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Lillian Roxon

Lillian Roxon

Lillian Roxon wrote about pop for the Sydney Morning Herald and the New York Daily (and Sunday) News. Her legendary Rock & Pop Encyclopaedia was published in 1969. Roxon died in her adopted New York City in August 1973, following an asthma attack.

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79 articles

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Sybil — and a discotheque named Arthur — set the trends

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 16 May 1965

Sybil Burton, ex-wife of actor Richard Burton, has suddenly become the leader of New York's glittering social set. Fashion and entertainment trend-setter and close friend ...

Bob Dylan: Poet or pop? — a new role for a folk-hero

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 9 January 1966

BOB DYLAN, folk-singer, folk-composer and folk-millionaire, has upset a lot of people in his time — TV networks, civil liberties committees, parents, teachers, recording technicians ...

James Brown: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 27 March 1966

He's the singer who puts Elvis to shame ...

Ethel Merman: The role she made her own — Annie gets her gun again... 20 years after

Interview by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 5 June 1966

THERE REALLY is no business like show business. Ask Ethel Merman, who this week, at the age of 57, got to play the part of ...

Chet Atkins, John D. Loudermilk: Nashville: The Town With The "Fresh Sound"

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 19 June 1966

It started with Grand Ole Opry ...

The Beatles, The Byrds, The Velvet Underground: Psychedelics: That's The New Fad

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 17 July 1966

The Pop movement has become old-hat now. In its place a brand new gimmick has started to sweep American discotheques. ...

The Clancy Brothers, Shirley Collins, The Lovin' Spoonful, Phil Ochs, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Pete Seeger: Newport Festival: Teenage Takeover In Millionaires' Playground

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 31 July 1966

Once again rebellious young rock 'n' rollers have turned exclusive Newport into a riot city of jazz and festival From LILLIAN ROXON, who visited Newport, U.S., ...

Now it's all above ground — the Underground

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 12 February 1967

It's the new 'in' thing ...

Hippies take over from the Beatniks

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 4 March 1967

A new youth grouping, the Hippies, has sprung up in San Francisco and promises to spread over America and to Europe. Hippies are still way-out, ...

Now it's the big "Be-In": they all go to the park

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 30 April 1967

New Yorkers go gay in the 800 acres they have found right in the heart of town ...

The Beatles, The Byrds: Allen Ginsberg: Poet Who Swam in the Ganges — And Started Something

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 10 September 1967

NEWS THAT the Beatles were flying to India for two months in October, that they were giving up drugs and taking up Indian mysticism may ...

Bobbie Gentry: 'Billie Joe' girl moves to modelling

Profile and Interview by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 15 October 1967

SHE'S beautiful. She's talented. She has a song at the top of the hit parade and this week she will make even more news by ...

Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding (Columbia)

Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 14 January 1968

Bob Dylan makes a comeback ...

James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin: Soul: it's what Negroes have and white men are learning

Overview by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 30 June 1968

THE WORD is "soul" and if white Americans haven't been quite sure what it meant before, they are this week. ...

Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, The Lovin' Spoonful: Popocracy — The New Revolution

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 3 November 1968

The casual, oddly dressed stars of American pop music are making so much money they don't know how rich they are ...

MC5: The MC5: Rock frenzy points a way

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 4 January 1969

THOSE OF us who have watched rock with interest, believing it to be as good a barometer of the changing times as art or the ...

Revolution... such fun!

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 17 July 1969

BLACK POWER, WHITE POWER, STUDENT POWER, KID POWER, MATRON POWER, MOON POWER ...

Charles Manson, John Phillips: You just don't know Hollywood

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 1 November 1969

More things there than murder are bizarre, reports Lillian Roxon ...

The Beatles, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane: Agnew urges curbs on "brainwashing" lyrics

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 16 September 1970

NEW YORK, Tuesday. — The Vice-President, Mr Spiro Agnew, last night accused some songwriters and motion picture makers of "brainwashing" young Americans with lyrics and ...

The "famous" children are going to pot...

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 4 October 1970

More and more big names are cropping up in the round-up of dangerous narcotics-takers ...

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin: Death joins the electric band

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 10 October 1970

JIMI HENDRIX died last week. Janis Joplin died this week. The needle is picking off the electric generation one by one with the precision of ...

Janis Joplin: Girl of the Electric Generation

Obituary by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 11 October 1970

To be all woman, yet equal with men; to be free and yet a slave to real love; to nose-thumb convention, yet get back to ...

The Stalk-Forrest Group: Stalk Is Big Time

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 25 October 1970

A NEW Group has hit the American rock scene — Stalk-Forrest. It is said to sound like a cross between The Doors and The Jefferson ...

The Stooges: The Name is Iggy

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 1 November 1970

AMERICA'S NEWEST Rock idol is probably only about 5ft tall. His stage "costume" is a pair of badly ripped blue jeans — and elbow length ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival: The band that means business

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 23 January 1971

Lillian Roxon flew from New York across America to attend a party for an $82 million rock and roll group — a party which, she ...

Bob Neuwirth: Gaslight, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 7 March 1971

ANOTHER STAR IS BORN ...

