Legendary music photographer Mick Rock, known as "the man who shot the 70s," has died at age 72. Rock captured iconic images of Lou Reed, Queen, Debbie Harry, the Ramones, Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, and, of course, David Bowie, including directing Bowie's videos for "Space Odyssey," "Life on Mars," "Jean Genie," and "John, I'm Only Dancing." From The Guardian:
Rock met Bowie backstage at Birmingham Town Hall in the middle of the Ziggy Stardust tour, when the musician was still a cult act. He credited a shot of Bowie simulating oral sex on Mick Ronson's guitar as launching both of their careers.
"The guitar fellatio shot with Mick Ronson was an image that really got around, especially when it got to America," Rock said. "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?'"
It was Bowie who introduced him to Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, leading to connections with the wider 70s rock scene including Debbie Harry and Andy Warhol – whom he once photographed alongside Truman Capote dressed in a Santa outfit.
Reed showed Rock New York's gay underground. "I was fascinated," said Rock. "We were upsetting the straight society, and just having fun. When I got to New York it was like Sodom and Gomorrah gone berserk! London was naughty, but nothing like New York."
