Mother of Rock: Lillian Roxon

Synopsis

In New York City in 1968 a revolution was under way in a tiny club called Max’s Kansas City. When Andy Warhol’s Factory superstars collided with the underground music scene at Max’s, punk rock was born. It would be the new sound of the world, far more influential than The Beatles. It was defined by the Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls and Iggy Pop, whose attitudes and sounds still influence us today. The reigning queen of Max’s was Australian journalist Lillian Roxon. She was a music visionary who understood before anyone else how important music would be in shaping popular culture. Lillian became known as ‘the mother of rock’ and celebrated the world of popular music in her book, The Rock Encyclopedia, first published in 1969. Lillian was a funny, bitchy, passionate woman 30 years ahead of her time – appropriately the following year in 1970 Germaine Greer would dedicate The Female Eunuch to Lillian.