In autumn, 1991, music promoter Bill Graham was killed in a helicopter crash after leaving Concord Pavilion, and a concert by which musical group?

On the stormy night of October 25, 1991, the music world lost one of its most influential figures. Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham, his girlfriend Melissa Gold, and pilot Steve Kahn were killed when their helicopter crashed into a transmission tower in Vallejo, California. The trio was flying home after a show at the Concord Pavilion, which featured the popular Bay Area rock band Huey Lewis and the News, an act Graham had long supported and promoted. The crash was attributed to the pilot flying at a low altitude in severe weather.

Bill Graham was a towering figure in rock and roll, having escaped Nazi Germany as a child to become the premier live music impresario in America. He was the force behind iconic San Francisco venues like the Fillmore and Winterland Ballroom, where he helped launch the careers of artists such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Santana. His innovative approach to staging, security, and artist hospitality transformed the concert industry from disorganized gigs into professional, large-scale events.

The tragedy sent shockwaves through the music community. In his honor, a massive free concert called "Laughter, Love and Music" was held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park just over a week later. The event, which drew hundreds of thousands of mourners and fans, featured performances by many of the artists Graham had championed throughout his career, including a heartfelt set from Huey Lewis and the News to pay tribute to the man they had seen on his final night.