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Bill’s 89th Birthday Bash with Los Lobos

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Tickets on sale Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10am

The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation Presents
Bill’s 89th Birthday Bash

LOS LOBOS
with DJ Harry Duncan

Silent Auction, birthday cake, and good company

Featured | News

Familiar faces at Bill’s Bash 2020
ByBGMF January 15, 2020January 15, 2020

Plenty of old and new friends partied into the evening at the Fillmore on Saturday evening for the Bill’s 89th Birthday Bash. Check out Ken Friedman’s fantastic photos of some of the night’s highlights.

See all the photos

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Jerry Pompili on Sirius Grateful Dead Channel
ByBGMF April 10, 2023April 10, 2023

Listen to a 20-minute excerpt from “Tales From the Golden Road” on SiriusXM with hosts David Gans and Gary Lambert

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News

8th Annual SF Giants Bill Graham Tribute
ByBGMF September 2, 2018February 7, 2019

8th Annual Bill Graham Tribute Night at AT&T Park SF Giants vs Colorado Rockies Friday Sept 14th 7:15 PM game time We are happy to announce that the SF Giants Bill Graham Tribute Night will take place Friday Sept 14th at AT&T Park. The SF Giants will be up against the Colorado Rockies. Game starts…

Read More 8th Annual SF Giants Bill Graham Tribute
News

“Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution” at the Florida Holocaust Museum
ByBGMF April 15, 2018July 9, 2018

***EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT*** The Florida Holocaust Museum is thrilled to announce “Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution” is coming to the Museum in the fall of 2018! This exhibition explores the extraordinary life of renowned music promoter Bill Graham (1931- 1991) who helped launch and promote the careers of countless rock & roll artists. It also…

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News

“Grammy Salute to Music Legends” Special includes tribute to Bill Graham
ByBGMF July 9, 2018August 1, 2018

RECORDING ACADEMY™ TO HONOR 2018 SPECIAL MERIT AWARDS RECIPIENTS WITH “GRAMMY SALUTE TO MUSIC LEGENDS®” TELEVISION SPECIAL AS PART OF “GREAT PERFORMANCES” SERIES ON PBS NEIL DIAMOND, EMMYLOU HARRIS, QUEEN, TINA TURNER, AND OTHERS TO BE HONORED AT THIRD ANNUAL AWARDS AND TRIBUTE CONCERT SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (June 12, 2018) — The Recording Academy™ will…

Read More “Grammy Salute to Music Legends” Special includes tribute to Bill Graham
News | Press

Bill Graham exhibit rocks on at Illinois Holocaust Museum
ByBGMF August 31, 2017September 18, 2017

Miriam Di Nunzio @MiriamDiNunzio | email You may not know his name, but it’s almost a certainty you’ve heard some of his work. ‘Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution’ When: Through Nov. 12 Where: Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie Admission: $6-$12; additional $5 for Graham exhibit ticket Info:…

Read More Bill Graham exhibit rocks on at Illinois Holocaust Museum

Nelson Mandela for a Free South Africa 1990

After his release from prison in February of 1990, Nelson Mandela traveled extensively, making several trips to the United States. He came to the Bay Area in June 1990, where he was honored at a sold-out concert at the Oakland Coliseum.

For Bill Graham, it was important that the show reflected the supporters of Mandela and the makeup of the greater Bay Area. During a press conference Bill said that he felt strongly about what the Bay Area stands for having been the home of the free speech movement and so supportive of the labor movement, and that recognition should be given to those factors. In addition to that “the music at the event must be roots music that emanated from Africa extending into gospel and jazz and blues and r&b.”

Ticket prices were kept to $5.00 to make the event available to as many as possible and performers included Zulu Spear, John Lee Hooker & Bonnie Raitt, the Oakland-based Vukani Mawethu Choir, Baba Olatunji and Mickey Hart, Tramaine Hawkins, Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia, Gospel Hummingbirds, John Lee Hooker, Sweet Honey In The Rock, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, John Santos, Kotoja, as well as Bay Area drum and dance troupes.

At the event, acknowledging the Bay Area’s role as a U.S. center of activism against apartheid, Mandela told the crowd: “You must remember that you are our blood brothers and sisters. You are our comrades in the struggle. Remember that we respect you, we admire you and, above all, we love you. ‘We are at a crucial historical juncture,” he told a cheering crowd of 58,000 people, ”We shall not turn back. Despite my 71 years, at the end of this visit I feel like a young man of 35. I feel like an old battery that has been recharged. And if I feel so young, it is the people of the United States of America that are responsible for this.”

Line up for the Nelson Mandela 1990 concert

OUR BOYS STEEL ORCHESTRA
OPENING INVOCATION AND MASSED DRUM PROCESSION FEATURING: BABA OLATUNJI / MICKEY HART / LADZEKPO BROTHERS / MANDELEO INSTITUTE / JONI HAASTRUP / JOSE LORENZO WITH BATUCAJE I MICHAEL PLUZNICK / MOTHERSTONE / HINTIL KUU KA POMO CHILDREN DANCERS / PLUS BAY AREA DRUM AND DANCE TROUPES / WITH SPECIAL GUESTS JERRY GARCIA AND BOB WEIR
TRAMAINE HAWKINS
THE CAST OF SARAFINA
GOSPEL HUMMINGBIRDS
JOHN LEE HOOKER WITH BONNIE RAITT
BAY AREA JAZZ ALL-STARS WITH: FAVE CAROL / JOHN HANDY / BOBBY HUTCHERSON / ED KELLY/ TROY LAMPKIN / PHAROAH SANDERS / E.W. WAINWRIGHT
OAKLAND INTERFAITH GOSPEL CHOIR
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
MACHETE ENSEMBLE FEATURING: DAVID BELOVE / JOHN CALLOWAY / BILL ORTIZ / JOHN SANTOS / WAYNE WALLACE
BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS
ZULU SPEAR
KOTOJA
VUKANI MAWETHU
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MASS CHOIR

Audio: Bill Graham at the Press conference for the Nelson Mandela event

Bill’s 89th Birthday Bash with Los Lobos

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Tickets on sale Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10am

Familiar faces at Bill’s Bash 2020

Jerry Pompili on Sirius Grateful Dead Channel

8th Annual SF Giants Bill Graham Tribute

“Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution” at the Florida Holocaust Museum

“Grammy Salute to Music Legends” Special includes tribute to Bill Graham

Bill Graham exhibit rocks on at Illinois Holocaust Museum

Info for Grant Seekers

Events & News

Photo Credits

Line up for the Nelson Mandela 1990 concert

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Tickets on sale Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10am

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Info for Grant Seekers

Events & News

Photo Credits

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Nelson Mandela for a Free South Africa 1990

Line up for the Nelson Mandela 1990 concert