Bill Graham Management Purchased by Longtime Managers; Mick Brigden, Arnie Pustilnik and Bill Graham Presents Acquire Ownership As Joint Venture.

SAN FRANCISCO--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 7, 1999--

Mick Brigden and Arnie Pustilnik, longtime managers of Bill Graham Management, have announced that Bill Graham Management has become a joint venture between Brigden/Pustilnik and Bill Graham Presents. Brigden and Pustilnik, who have been integral members of BGM since its inception, will be the principals of the company. Among the artists currently on the BGM roster are Train, Joe Satriani, the Neville Brothers, Gas Giants, Stir, Brother Cane, Aaron Neville, Taj Mahal and the Funky Meters.

It was also announced that Jay Wilson will become a partner of the new venture and that the stalwart team of Cynthia Parsons, Patrick Alvarado and Jamie Diamond will remain with the company. The Bill Graham Management name will be retained and the company will remain headquartered at Bill Graham Presents' San Francisco offices.

"This is a wonderful development," said Nicholas Clainos, co-president of Bill Graham Presents, "combining the best of both worlds. Through Bill Graham Presents, Bill Graham Management will retain all of the many advantages of being a part of the SFX family, while providing each artist with the individual hands-on care of Mick, Arnie and Jay. This is a great ongoing circumstance for a company so closely tied to Bill's personal legacy."

Bill Graham Management was formed by the legendary impresario in 1977 as an adjunct to his pioneering Bill Graham Presents concert promotion business. As with all of Graham's entertainment enterprises, the company has been characterized by a highly personal commitment to excellence, a hard-driving business ethic, and the respectful handling of both artists and the public that supports them. Bill Graham Presents and Bill Graham Management were acquired by SFX in January of 1998.