Go “On The Record With Mick Rock” on Ovation

On The Record With Mick Rock
Image courtesy Ovation
On The Record With Mick Rock
Image courtesy Ovation TV

Mick Rock and his iconic photographs of Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Lou Reed and Blondie helped define the 1970s glam rock era. Now the man who has photographed everyone from Queen to Queens of the Stone Age is looking at music’s biggest stars through a new lens.

In his newest adventure, Ovation’s On the Record With Mick Rock, the photographer travels to the hometowns of music legends to gain an insider’s view of how each city shaped them. Two of the stars he’ll join for an unforgettable day are singer Josh Groban (who also serves as a series producer) and Patti LaBelle.

MIck Rock with Patti LaBelle in her home. Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Ovation TV
MIck Rock with Patti LaBelle in her home.
Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Ovation TV

LaBelle showed Rock around her beloved hometown of Philadelphia, where the music icon still lives. “She’s like royalty in Philadelphia,” reveals Rock. “You get out of the car with her and they all come running over.” The singer was proud to show off the Uptown Theater, where she performed early in her career; her childhood home; and the restaurant of a good friend. “I’ve never gone to some of the locations with anyone,” reveals LaBelle, “so Mick is getting a whole lot of my life from, you know, back-in-the-day Patti LaBelle.” At the end of their day together, Patti treats Mick to an intimate concert in her living room.

Rock is a charming host, and because he has spent over 40 years as a music industry insider, he connects effortlessly with musicians of any genre. “He’s so easy,” gushes LaBelle before joking, “We’re having an affair. Yeah. Nobody knows it but he and I, but I just told you.” Rock muses that his ease with musicians is because he approaches his work with a similar mindset. “The way they work in the studios, where they’re just trying to riff, throw things around. After a while, things would happen.”

With a camera in his hand and a wink in his eye, Rock reveals not only the fascinating histories of his subjects, but also his own riveting past. So while we’re getting to know the musicians, we’re also learning about the man who best captures them.

On the Record With Mick Rock > Ovation > Sundays at 8pm ET beginning Aug. 2

ON THE RECORD WITH MICK ROCK: Josh GrobanPremieres Sunday, August 2 at 8 pm ET. Native Angeleno and multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban takes Mick on an inspiring tour of Los Angeles, paying homage to the high school teacher who gave him the confidence to succeed, stopping by the after-school Shakespeare program he personally supports and treating Mick to a moving performance of his song, Hidden Away. 

ON THE RECORD WITH MICK ROCK: Kings of Leon Premieres Sunday, August 9 at 8 pm ET.  Mick discovers how the Grammy Award-winning rock stars Kings of Leon escaped their Pentecostal roots to find a home in Nashville¹s evolving music scene. The band dishes on its rocky past and gives Mick a tour of country music¹s hometown, ending the day in the Kings¹ private studio for an exclusive jam session.

ON THE RECORD WITH MICK ROCK: Flaming LipsPremieres Sunday, August 16 at 8 pm ET.  Mick touches down in Oklahoma City to hang with the Flaming Lips and uncovers how these masters of psychedelic rock have become the surprising hometown heroes. Lead singer Wayne Coyne shows off his wacky art gallery, fills Mick in on his all-night parties with Miley Cyrus and ends the day with a performance of the group¹s hit song, Do You Realize??

ON THE RECORD WITH MICK ROCK: Patti LaBellePremieres Sunday, August 23 at 8 pm ET.  Grammy Hall of Fame artist Patti LaBelle takes Mick on a personal tour of Philadelphia, visiting the theater that launched her career and stopping by her childhood home where she first found her voice with a broomstick microphone. After grabbing a bite at her favorite soul food spot in the City of Brotherly Love, Patti invites Mick into her living room for an intimate performance of What Can I Do For You?

Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Ovation TV