Bill Graham (promoter)

===Fillmore Records, West, East, and later===
Graham owned Fillmore Records, which was in operation from 1969 to 1976. Some of those who signed with Graham included [[Rod Stewart]], [[Elvin Bishop]], and [[Cold Blood (band)|Cold Blood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockandrollroadmap.com/san-francisco-area-studios/fillmore-records/view-details.html|title=Fillmore Records|publisher=Rock and Roll Map|access-date=October 2, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016091029/http://rockandrollroadmap.com/san-francisco-area-studios/fillmore-records/view-details.html|archive-date=October 16, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> although of these it seems only Bishop actually issued albums on the Fillmore label. {{citation needed|date=May 2014}} [[Tower of Power]] was signed to Bill Graham's [[San Francisco Records]] and their first album, ''[[East Bay Grease]]'', was recorded in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://towerofpower.com/the-band|title=The Band|website=Towerofpower.com|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref>

By 1971, Graham citing financial reasons and changes he saw as unwelcome in the music industry,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/70s/1971/Cash-Box-1971-05-08.pdf|title=Cash Box Magazine|date=May 8, 1971|website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref> closed the [[Fillmore East]] and [[Fillmore West|West]], claiming a need to "find [himself]". The movie ''[[Fillmore (film)|Fillmore]]'' and the album ''[[Fillmore: The Last Days]]'' document the closing of the Fillmore West. Graham later returned to promoting. He began organizing concerts at smaller venues, like the [[Berkeley Community Theatre]] on the campus of [[Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California)|Berkeley High School]]. He then reopened the [[Winterland|Winterland Arena]] (San Francisco), along with the Fillmore West, and promoted shows at the [[Cow Palace]] Arena in [[Daly City]] and other venues. {{Citation needed|date=January 2010}}

In 1973 he did the staging for Jimmy Koplic and Shelly Finkle's promotion of the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen rock festival at [[Watkins Glen, New York]] with [[The Band]], [[Grateful Dead]], and [[The Allman Brothers Band]]. Over 600,000 paying ticket-holders were in attendance. He continued promoting stadium-sized concerts at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco with [[Led Zeppelin]] in 1973 and 1977 and started a series of outdoor stadium concerts at the [[Oakland Coliseum]] each billed as ''[[Day on the Green]]'' in 1973 until 1992. These concerts featured billings such as the Grateful Dead and [[The Who]] on October 9, 1976, and the Grateful Dead and [[Bob Dylan]] in 1987.

His first large-scale outdoor benefit concert, at [[Kezar Stadium]], on Sunday, March 23, 1975, "SF SNACK",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/tour-show/snack-concert.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508023044/http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/tour-show/snack-concert.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-05-08 |title= Snack concert |website=www.wolfgangsvault.com|access-date=2020-07-30}}</ref> was organized to replace funds<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.sfgate.com/thebigevent/2012/03/12/the-colombo-files-bill-grahams-1975-concert-for-the-kids/|title=The Colombo Files: Bill Graham's 1975 concert for the kids|first1=Peter Hartlaub on|last1=March 12|first2=2012 at 4:17|last2=AM|date=March 12, 2012|website=The Big Event}}</ref> for after-school programs canceled by the [[San Francisco Unified School District]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://billgrahamfoundation.org/newsletters/snack.html|title=A Look Back At ...SNACK SUNDAY - Bill Graham Foundation|access-date=May 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508024926/http://billgrahamfoundation.org/newsletters/snack.html|archive-date=May 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> with performances by [[Bob Dylan]], [[Neil Young]], members of [[The Band]] and [[Grateful Dead]],<ref name="bio">{{cite web|author=Robert Greenfield|url=http://www.billgrahamfoundation.org/bio.html|title=Bill Graham profile at|publisher=Billgrahamfoundation.org|access-date=June 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615154721/http://www.billgrahamfoundation.org/bio.html|archive-date=June 15, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Jefferson Starship]], [[Mimi Fariña]], [[Joan Baez]], [[Santana (band)|Santana]], [[Tower of Power]], [[Jerry Garcia]] & Friends, [[The Doobie Brothers]], [[Eddie Palmieri]] & His Orchestra, [[The Miracles]], [[Graham Central Station]], and appearing : [[Marlon Brando]], [[Francis Ford Coppola]], [[Frankie Albert]], [[John Brodie]], [[Rosemary Casals|Rosie Casals]], [[Werner Erhard]], [[Cedrick Hardman|Cedric Hardman]], [[Willie Mays]], [[Jesse Owens]], [[Gene Washington (wide receiver, born 1947)|Gene Washington]], [[Cecil Williams (pastor)|Cecil Williams]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wolfgangs.com/poster-art/snack-benefit/poster/KEZ750323.html|title=SNACK Benefit Vintage Concert Poster from Kezar Stadium, Mar 23, 1975 at Wolfgang's|website=Wolfgangs.com}}</ref>

