Trailblazing Australian rock icon who worked with Jimi Hendrix dies at the age of 84

Trailblazing 1950s Australian rock icon Judy Cannon has died at the age of 84.

The Melbourne-born singer passed away in Ballarat, Victoria, on August 29 after a lengthy illness battle, the Herald Sun reported.

Cannon, who rubbed shoulders with world-famous names including Jimi Hendrix, Johnny O’Keefe and Cliff Richard, is survived by her daughters Cass and Denny.

Her lifelong friend, actress Coral Drouyn, described Judy as Australia’s first female rocker as she paid tribute to the ‘unique’ and genre-defying star.

‘She was a one-off as a person and she certainly laid the groundwork for so many artists that followed,’ Drouyn told the Herald Sun.

‘She broke down that glass ceiling and she was the first female rocker in Australia. She was special and she lived life to the fullest.

‘All of the female singers who have done well over the past 50 years have to thank the woman who broke the ground for them more than 60 years ago.’

Cannon, who was born in Melbourne in 1939, started her career in the early 1950s with performances at dances held at Coburg Town Hall and Preston Town Hall.

She secured a record deal but was pushed into releasing pop songs by her label, including her track The Very First Day I Met You.

She soared to fame with Melbourne band The Thunderbirds in the late 1950s and they released a string of popular pop songs, before she found her true calling.

Cannon broke expectations and pursued her true passion for rock and roll, quickly becoming a household name on the Australian scene.

With her musical inspirations including Elvis Presley and Johnny Ray, she went on to support Cliff Richard and the Shadows on their Australian tour in 1961.

She was then encouraged to make the big move to England to try and find international success as a female rock star after breaking expectations Down Under.

There, Cannon nabbed a regular TV role on Terry O’Neill’s One O’Clock and even got the chance to sing for British royals, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne.

During her 13 years living in England, Cannon also worked as a session singer and featured as a backing vocalist on Jimi Hendrix’s hit Hey Joe. 

Cannon was also known for her close friendship with iconic Aussie rock star Johnny O’Keefe, who she frequently worked with over the years.

‘[O’Keefe] liked me because I was the only female singer who could make the audience scream,’ Judy recalled in 1997. 

She regularly featured on 1960s TV show Six O’Clock Rock, which O’Keefe hosted, showcasing her vocal talents.

Her lifelong friend Coral Drouyn described Judy as Australia’s first female rocker as she paid tribute to the genre-defying star (judy is pictured with Jimmy Little, Colin Cooke and Col Joye)

Her friend Drouyn revealed that the broadcasters were not originally sure if they could put Judy on television because she was ‘too wild’.

After a successful singing career in the 1950s and 1950s, she moved away from rock and roll and ventured into musical theatre in London. 

She appeared in a string of productions on the West End including Gypsy, Guys and Dolls and Bordello.

After a brief return to Australia in the 1960s, Cannon eventually made the decision to permanently relocate Down Under in 1977.

She briefly featured on popular long-running children’s TV show Play School before becoming a successful real estate agent in the Gold Coast and Ballarat.