- . Digg It
- . Sphere It
- . E-mail This
- . Save to del.icio.us
- . Permanent Link
Fade Away and Radiate
CBGB's Hilly is gone, but legend lives on
There are very few times in a writer's career that he or she has legitimate cause to use the phrase, "It's the end of an era." This would be one of those times.
Hilly Kristal, founder of New York rock club CBGB, died Tuesday at 75 after a battle with lung cancer. Saying that his scruddy, poster-plastered, Bowery hole-in-the-wall (where he worked the door for 33 years) was "an institution" is a monumental understatement. Were it not for Kristal and his oddball joint, entire genres of music – most notably punk, new wave, and art rock – would have been out in the cold in the early '70s. The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, and the Dictators all cut their teeth on CBGB's humble stage, paving the way for future generations, which included acts like Madonna, Green Day, Anthrax, and thousands of others.
The club's full name: CBGB & OMFUG, stood for Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. Kristal, a renowned champion of original music, opened his doors in 1973 and closed them in October of last year following a dispute with the building's owners.
"There was no real venue in 1973 for people like us," singer/punk poet Patti Smith, 60, told The New York Times today. Her Patti Smith Group was a mainstay of CBGB — and Kristal's faith in PSG (and numerous other esoteric artists) allowed the singer freedom to hone the powerful sound that landed her in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. "We didn't fit into the cabarets or the folk clubs," she says. "Hilly wanted the people that nobody else wanted. He wanted us."
Kristal is survived by his son, Mark Dana Kristal; daughter Lisa Kristal Burgman; and two grandchildren. While it's still unclear when and where a new CBGB will open (early reports claimed that the famous urinals would be shipped to Las Vegas), it appears that a plan is still afoot to establish the club elsewhere.
Hilly Kristal, founder of New York rock club CBGB, died Tuesday at 75 after a battle with lung cancer. Saying that his scruddy, poster-plastered, Bowery hole-in-the-wall (where he worked the door for 33 years) was "an institution" is a monumental understatement. Were it not for Kristal and his oddball joint, entire genres of music – most notably punk, new wave, and art rock – would have been out in the cold in the early '70s. The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, and the Dictators all cut their teeth on CBGB's humble stage, paving the way for future generations, which included acts like Madonna, Green Day, Anthrax, and thousands of others.
The club's full name: CBGB & OMFUG, stood for Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers. Kristal, a renowned champion of original music, opened his doors in 1973 and closed them in October of last year following a dispute with the building's owners.
"There was no real venue in 1973 for people like us," singer/punk poet Patti Smith, 60, told The New York Times today. Her Patti Smith Group was a mainstay of CBGB — and Kristal's faith in PSG (and numerous other esoteric artists) allowed the singer freedom to hone the powerful sound that landed her in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. "We didn't fit into the cabarets or the folk clubs," she says. "Hilly wanted the people that nobody else wanted. He wanted us."
Kristal is survived by his son, Mark Dana Kristal; daughter Lisa Kristal Burgman; and two grandchildren. While it's still unclear when and where a new CBGB will open (early reports claimed that the famous urinals would be shipped to Las Vegas), it appears that a plan is still afoot to establish the club elsewhere.
What People Are Saying…
Leave a Comment