Chet Helms facts for kids

Chester Leo "Chet" Helms (born August 2, 1942 – died June 25, 2005) was a famous music promoter. Many people called him the father of San Francisco's 1967 "Summer of Love." He was a key figure in the counterculture movement. This was during the hippie period in San Francisco in the mid-to-late 1960s.

Helms started and managed the band Big Brother and the Holding Company. He also found Janis Joplin and asked her to be their lead singer. Chet was a great organizer. He helped put on free concerts and other cultural events. These events happened in Golden Gate Park, which was central to the Summer of Love in 1967. He also organized shows at places like the Avalon Ballroom.

He was the first person to produce concerts with amazing light shows at the Fillmore and Avalon Ballroom. He also helped many bands create the unique San Francisco Sound. Chet Helms passed away on June 25, 2005, after a stroke. He was 62 years old.

Chet Helms' Early Life

Chester Leo Helms was born in Santa Maria, California. He was the oldest of three brothers. His parents were Chester and Novella Helms. Chet's father, who worked at a sugar mill, passed away when Chet was nine. His mother, Novella, then moved the boys and their sick father to Texas. Her family lived there.

After his father died, Chet's mother became a school teacher. She took the boys to the Ozarks in southwest Missouri. She taught in a two-room schoolhouse.

Helms spent his teenage years in Missouri and Texas. There, he learned how to organize events. He helped put on benefit shows for groups working for civil rights. He later went to the University of Texas at Austin. He became part of the music scene there. A young and new singer named Janis Joplin was also part of this scene.

Soon, he left school. He was inspired by writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. They wrote about traveling across America to find freedom. Chet grew his hair long, grew a beard, and wore rimless glasses. He then started hitchhiking across the country. He arrived in San Francisco in 1962.

Later, he went back to Austin with his friend, Peter Haigh. He visited Janis Joplin. He believed she could become a great singer in San Francisco. After a week of fun, they convinced Janis to leave school. She hitchhiked back to San Francisco with them. Later, Chet helped her join Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Chet Arrives in San Francisco

When Chet arrived in San Francisco in 1962, he found ways to make a living. He moved into a boardinghouse at 1090 Page Street. This house was in Haight-Ashbury. At that time, it was a low-rent neighborhood. Chet had met many musicians. He also loved the lively music scene in San Francisco. He quickly saw that musicians needed a place to play together.

He noticed the large basement at the Page Street house. He began setting up jam sessions for local bands. Chet was a smart organizer. He made these sessions very popular. He started charging 50 cents to get in. This is how his career as a rock concert promoter began. Big Brother and the Holding Company formed, and Chet became their unofficial manager. He brought Janis Joplin to join Big Brother for music sessions in the Haight-Ashbury basement.

Family Dog Productions: A New Beginning

Starting the Family Dog

In February 1966, Chet connected with a hippie commune called the Family Dog. They were at 2125 Pine Street. This group often hosted dances and events.

Chet was the perfect person to help them organize their shows. He moved into the Family Dog house. Their first big event was a concert at Longshoremen's Hall.

In February 1966, Chet formally started Family Dog Productions. He began promoting concerts at The Fillmore Auditorium. He shared weekends with another young promoter, Bill Graham. Chet helped Bill Graham discover the new music scene in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury area. Chet was very supportive. As the concerts grew more popular, some disagreements happened between the two promoters. Chet was known for being "easy-going" and "mellow." Bill Graham was very driven to succeed.

Within a few months, Chet got the permits needed to host events at the Avalon Ballroom. This was an old dancehall at 1268 Sutter Street. Big Brother and the Holding Company played their first show there in June 1966. Later, Chet helped them get a performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. This show made them famous. There, Albert Grossman saw Janis Joplin and offered her a music contract.

Famous Family Dog Concerts

The Avalon Ballroom had a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Chet's Family Dog held many famous concerts there. These shows took place between April 1966 and November 1968. They featured many different types of artists. These included rock, blues, soul, and Indian music.

Some of the amazing artists Chet presented included:

• Blues legends like Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters.
• Rock bands like The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, and The Byrds.
• The Grateful Dead, The Mothers of Invention, and Steppenwolf.
• Indian music master Ali Akbar Khan.
• Jazz artists like Sun Ra and John Handy.
• Folk singers like Joan Baez and Taj Mahal.

