Judith Wills: Keith Moon Stole My Lipstick

Life with the movers and shakers of the 60s and 70s.

Judith Wills Keith Moon Stole My Lipstick book cover

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For a shy, music-obsessed 17-year-old from Oxfordshire, landing a job on teen pop mag Fabulous was a dream ticket into all the happening gigs and parties you could wish for. Having made it to the big black smoke in ’67, Judith Wills doesn’t spend every penny she has on purple hearts and cigarettes. Instead, she battles with loneliness and fends off a few Savilesque creeps.

Despite the endless lunchtimes o’ booze, her recollections of encounters with the movers and shakers of the 60s and 70s pop scene are witty and honest. She sees The Who at full power on the Tommy tour (where Moonie rifles through her handbag and paints himself with her lipstick), bogarts Jim Morrison’s joint at the Isle Of Wight festival and even snogs Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

The original edition of this book, which was published in 2008, came with photos and clippings of Judith’s Fab life and times. It’s a pity they’re not included here.

Claudia Elliott

Claudia Elliott is a music writer and sub-editor. She has freelanced for BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the 60s, Uncut, History of Rock, Classic Rock and The Blues magazine. She is a 1960s music specialist.