Peter, Paul & Mary, Mary Travers: Mary (of Peter, Paul and Mary) is doing a McCartney

Interview by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 3 April 1971

LILLIAN ROXON INTERVIEWS A SINGER WHO HELPED TO MOULD POPULAR MUSIC ...

Bob Dylan: They Won't Invite Bob

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 18 April 1971

BOB DYLAN is having a birthday party the day he turns 30 — May 23 — and everyone's invited except him. ...

Alice Cooper: Town Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 16 May 1971

WITCH-CRAFT? ...

The Stooges: Electric Circus, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 6 June 1971

IGGY IS THE ACT ...

John Lennon, Yoko Ono: The Top of Pop: John & Yoko

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 20 June 1971

JOHN AND Yoko Lennon have come to town. ...

Helen Reddy: Helen now a star in demand

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 27 June 1971

THEY invited 20 people for a quiet little get together back at their Hilltop home after her show closed — and 280 turned up. ...

Grand Funk Railroad, John Sebastian: Is this the end of the festival?

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 17 July 1971

LAST WEEK was not a very nice week for rock music. ...

Three Dog Night: Flower Flight to Dallas

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 13 August 1971

YOU'VE HEARD about "Ship of Fools". Now let me tell you about the "Flower Flight" — a far-too-early plane that flew to Dallas recently for ...

Superstar as Rock Theater

Comment by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 24 October 1971

THE PROBLEM with Jesus Christ Superstar as a rock spectacle is not that it goes too far, but that it doesn't go far enough. ...

The Cockettes: Vulgarity or Vanguard?

Profile by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 14 November 1971

A SHOW came to New York this week that many people found tedious, offensive and unspeakably vulgar. I want to remind all those people who ...

The Osmonds: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 5 December 1971

Don't Knock Cradle Rock ...

John Lennon, Yoko Ono, John Sinclair: John and Yoko "go protest"

Report by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 19 December 1971

NO SOONER did Bob Dylan astonish everyone by going back to "protest" and coming out with a song protesting the death of convict George Jackson ...

T. Rex: The Beatle Beater

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 19 December 1971

HE'S HERE, the greatest thing since the Beatles but Americans don't realise it yet. His name is Marc Bolan and he's the most important part ...

David Bowie: Clothes Make the Bowie

Profile by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 20 February 1972

WHEN I WAS in England recently, a lot of excitement seemed to be about David Bowie, a singer-songwriter, who, in the past, has managed to ...

Dionne Warwicke: elegance, simplicity and Maplewood, N.J.

Profile and Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 20 February 1972

THE COFFEE table is marble and kidney shaped with little gilt legs. The bar is a wooden cylinder with a vase of pink feather flowers ...

T. Rex: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 5 March 1972

A DREAM PRINCE HAD A SLOW AWAKENING ...

David Cassidy: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 19 March 1972

David Cassidy was a roaring success ...

David Cassidy: The Real David Cassidy

Profile by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 19 March 1972

A FEW WORDS in defense of Mr. David Cassidy. What is this nonsense about "writhing sensuality" and "apple pie and sex"? ...

Emerson Lake & Palmer: The Top of Pop: A Rock Fan Writes

Column by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 23 April 1972

THAT FINE dividing line between fan and groupie is often razor thin and rather shaky. I used to admire groupies because they at least broke ...

Manassas: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 14 May 1972

Stills sours the critics ...

David Bowie: The Elvis Of the Seventies

Comment by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 18 June 1972

IT WAS just after the Elvis concert and David Bowie and I were sitting in his suite at the Park Lane Hotel (that's where record ...

Blood Sweat & Tears, David Bowie, Sandy Bull, Judy Collins, Harry Nilsson, Peter, Paul & Mary, Elvis Presley, Mark Radice, Simon & Garfunkel: A Week In the Life Of a Critic

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 25 June 1972

"DEAR LILLIAN: It sure must be nice to be a rock critic. I really envy you. Can you tell me something about your life? ...

Labelle: Nona Hendryx of Liberated Labelle

Profile and Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 2 July 1972

SOUL! NONA Hendryx of Labelle, a group of three young black women that has been together more than 10 years, gets this sweet look on ...

The Jackson 5: Jackson 5: Black and Talented

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 9 July 1972

I THOUGHT I was going; to die. There was just me, them — and him. Not a soul over 16 in sight, just me entirely ...

Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger: A Basically Serious Boy

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 23 July 1972

LONDON — HE may be his satanic majesty to Life magazine and Time and all the rest of the gang, but over here in London, ...

New York Dolls, The Osmonds: The Top of Pop: The Dolls Will Be Heard From

Column by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 3 September 1972

THREE HEROES. You pay your money and you take your choice. Which one is yours? ...

Birtha, "Mama" Cass Elliot, Labelle: Birtha and Mama Cass: The Right On Sound Called Liberated Rock

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 17 September 1972

I WAS interested to read in one of those glossy magazines that the coming trend in music for the fall is "rock 'n' rouge," because ...

David Bowie, The Rowan Brothers, Slade, T. Rex: Like Wow, What A Week That Was!

