NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Fillmore in New York will host The Fillmore Scene, the first annual fundraising event in New York for the The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, in collaboration with Live Nation. The show features Dark Star Orchestra, Spin Doctors, John Popper and Chan Kinchla from Blues Traveler and Moonalice, with surprise special guests, on Tuesday May 27th, 2008 at 7:30 PM. at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place at Irving Plaza in New York, New York. Tickets are $65.00 and available by pre-sale starting Saturday, April 5th at 10 AM. Tickets for the general on sale will be available beginning Monday, April 7th at Noon.
Following his untimely death in 1991, Bill's legacy and philanthropic style has lived on for the past 17 years with The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to give grants primarily in the areas of music, the arts and education, while also supporting social work, environmental protection, spiritual and compassionate projects. The Foundation is guided by an advisory board consisting of Bill's sons, several long-time employees of Bill Graham Presents, and a number of current employees and close friends. In this spirit, the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation seeks to assist those whose needs are oftentimes not served by larger philanthropic organizations.
Bob Barsotti, President of the foundation speaking from the Black Oak Ranch in Northern California says "We are thrilled to finally branch out to bring a version of what we've been doing in San Francisco to NYC. We are looking forward to adding the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza to our annual benefit concert efforts and to make available some of our archived artwork and posters to our friends in New York through our silent auction there. New York was Bill's second home and we are all very excited to be bringing it back home."
Bill Graham was one of a kind, and is still missed by those who worked with him for many years. After fleeing Nazi Germany with his sisters and serving in the U.S. Army in Korea, where he was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his bravery in combat, Bill Graham settled in San Francisco and studied business. Leaving a corporate job, he managed the San Francisco Mime Troupe before moving on to present large concerts and entertainment in his own clubs, including the Fillmore East and West.
Graham was regarded and recognized as an significant promoter who genuinely cared about both the artists and the attendees at his concerts and is credited with the success of early careers of groups like Santana. In addition to his concert producing years, Bill appeared in movies ('Cotton Club' 'Apocalypse Now'), loved to play pick-up basketball games and initiated many rock and roll benefit concerts including 'Live Aid', Crack Down, and Amnesty International.
"For three decades Bill Graham ruled live Rock & Roll. It wasn't simply that he was on a first name basis with just about every important rock star; he was one of the few people in the music business who could hold his own with any of them and who, in his own right, was their equal. Graham didn't simply stage thousands of rock concerts that was business as usual for his skilled organization. He really earned his reputation by putting together extraordinary benefits and rock events on almost a yearly basis." – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
