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 Interview on Led Zeppelin 1983

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

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

Bill Graham "Rock Impresario" A&E Biography

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

See More:

Sarah Winchester

popular name: Sarah Winchester

date_of_death: September 5, 1922

age: 83

cause_of_death: Congestive heart failure

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Sarah Winchester was an American heiress who amassed great wealth after the death of her husband, William Wirt Winchester (son of Winchester Repeating Arms Company founder Oliver Winchester). Her inheritance included $20 million ($606.5 million in 2022) as well as a 50% holding in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which made her one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time. Sarah Winchester was, supposedly, so racked with guilt and haunted by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester firearms that she started building a house in California because a medium advised her that endless building would appease the dead. Construction, which continued 24 hours per day 7 days a week, only stopped when she died. The only problem with this narrative is that it is 100% completely false. And to make matters worse, the owners of the Winchester Mystery House continue to this day to repeat this myth to thousands of visitors every day to the home in San Jose. The fact of the matter is Sarah Winchester was not a crazy, guilt-ridden millionaire who sought guidence from ghost whispers, but rather she was highly educated, spoke multiple languages fluently, and moved to California for her health. She purchased a modest (by her standards) farmhouse and started work on her architectual marval. Aside from its immense size and Victorian style architecture, the House has a number of unique characteristics. To begin, it is undeniably a labyrinth. There are literally miles of maze-like corridors and twisting hallways, some of which have dead ends—forcing the traveler to turn around and back-up. There are also some centrally located passages and stairways that serve as shortcuts allowing a virtual leap from one side of the House to the other. Although Sarah’s labyrinthine House serves the same function as the ancient prototypes, her labyrinth is more a symbolic introductory step into her puzzle. The greatest test for the initiate lies in his ability to understand and identify Mrs. Winchester’s remarkable mix of symbols and numbered code. Sarah’s love of Geometry and specific symmetric numbers is prominently displayed throughout the House. When Winchester died in 1922 the house had 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens.