What a fascinating life. The founder and bankroller behind the tremendously successful Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. Last week Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park was renamed Hellman Hollow in his honor.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1M9LUD.DTL
RIP Warren Hellman
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Brad Bechtel
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RIP Warren Hellman
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Mark Eaton
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- Location: Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
A few years ago at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, my brother and I were standing in front of the smallest venue at the festival, The Porch Stage, enjoying a great band from Colorado called "Sons and Brothers." I bought one of their CDs that day, they are a blend of bluegrass and sort of a high lonesome Rocky Mountains version of Sons of the Pioneers. Great group.
Standing about 10 feet in front of me was Warren Hellman, out there with the rest of the folks, groovin' on the music.
At the end of one of the songs I applauded heartily and yelled out something encouraging to the band, and Warren turned around and gave me a big grin and flashed the thumbs up sign.
It turns out on a trip to Colorado he saw the band play and invited them to come out to the festival.
What an interesting life he had, and what a gift he gave us. When Hardly Strictly Bluegrass comes around each October, it is truly one of the biggest highlights of the year for me.
I have been every year except for the first one in 2001, and that was only because my wife and I were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary the same weekend, and were going over to the Mendocino coast. I knew about the upcoming festival, which was a fraction of what it would become in a few years, but I didn't dare ask my wife to postpone the Mendocino trip because I knew the mere question would likely put me in the dog house for weeks.
It won't be easy for me to switch the name in my head from Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park to Hellman Hollow, having seen the likes of the Grateful Dead, Quciksilver, Jefferson Airplane, etc. play there when I was about 14 or 15, but I'm sure I'll get used to it shortly in honor of Warren, just like it was no problem getting used to the name change of the San Francisco Civic Auditorim to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
RIP Mr. Hellman.
Standing about 10 feet in front of me was Warren Hellman, out there with the rest of the folks, groovin' on the music.
At the end of one of the songs I applauded heartily and yelled out something encouraging to the band, and Warren turned around and gave me a big grin and flashed the thumbs up sign.
It turns out on a trip to Colorado he saw the band play and invited them to come out to the festival.
What an interesting life he had, and what a gift he gave us. When Hardly Strictly Bluegrass comes around each October, it is truly one of the biggest highlights of the year for me.
I have been every year except for the first one in 2001, and that was only because my wife and I were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary the same weekend, and were going over to the Mendocino coast. I knew about the upcoming festival, which was a fraction of what it would become in a few years, but I didn't dare ask my wife to postpone the Mendocino trip because I knew the mere question would likely put me in the dog house for weeks.
It won't be easy for me to switch the name in my head from Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park to Hellman Hollow, having seen the likes of the Grateful Dead, Quciksilver, Jefferson Airplane, etc. play there when I was about 14 or 15, but I'm sure I'll get used to it shortly in honor of Warren, just like it was no problem getting used to the name change of the San Francisco Civic Auditorim to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
RIP Mr. Hellman.
Mark
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Richard Sinkler
- Posts: 17815
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- Location: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
I have never heard of him or made it to any of the festivals, but anytime someone who does as much as he has done for our business leaves us, it is a huge loss. I hope the festival continues in his honor. Certainly a sad day.
Carter D10 8p/7k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup, Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112, Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open G slide and regular G tuning guitar) .
Playing for 55 years and still counting.
Playing for 55 years and still counting.
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Mark Eaton
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- Location: Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
Warren created an endowment so that it will go on for at least 15 years.
No only do the musicians love playing the festival because of the great atmosphere and huge crowds, but it is my understanding that they are paid handsomely.
Richard, being a Bay Area guy and life-long musician I'm surprised you haven't been. You can make 2012 your first "Hardly Strictly!"
No only do the musicians love playing the festival because of the great atmosphere and huge crowds, but it is my understanding that they are paid handsomely.
Richard, being a Bay Area guy and life-long musician I'm surprised you haven't been. You can make 2012 your first "Hardly Strictly!"
Mark