Bill Graham | Courtesy of the National Museum of Jewish American History
Late Rock & Roll Legend Bill Graham to be Honored in an Exhibit at Philly’s Museum of Jewish History
Calling all Rock ‘n’ Roll enthusiasts, historians, museum hoppers of Philadelphia, and more. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, most everybody will be able to identify with the traveling exhibit, organized by the Los Angeles based Skirball Cultural Center, that is currently being hosted by The National Museum of American Jewish History.
Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution, which opened in Philadelphia on September 15, is an exhibit devoted to honoring the life and career of legendary concert promoter, the late Bill Graham. NMAJH is one of three venues who are hosting this retrospective of Graham’s life which is scheduled to remain in Philly through January 16, 2017. Graham played key roles in the careers of Rock legends like the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Fleetwood Mac, the Who, the Doors, and the Rolling stones just to name a few. As a child, he was forced to flee from his home in Germany because of Nazi persecution of Jewish communities all over the world; he arrived in the United States at the age of ten. For Graham, Rock & Roll was so much more than just music, it was an outlet through which people could promote humanitarian causes on a large scale. Of his many accomplishments, his role in organizing benefit concerts such as Live Aid in 1985 and Human Rights Now! in 1988, are some of those that are most globally noted.
The exhibit will feature more than two-hundred items of rock memorabilia, personal photos/items, vintage posters, preparatory show artwork, and much more. All of these are designed to shed light on the pivotal role that Rock played in the 60’s, 70′, and 80’s and to display Graham’s part in these pivotal eras. The public can also listen to audio, that can be found on NMAJH’s website, of Graham himself narrating many of the experiences being highlighted in the exhibit. The National Museum of American Jewish history is adjusting their hours on certain days to ensure that Philadelphia residents are able to easily access this unique exhibit despite busy schedules.
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