Died On This Date (August 28, 2007) Hilly Kristal / Owned CBGB’s
themusicsover Hilly Kristal
September 23, 1931 – August 28, 2007
Opened in 1973, Hilly Kristal’s CBGB became the epicenter of the punk and new wave movement thanks to his early bookings of such acts as Blondie, Talking Heads, New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Television and the Ramones. After moving to New York City after serving in the Marines, Kristal became manager of the storied Village Vanguard jazz club where he booked such acts as Miles Davis. In 1968, he co-founded the Central Park’s Schaefer Music Festival which, over the next decade, hosted the likes of the Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, the Doors and Aerosmith. In 1973, he opened CBGB – OMFUG, which stood for “Country, BlueGrass, Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers.” He closed the club during a much publicized rent dispute in 2006. Hilly Kristal died of lung cancer at the age of 75.
Jon Bergen was a well-liked and respected music industry veteran who held sales and marketing positions at Mercury, Restless, Beyond, and Gold Circle Records, as well as BMG Distribution. Throughout his career, he worked closely with the likes of Blondie, Veruca Salt, Pat Benatar, and John Waite. After leaving the label side of the business, Bergen and partner, Bo Caldwell, formed Bender Music Group where they assisted artists and small labels in bringing their music to retail and marketing. Bender’s clients included Young MC, Richard Butler, Howard Hewitt, and Jon Anderson. Jon Bergen died as the result of a car accident on August 15, 2010. He was 37.
