BIO

Danny Clifford is one of the world’s leading music photographers — a rare figure whose career spans every major genre of music and every era from the 1970s to the present day.

He began photographing artists as a 12-year-old schoolboy, sneaking his camera into pubs, clubs and local gigs. That early obsession became a lifelong journey documenting the most influential performers in modern music — across rock, pop, classical, jazz, opera, soul, blues, folk, metal and contemporary crossover.

Over the decades, Clifford has been trusted by an extraordinary range of artists. His archive reads like a panoramic history of global music: Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Queen with Freddie Mercury, The Rolling Stones, Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, The Who, Madonna, Dire Straits, Status Quo, Coldplay, Oasis, Foo Fighters, Brian Wilson, U2, The White Stripes, Tony Bennett, Rory Gallagher, Paul McCartney & Wings, Squeeze, Depeche Mode, Eric Clapton, Kings of Leon, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Cheap Trick, Arctic Monkeys, Iron Maiden, Elton John, George Michael, Katherine Jenkins, Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Alice Cooper, Sam Moore, James McCartney, Michael Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Dame Shirley Bassey, Glen Matlock, Chuck Berry, The Specials, Babyshambles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Shane MacGowan, The Flaming Lips, Bon Jovi, Bic Runga, Amy Winehouse, Pink, Van Morrison, the Sex Pistols, Boomtown Rats, Neil Young, Simply Red, Buzzcocks, James Taylor, Mark Ronson, Stereophonics, Little Richard, Lenny Kravitz, Beverley Knight, Miel, Ted Nugent, Nile Rodgers, Robbie Williams, The Pogues, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Peter Frampton, Andreas Vollenweider — and literally thousands more across every style of music.

Many of these artists became long-term collaborators. Clifford’s work is known for its honesty, intimacy and depth — images created not from the outside looking in, but from decades spent inside the world of music, trusted by artists at every level. His portfolio is considered historically significant precisely because it spans such a vast range of genres and creative worlds.

Far from being defined by a single era or style, Clifford continues to work daily with major touring acts, contemporary stars, new talents and undiscovered artists. His ability to move seamlessly between stadium shows, intimate theatres, backstage portraits and emerging-artist sessions is one of the reasons he is regarded as a truly cross-genre photographer.

Alongside his photographic work, he speaks at universities and industry events, writes books about his life with musicians, and continues to curate a vast archive of rare and unseen images covering more than five decades of global music history. Danny also continues to tour his theatre show ‘Rock Stars Don’t Smile’, which features projected images & videos and talks about his life in the music world.

Today, Danny Clifford stands as one of the definitive visual storytellers of modern music — a photographer whose work bridges genres, generations and cultures, and whose images continue to shape how the world remembers its greatest performers.