Promoter
Bill Graham
Born Wolfgang Grajonca in Berlin, Bill Graham became one of America's most influential concert promoters. Although he had little personal interest in the chaotic, improvisational music and the drug culture surrounding it, his events played a key role in shaping the psychedelic era. Graham's concerts featured iconic performers like Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Country Joe and The Fish, The Committee, and even poet Allen Ginsberg. Recognizing that the youth drawn to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district were willing to pay to see their favorite bands, he envisioned his shows as “living theatre”—immersive experiences blending music, light, and spontaneous creativity. He ran two major venues in San Francisco, Fillmore West and Winterland, as well as the Fillmore East in New York, all of which became platforms for emerging talent.
