At age twelve, New York–born, punk rock–worshipping Meredith Ochs rejected the lavish bat mitzvahs of her peers. She asked her parents, cofounders of an orthodox synagogue, to take her to Israel instead. Her family trekked across the Holy Land and had her bat mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem—making a profound impact on the aspiring writer, musician, record collector, and deejay. Ochs went on to build a career in and around rock ‘n’ roll as an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, and longtime NPR commentator, and became the first woman editor of Guitar World magazine. Ochs played in touring bands while contributing articles to publications such as Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly and hosted a daily radio talk show at Sirius XM. Through her numerous gigs, she met and interviewed thousands of celebrities, some of whom appear in The Rock ‘N’ Roll Haggadah. Ochs is also the author of several books, including Rock-and-Roll Woman.

After a reform Jewish upbringing in Ohio and graduating with a fine arts degree, Kay Miller was New York City bound. The music of bands that played at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s, particularly Television, Patti Smith, and the Ramones lured her there. In September of 1978, Kay moved into a former cold water flat on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. Having worked a variety of odd jobs, she eventually began teaching at a public school on the Lower East Side. On the weekends, she spent her time attending live rock shows in New York. She married a drummer who had been an acquaintance of hers for a long time and they continue to rock and roll to this day.