Speakers and Thinkers at Family Dog Events

Sometimes, Chet Helms would invite speakers instead of just musicians. The Family Dog would feature important thinkers. These included Alan Watts, Dr. Timothy Leary, and poet Allen Ginsberg. Chet is remembered in San Francisco history alongside other important figures. These include Bill Graham, the Diggers, and Ken Kesey.

The Family Dog in Denver

In 1967, Chet Helms and another promoter, Barry Fey, decided to open a Family Dog concert hall in Denver, Colorado. They called it The Family Dog Denver. They brought in famous acts like The Doors, the Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, and Jefferson Airplane. Chet asked San Francisco artists to create posters for these shows. A documentary called The Tale of the Dog (released in 2021) tells the full story of this venue.

Concert Artwork and Posters

To promote their concerts, Family Dog created amazing posters and handbills. These were made by talented young San Francisco artists. Some of these artists were Wes Wilson, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, and Victor Moscoso. The posters often used bright, fluorescent colors. They mixed old images with new drawings.

The posters by Griffin, Mouse, and Kelley were known for their detailed and stylish lettering. The concert details were written in ways that sometimes took effort to read. Original Avalon posters are now valuable collector's items.

Chet Helms and Janis Joplin

Chet Helms made huge contributions to the music world. One of the biggest was introducing Janis Joplin to the San Francisco music scene. He knew her from Texas. Her powerful performances were incredible to watch.

Janis was first introduced as a new member of Big Brother and the Holding Company. She brought something special to the band. She was a lead singer who could match other great vocalists of the time.

With Joplin as the lead singer, Chet became the group's manager. He introduced them on stage at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. This performance made Janis Joplin famous across the country.

How the Music Scene Changed

Bill Graham's shows became more professional. They featured well-known headline bands. This made him famous as a "can-do" promoter. Chet Helms also put on shows with top bands. But he also featured hipper, local bands. Chet didn't hire many security guards. This made it easier for teenagers to sneak into his dances. Eventually, Chet even allowed free entry after midnight.

The San Francisco Family Dog dances later moved to a new place. It was called the Family Dog on the Great Highway. This was a former ballroom next to Playland at Ocean Beach.

Over his career, Chet used other locations too. He had ventures in Denver and Portland. He also worked on shows at the Fillmore, Longshoreman's Hall, and the Straight Theater.

Chet Helms' Later Years

Chet Helms left the concert business in 1970. However, he still managed a few special events later on. These included:

• Tribal Stomp at Berkeley's Greek Theater (1978).
• Tribal Stomp II at the Monterey County Fairgrounds (1979).
• A concert series at San Francisco's Maritime Hall in 1995, using the Family Dog name.
• A 30th Anniversary celebration of the Summer of Love in Golden Gate Park (1997). This was a free event, and 60,000 people attended.

From 1980 to 2004, Chet became a successful art dealer. He sold American and European paintings and sculptures at his Atelier Doré art gallery in San Francisco. After having a mild stroke, he passed away a few days later, on June 25, 2005. Chet Helms is remembered in a special place at the Neptune Society Columbarium. It is decorated with photos and memories.

Fundraiser and Tribute Concert for Chet

On July 24, 2005, a special concert was held for Chet. It was a fundraiser and tribute at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Dawn Holliday, Roger McNamee, and Pete Sears organized the show. Kathy Peck helped with an online auction.

Pete Sears had talked with Chet when he was sick. Pete offered to help raise money for Chet's medical bills. Chet was happy about the idea. Most of the artists were ready to play when Chet passed away. So, they decided to continue with the event as a tribute to Chet. The concert sold out quickly. All the money raised went to Chet's brother, John, to help with bills. The concert was a big success. It featured artists like T Bone Burnett, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Country Joe McDonald.

Chet Helms Memorial Concert

Chet Helms Memorial – Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, October 30, 2005

On October 30, 2005, San Francisco celebrated Chet Helms' life. They held a free, nine-hour rock concert in Golden Gate Park. It was called the "Tribal Stomp." Tens of thousands of people attended. Many famous bands played, including:

• The Turtles
• Canned Heat
• Dan Hicks (singer)
• Country Joe McDonald
• Blue Cheer
• Paul Kantner from Jefferson Airplane
• Quicksilver Gold
• Jorge Santana
• Moby Grape