “I Love Rock’ n Roll” by Joan Jett.
Other Rock artists photographed throughout his career include The Misfits, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Queens of the Stone Age, Daft Punk, Black Keys, Hall & Oates and MGMT.
âThe stars seemed to line up effortlessly for Mick when he was behind the camera; feeding on the unique charisma of his subjects electrified and energized him, âthe press release continued.
âHis intention still intense. His concentration always total. A man fascinated by the image, he absorbed visual beings through his lens and immersed himself in their art, creating some of the most magnificent images rock music has ever seen. To know Mick was to love him. It was a mythical creature; things like we’ll never see again.