Kate Simon is an important American portrait photographer who has captured some of the world’s most influential musicians, artists, and writers.
Born in New York in 1953, she moved to London in the early seventies where she worked at The Photographers’ Gallery before joining Disc, a weekly British music magazine, as the staff photographer.
Her involvement in the British music scene can be seen through her striking images of Rod Stewart, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones. She also photographed The Clash’s debut album cover in 1976, as well as the cover of Bob Marley’s album Kaya.
Later, after moving back to New York, she continued to photograph some of the country’s most influential musicians, including Patti Smith, Debbie Harry (the lead singer of Blondie), and Madonna. In 1983, Simon conducted Madonna's first official professional photoshoot, which took place on the roof of Simon's Manhattan apartment building.
Simon toured with numerous bands, including The Who, Bob Marley, and Queen, to name a few. Today, her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and The Met in New York.
