October 25, 1991: The Crash of Bill Graham

October 25, 1991: Bill Graham, the king of rock music promoters, is killed in a helicopter crash outside Vallejo, in the East Bay region of California, while returning home from a Huey Lewis and the News concert at the Concord Pavilion. He had just talked the band into performing at a benefit concert he wanted to stage for the victims of the recent Oakland Hills Firestorm.

Also killed were the pilot, Graham's advance man Steve "Killer" Kahn; and Graham's girlfriend, Melissa Gold -- not to be confused with actress Melissa "Missy" Gold.

Born Wulf Wolodia Grajonca in Berlin in 1931, he was taken out of Germany by his Jewish family during World War II. He made his name promoting concerts in San Francisco in the 1960s. He had opened concert venues such as the Fillmore West and Winterland in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York, all of which he outlived. He also promoted the S.N.A.C.K. concert at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium in 1975, and the U.S. edition of Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia in 1985.

He should not be confused with Dr. Billy Graham, America's foremost evangelist; Billy's son, William Franklin Graham III, who goes by "Franklin"; Franklin's son, William Franklin Graham IV, who goes by "Will"; or Eldridge Wayne Coleman Jr., the "professional wrestler" who went by "Superstar" Billy Graham.

*

October 25, 1991 was a Friday. It was a travel day between Games 5 and 6 of the World Series. There was 1 college football game played that night, and it was for a trophy, the Little Brown Jug. It was no contest: Michigan, ranked Number 4 in the country, beat Minnesota, 52-6 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

The NBA season started 7 days later. There were 3 games in the NHL:

* The Buffalo Sabres beat the expansion San Jose Sharks, 3-1 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

* In an "Original Six" matchup, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

* And the Winnipeg Jets beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-0 at the Winnipeg Arena.

And in New Jersey high school football, my Alma Mater, East Brunswick, defeated John P. Stevens of Edison, 16-14 at Jay Doyle Field in East Brunswick.