Graham as ''Bill Graham Presents'' booked the 1982 [[US Festival]], funded by [[Steve Wozniak]] as ''Unuson''.<ref>[http://sohodojo.com/us-festival-softalk-story.html "US Festival '82"], ''Softalk'' magazine, Volume 3 No. 10, pp. 128–140. October 1982.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.stpete.com/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2413|title=News – St. Petersburg, FL|website=St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce - Saint Petersburg, FL|access-date=27 October 2018|archive-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027185858/http://web.stpete.com/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2413|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the mid-1980s, in conjunction with the city of [[Mountain View, California]], and [[Apple Inc.]] cofounder [[Steve Wozniak]], he masterminded the creation of the [[Shoreline Amphitheatre]], which became the premier venue for outdoor concerts in [[Silicon Valley]], complementing his booking of the East Bay [[Concord Pavilion]]. Throughout his career, Graham promoted benefit concerts. He went on to set the standard for well-produced large-scale rock concerts, such as the U.S. portion of [[Live Aid]] at [[JFK Stadium|JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] on July 13, 1985, as well as the 1986 [[Conspiracy of Hope Tour|A Conspiracy of Hope]] and 1988 [[Human Rights Now! Tour|Human Rights Now!]] tours for [[Amnesty International]].

Graham purchased comedy club [[Punch Line San Francisco|The Punch Line]] and The [[Old Waldorf]] on Battery Street in San Francisco from local promoter Jeffrey Pollack, with whom he remained close friends for the rest of his life,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/venue/the-old-waldorf-san-francisco-ca-usa-3d63d37.html|title=The Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA, USA Concert Setlists - setlist.fm|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="rockandrollroadmap.com">{{cite web|url=http://rockandrollroadmap.com/places/where-they-played/san-francisco-area-venues/old-waldorf/|title=Old Waldorf - Former Venue On Battery Street In San Francisco, CA|date=18 December 2015|website=Rockandrollroadmap.com|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/venue/punch-line-comedy-club-san-francisco-ca-usa-43d5ffaf.html|title=Punch Line Comedy Club, San Francisco, CA, USA Concert Setlists - setlist.fm|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> then [[Cobb's Comedy Club|Wolfgang's]] on Columbus Ave in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockandrollroadmap.com/places/where-they-played/san-francisco-area-venues/wolfgangs/|title=Wolfgang's - Former Venue On Columbus Ave In San Francisco, CA|date=18 December 2015|website=Rockandrollroadmap.com|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/label/389126-Wolfgangs-San-Francisco|title=Wolfgang's, San Francisco|website=Discogs.com|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="rockandrollroadmap.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/venue/wolfgangs-san-francisco-ca-usa-4bd7a33a.html|title=Wolfgang's, San Francisco, CA, USA Concert Setlists - setlist.fm|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref><!-- <ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.stpete.com/news/newsarticledisplay.aspx?ArticleID=2413|title=News – St. Petersburg, FL|website=St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce - Saint Petersburg, FL|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref> -->