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Since Bill's earliest days as a concert producer, he devoted much time and energy to a wide range of benefit events, showing a passionate interest and enthusiasm in aiding people in need. By mobilizing musicians on behalf of crucial social issues, he helped to raise millions of dollars for diverse organizations and causes including The Live Aid Concert for African Famine Relief; the American-Soviet Peace Concert for Nuclear Disarmament in Moscow; Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope and Human Rights Now! tours; the Nelson Mandela concerts and rallies in California; In-Concert Against AIDS; Concerts for the Advocacy of Indigenous People's Traditional and Cultural Rights; and benefits for the United Farm Workers, Lighthouse for the Blind, the San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco's Earthquake Relief - and many, many others. Among Bill's many other professional achievements, he staged the Watkins Glen (New York) "Summer Jam" in 1973; produced national tours for Bob Dylan and The Band; Crosby Stills Nash & Young; and George Harrison in 1974; created the series of summer outdoor "Day On the Green" concerts; produced "The Last Waltz" in 1976, which was filmed by Martin Scorcese for the film; conducted the Rolling Stones' World Tour in 1981-82; managed the careers of artists including Santana, Eddie Money, the Neville Brothers, Joe Satriani, Blues Traveler and others; and, in his spare time, appeared in cameo acting roles in films including "Apocalypse Now," "The Cotton Club," "Gardens of Stone" and "Bugsy". Bill was lauded in the Congressional Record of the United States on four occasions and, among his many honors, received San Francisco's St. Francis of Assisi Award, MTV's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Humanitarian Award of B'nai B'rith, the Award of Honor of the San Francisco Arts Commission, the City of Hope "Spirit of Life" Award, and the prestigious "Scopus Award" of the American Friends of Hebrew University. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and continues to be granted numerous honoraria posthumously . Bill was killed in a helicopter crash on October 25, 1991. © 2008 Bill Graham Memorial Foundation |
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