Bill Graham

AKA:

Uncle Bobo

Birth Name:

Wulf Wolodia Grajonca

Birth Date:

January 8, 1931

Birth Place:

Berlin, Germany

Death Date:

October 25, 1991

Place of Death:

6 miles West of Vallejo, Solano County, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Helicopter crash

Cemetery Name:

Eternal Home Jewish Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Even though Bill Graham didn't play an instrument or sing in a band, he's one of the most famous names in rock history. Bill Graham was a legendary impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death in 1991 in a helicopter crash. Bill was the first and most successful of turning concerts and like events into a profitable endeavour for both the business and the artists. Graham had a profound influence around the world, sponsoring the musical renaissance of the '60s from the epicenter, San Francisco. Chet Helms and then Bill Graham made famous the Fillmore and Winterland Ballroom; these turned out to be a proving grounds for rock bands and acts of the San Francisco Bay area including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, who were first managed, and in some cases developed, by Chet Helms.

Fun Fact:

After Graham made his way backstage to greet the band and make small talk with the staff, Graham was stopped by the bass player from Huey Lewis and the News, Mario Cippolina, who, in a moment of foresight, noted the poor weather, and suggested that Graham to take his limousine. He declined the offer and walked away wearing, ironically, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tour jacket. In case you don’t remember, In 1977 the band Lynyrd Skynyrd endured a plane crash that killed several of its members and staff.

Bill Graham’s last home was located at 800 Corte Madera Avenue in Corte Madera, California. I say “was located” because his house was torn down in 2002 and replaced.

The approximate coordinates for the helicopter crash are 38°09′11″N 122°24′45″W. The new tower is at the same location but that is not the original tower which had to be rebuilt.

The Bell 206B JetRanger had an airframe total time of 6,279 hours and its last inspection was on September 9, 1991, seven logged hours before the accident. The pilot was 42-year-old Steve Kahn, who held valid airline transport, flight instructor, and commercial certificates, with 4,541 total flight hours logged. At the time of the crash, an inquiry found the pilot had considerable geographic knowledge of the area and decided to fly visual flight rules (VFR) when conditions would indicate use of instrument flight rules (IFR).

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Eternal Home Jewish Cemetery

1051 El Camino Real

Colma, California, 94014

USA

North America

Grave Location:

Block 700, Row G

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery from El Camino Real, the office will be on your right and after 50 feet you will turn left at the first opportunity. Drive through the first roundabout and park at the furthest point after the next roundabout. Walk straight ahead (same direction as the road) and walk to the second section. Turn left and walk towards the brick wall and 5 rows from the wall and 15 spaces to your right you will find the final resting place of Bill Graham.

Grave Location GPS

37.68038329695, -122.46156578443

Photos:

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Videos Featuring Bill Graham:

Bill Graham - what makes Bill Graham successful? - 11/5/1977 - Winterland, San Francisco, CA

Bill Graham Interview on Led Zeppelin 1983

Bill Graham on Letterman, August 25, 1982

Bill Graham - Interview - 3/6/1990 - Masada

Backstage with Rock Star Promoter Bill Graham for CBS TV West 57th, 1986

Rock Promoter 'Bill Graham' ripped by 'Rock Scully' manager of the Grateful Dead

Bill Graham Reminisces About The Fillmore East - 8/19/1984 - New York City

Eddie Money Remembers His Hero Music Promoter Bill Graham

See More:

William Randolph Hearst

Gilbert F. Heublein

popular name: Gilbert F. Heublein

date_of_death: March 21, 1937

age: 87

cause_of_death: Arteriosclerosis

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: German-born Gilbert F. Heublein was a prominent hotelier, restaurateur, food and liquor distributor in Hartford, Connecticut. While most people remember Gilbert for securing the license and distribution rights of A-1 Steak Sauce to the United States, his real claim to fame should be his discovery and marketing of pre-made cocktails. As the legend goes, Gilbert and his brother Louis had prepared a quantity of premixed cocktails for a large annual picnic. It rained and the event was canceled. A few days later a employee of the Heubleins was told to dispose of the unused beverages. Deciding to taste them first, he found that the drinks had suffered no deterioration and announced the discovery to his bosses. The Heubleins took note and began selling the premixed libations in their saloon and restaurant. The cocktails proved very popular with customers and increasingly became the focus of the family’s attention. With Gilbert now running the business, the new firm concentrated on the premixed cocktails such as Martinis and Manhattans, advertising them widely as Club Cocktails. Upon the enactment of Prohibition in 1920, Heublein's "secondary sideline" of A.1. Sauce served as a fortunate savior, when the production, transportation and sale of all other Heublein products became illegal in the US for the next thirteen years. Upon Gilbert’s death, the company was taken over by John G. Martin, the son of Alice Heublein and Percy Martin, Gilbert Heublein’s grandson. Through Martin’s business savvy, G.F. Heublein & Bro. acquired the rights to sell Smirnoff vodka, Don Q rum, and Jose Cuervo tequila. In 1969, Heublein, Inc. began to package pre-mixed cocktails in 8-ounce cans, such as the ‘Brass Monkey’. The company also made acquisitions outside the liquor industry with the purchase of Grey Poupon mustard in 1936 and Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1971. In 1982, Heublein, Inc was sold to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for 1.4 billion dollars.