Lillian Roxon Mother of Rock

Audacious, independent, and fiercely intelligent, Lillian Roxon cut her teeth as a reporter in the lively world of 1950s tabloid journalism. Her rapid success soon saw her interviewing stars like Rock Hudson and Richard Burton. She moved to New York City in the 1960s, just in time for a cultural revolution that celebrated youth, sexual freedom, women's liberation—and, of course, rock 'n' roll. In New York, Lillian was the universally acknowledged queen of Max's Kansas City, one of the greatest nightspots ever. It was the club where Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, and other stars in waiting came to hang out. Linda McCartney confided in Lillian about her first date with Paul; Germaine Greer knocked on her door for a place to stay. The 1969 publication of Lillian's Rock Encyclopedia—excerpted in this volume—confirmed her status. It was the first book of its kind and established her as one of America's leading chroniclers of rock culture. Here was the "queen of Max's Kansas City" who ruled the world of rock—the only critic to give Lester Bangs a run for his money.