Chet Helms, legendary producer has died...Summer of Love...

[kohodog]

Chet Helms -- legendary S.F. rock music producer
Aidin Vaziri and Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writers
Sunday, June 26, 2005


Chet Helms, a towering figure in the 1960s Bay Area music scene who brought Janis Joplin to San Francisco and ran the Avalon Ballroom during the Summer of Love, died early Saturday after suffering a stroke last week. He was 62.

"Chet Helms was like one of the founding fathers of music scene here," said Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead and many other bands. "He was really the heart and soul of the music scene here in San Francisco. He was more than just a promoter. The Avalon really captured the spirit and the vibe of the era."

Mr. Helms, who stayed true to his hippie ideals through four decades, died at 12:25 a.m. at San Francisco's California Pacific Medical Center surrounded by a dozen of his closest friends and relatives, said his wife, Judy Davis.

"It was a beautiful death," Davis said. "It was a goodbye party. We all sang to him and told stories. We had a chance to really show our love and say goodbye. He died as he lived -- surrounded by love."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/26/HELMS.TMP

edit, sp

[Wabbajack]

1. Damnit

I saw "Helms" and I thought Jesse.

[ET Awful]

2. Wow. Chet, you'll be missed.

He and Bill Graham were opposite sides of the same coin that catapulted the San Francisco music scene into prominence. Chet was into, as the article says "hippie ideals" and Graham was into making loads of cash :). Both are gone now, Bill died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1991.

Hell, without these two, most of my favorite music never would have gotten out of small bars and clubs.

RIP Chet, and thanks. Tell Janis hi for me when you see her. :cry:

[teach1st]

3. Oh, man...

...I was reading about Chet Helms and Bill Graham last night. Chet had miles of heart.

Enjoy the trip, Chet.

http://www.digfotos.com/