Concert Dates, Concert Tour News, Artist Information

Hilly Kristal Dies

Hilly Kristal, the founder of that Bowery rock club of rock lore and New York notoriety, the locale that served as the birthplace of the punk rock movement and as a lunching pad for numerous bands including the Ramones, Blonde and The Talking Heads, CBGB, has died.

Kristal was 75 years old when he finally passed away from lung cancer. All this after having spent so much of last year fighting to stop CBGB’s eviction from its home of 33 years, during the final months of which Kristal had to use a cane to get around and was showing signs of his cancer treatments. Indeed, last year - before the club’s closing - CBGB was heading towards its final show with Patti Smith and Kristal had visions of opening a Las Vegas incarnaiton of the CBGB club, which originally opened in New York in 1973.

The club that Kristal created as a small out-of-the-way spot on skid row, would grow to become one of the well-known, beloved and most well-respected musical venues in this country, with a reputation that extended around the world. Interestingly, when Kristal began the club, he did so with the hope of making it a mecca of country, bluerass and blues, calling it CBGB & OMFUG for “Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandisers” but he found too few bands to book to play the club. Instead, CBGB would become the central point of the mid-1970s punk movement.

Survivors of Kristal included his wife Karen, and daughter, Lisa, and may he rest in peace knowing that he is very missed here on earth. For more information on great punk bands and shows, make sure you keep your eye on stubhub.com!