Reference Number
ARC-0947
Level of description
collection
Title
Bill Graham Presents Collection
Date
1966-1996, undated
Size
9.6 (Linear feet)
Scope and Contents
The Bill Graham Presents Collection is dated from 1996 to 1996 and contains undated materials. The collection is divided into two series: Series I: Posters, Tickets, and Handbills and Series II: Personal Papers. Series I contains a nearly comprehensive collection of 446 posters and 557 tickets from Bill Graham Presents concerts, which were primarily held at the Fillmore Auditorium (Fillmore West) in San Francisco, from 1966-1995. Series II consists of correspondence from Graham to his foster brother, Leroy Ehrenreich, asking for a reference to lease a property that would later become the Fillmore Auditorium, a small number of photographs of Graham and his son, and newspaper clippings relating to Graham presumably collected by Ehrenreich. The collection is of particular significance concert promoter, Bill Graham, had a profound influence on rock music and helped create San Francisco as the center of psychedelic music of the 1960s and 1970s. Seen in a broader context the collection provides insight into the promotion of rock concerts and bands from the 1960s to 1980s.
Biography / Administrative History
The Fillmore West was a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly known as both the Carousel Ballroom and El Patio. The Fillmore West closed on July 4, 1971.
Rock promoter Bill Graham opened the Fillmore East at Second Avenue and East Sixth Street in New York's East Village in 1968. During the three years it was open, the Fillmore East hosted artists including the Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa. The Fillmore East closed in 1971.
Bill Graham (January 8, 1931 – October 25, 1991) was a German-American rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death. Graham moved to San Francisco in the early 1960s where he began promoting concerts with Chet Helms and Family Dog. Finding a need for a permanent venue, Graham leased the Fillmore Auditorium (Fillmore West) in San Francisco. After Graham closed the Fillmore West and East in 1971, he continued promoting concerts, including the largest outdoor concert at Watkins Glen, New York. Graham was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Notes
Acquisition Note: The Bill Graham Presents Collection was received by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a gift from the Leroy Ehrenreich Estate on May 1, 2017.
Citation: [Identification of Item], Bill Graham Presents Collection, Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Language Note: Materials are in English.
Processing Information: Processed by Crystal Matjasic, Project Archivist. Completed January 29, 2021. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual. Collection processed through an Access to Historical Records grant from the NHPRC.
Separated Materials: Poster BG#43 on exhibit. Consult Library & Archives staff in advance of your visit for additional information.
Access
Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration Form before using this collection. Consult the Library and Archives in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available.
Use
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. For more information, please consult the staff of the Library and Archives.
Associated Persons
Associated Subjects
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