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 24 September 1972

DIARY OF A ROCK WRITER, instalment two, or why-does-it-all-have-to-happen-in-one-week? ...

David Bowie: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Daily News, 30 September 1972

David Bowie Can Do It All ...

Leon Russell, Loudon Wainwright III: The Perils of a Rock and Roll Reporter

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 1 October 1972

WITH INFINITE sadness and deep sorrow, I would like to announce I won't be covering any more events at the Nassau Coliseum, unless I am ...

John Denver: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Daily News, 2 October 1972

Denver a Sweetie Pie ...

David Bowie & the Spiders From Mars: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 8 October 1972

A Rock Happening: David's Debut ...

Bette Midler: A new Piaf — the divine Miss M

Profile by Lillian Roxon, Sydney Morning Herald, the, 19 October 1972

SHE HAS never appeared outside New York. Her album is still unreleased. Her appearances on national television have sent viewers into shock. And yet Bette ...

James Taylor, West, Bruce & Laing: James Taylor: Radio City Music Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 12 November 1972

Radio City Rocks and Rolls ...

The GTOs, Helen Reddy: A Requiem For Miss Christine

Comment by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 26 November 1972

THE DEATH OF Christine Frka has depressed me deeply. Miss Christine (she never used that troublesome last name) had her shining face on this page ...

Black Sabbath: Festival Hall, Brisbane, Queensland

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 4 February 1973

The Spooky Black Sabbath in Brisbane ...

The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones Gather No Groupies

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 25 February 1973

GERI MILLER, where are you? They had a party for the Rolling Stones here in Sydney, Australia, this week, and it might as well havebeen ...

The Rolling Stones: A Case of the Mick Jaggers

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 11 March 1973

IT WAS one of the funniest cartoons I have ever seen. A mother is standing there, looking rather alarmed, holding on to her son whose ...

Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger Lets His Hair Down

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 18 March 1973

THOSE OF you who have been irritably wondering what in the name of heaven I was doing in Australia with Mick Jagger when I should ...

Focus: Philharmonic Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 1 April 1973

The Focus is on a Group Called Focus ...

The Kinks, Iggy Pop, The Stooges: Ray & Iggy: A Pair of Rock Aristocrats

Profile by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 8 April 1973

IN THEIR own ways, they are both aristocrats. Last week belonged to both of them, with Ray Davies and the Kinks playing two colleges in ...

Rod McKuen, Helen Reddy, Slade: A Rock Critic's Rough and Reddy Life

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 29 April 1973

THE LIFE of a rock and roll writer, as I have said all too often before, is not all sunshine and roses. The Friday night ...

Led Zeppelin: The High-Flying Led Zeppelin Tour

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 13 May 1973

THE WAY I've been hearing it, it's already the biggest tour in rock and roll history — 33 concerts in 30 cities, a gross that ...

The Faces: Yes, All You Rock Fans, Your Idols Love Letters

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 20 May 1973

IF YOU'VE ever wanted to write to Rod Stewart or any one of the Faces, now's your chance. I don't want to sound like the ...

Alice Cooper, Paul Simon: Paul Simon: Carnegie Hall; Alice Cooper: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 10 June 1973

Paul Simon & Alice Cooper, So Differently the Same ...

The Jackson 5, Jermaine Jackson: Let's Hear a Scream For the Jackson Five

Profile by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 17 June 1973

"Hey, Jackson Five fan! Look at all this outasight J-5 groovy good stuff you can order! Hurry! Send away today! Fast delivery! Money-back guarantee" ...

Chicago: The Weary Life Of a Wandering Minstrel

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 24 June 1973

Chicago, a group that packed Madison Square Garden, may not look it, but they're a tired bunch of performers. ...

"Mama" Cass Elliot, The Mamas and The Papas, Michelle Phillips: Recalling the '60s With Mama Michelle

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 8 July 1973

I DON'T CARE how many superannuated Peter Noone groupies rushed the stage, Richard Nader's '60s nostalgia night was still a bomb, with a total lack ...

Al Green: The Soft-Sell World of Al Green

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 15 July 1973

IT IS THE HOTTEST, most enervating Sunday in all creation. I am in Manhattan, and it is like a steambath. He is in far off ...

Black Oak Arkansas: It's One Big Party and You're Invited

Report and Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 22 July 1973

I HAVE IT from the horse's mouth this week — the best way to get a rock and roll band is through the road managers. ...

Commander Cody: The Early Sound Of "Now" Music

Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 29 July 1973

HIS FIRST BAND was called the Fantastic Surfing Beavers and, according to Commander Cody, it was the worst band that ever existed. I was sorry ...

Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, The Stooges: The "Fun City Sound" Is What's Happening in Rock

Report by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 5 August 1973

SO THEY'RE saying rock and roll is dead? Not this week, they aren't! What a week! While every newspaper, radio and TV station was telling ...

New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, T. Rex: Marc Bolan: The Man, The Myth and the Music

Report and Interview by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 12 August 1973

HE SITS there with his head covered in corkscrew curls, his temples and eyelids gently rouged, his lower lashline ever so slightly outlined in pencil, ...

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