Featured | News

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

Events | Featured

Bill’s Bash Brunch 2024 Photos!
ByBGMF January 10, 2024January 12, 2024

Click the title to see lots of great photos of the Bash.

Read More Bill’s Bash Brunch 2024 Photos!
Featured

The Third Annual Bill Graham Tribute at the SF Giants
ByBGMF January 23, 2014February 17, 2014

Friday Sept 6th at 7:15PM Giants vs. Arizona We are delighted to be working with the SF Giants again this year for our third Bill Graham Tribute night. This year we’ll be offering a special Bill Graham Tribute night poster designed by poster artist Frank Wiedemann. Tickets are available in several sections of the Park…

Read More The Third Annual Bill Graham Tribute at the SF Giants
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
Events | Featured

2026 Bills Bash Photos!
ByBGMF January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

Photos by Tommy Lau. If you would like a large high-res copy of any photo, please contact Bonnie Simmons bon@billgrahamfoundation.org

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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
Events | Featured

Bill’s Bash 2023 Photos
ByBGMF January 18, 2023January 18, 2023

A good time was had by all! Photo credit: Ken Friedman, photographer

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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

Bill’s Bash Brunch 2024 Photos!

The Third Annual Bill Graham Tribute at the SF Giants

Bill Graham exhibit rocks on at Illinois Holocaust Museum

2026 Bills Bash Photos!

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

Bill’s Bash 2023 Photos

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

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Nelson Mandela for a Free South Africa 1990

Line up for the Nelson Mandela 1990 concert