Hilly Kristal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hilly Kristal
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Kristal in New York City in 1992
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| Born | September 23, 1931 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | August 28, 2007 (aged 75) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Settlement Music School |
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| Known for | Owner of CBGB nightclub |
| Children | 2 |
Hilly Kristal (born September 23, 1931, died August 28, 2007) was an American club owner and musician. He is famous for owning CBGB, a very important music club in New York City. CBGB opened in 1973 and closed in 2006. Many famous bands started their careers there.
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Early Life of Hilly Kristal
Hilly Kristal was born in New York City in 1931. His family moved to Hightstown, New Jersey when he was a baby. From a young age, Hilly studied music. He even went to the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. Kristal also spent some time serving in the Marines.
Hilly's Music Career
After his time in the Marines, Hilly moved back to New York City. He worked as a singer at Radio City Music Hall. Later, he became the manager of the Village Vanguard. This was a famous jazz club in Greenwich Village. He helped book amazing musicians like Miles Davis there.
In 1951, Hilly got married. He had two children, Lisa and Mark.
In 1966, Hilly Kristal helped start a big music event. It was called the Rheingold Central Park Music Festival. This festival took place every year in Central Park until 1976. Many different types of musicians played there. Some famous names included Miles Davis, the Who, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, and Led Zeppelin.
CBGB: A Legendary Music Club
In 1970, Kristal opened a bar in New York called "Hilly's on the Bowery." It closed after a couple of years. Then, in December 1973, he opened a new club. He named it "CBGB and OMFUG." The letters stood for "Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers."
The club soon became known simply as CBGB. It quickly became famous as the starting place for many punk rock and new wave bands. Bands like the Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television, and Blondie all played there. Hilly also managed some bands that played at his club, such as Dead Boys.
CBGB hosted many famous musicians over the years. It stayed very popular until it closed in 2006. The club closed because of a disagreement about the rent. For a short time, Kristal thought about moving the club to Las Vegas.
A movie about Hilly Kristal and the club was made. It is called CBGB and came out in 2013. The actor Alan Rickman played Hilly Kristal in the film.
Death
Hilly Kristal passed away on August 28, 2007. He was 75 years old.
See also
