Fillmore
Auditorium
1805
Geary Street
The Fillmore was almost always a dance hall except for a period in `40`s when it was a roller rink . Entrepreneur Charles Sullivan in 1952 began to book some of the biggest names in black music into The Fillmore. James Brown, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Ike & Tina Turner. were booked into the club.
In 1965 public dances were the thing and Bill Graham just the person to bring it all together.
For 2 1/2 years some of the most innovative, exciting music ever to come out of San Francisco was played at the Fillmore. Bill Graham turns us on to the likes of Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed, The Staple Singers, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Miles Davis' new electric band.
He had wonderful ideas like the time I saw Miles Davis open for the Grateful Dead.
Lenny Bruce's last public appearance on a bill also featuring Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.The Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Moby Grape, the Butterfield Blues Band, and countless others were launched from The Fillmore stage. Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Cream, Howlin' Wolf, Captain Beefheart, Muddy Waters all rocked us at the Fillmore.
Bill Graham left the Fillmore Auditorium to take over the Carousel Ballroom. After Bill's death in a helicopter accident in October 1991 everyone at Bill Graham Presents was inspired to finish one of his final pet projects: to restore and once again make music in the building he loved more than any other. Now it is being run by by Clear Channel and the wonderful music continues to this day. Mucho Deja Vu and they still give out apples too. :-)Website created by S.F.Heart©1997 - 2024 all rights reserved.
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