Bill Graham’s Rock Music Lore Destroyed in Fire

A $1-million fire at the offices of rock impresario Bill Graham on Tuesday destroyed music memorabilia collected over 15 years. Authorities said the blaze may be linked to Graham’s organized protest of President Reagan’s visit to the Bitburg cemetery.

There were no injuries in the fire, which burned through the one-story offices at 3:30 a.m., charring dozens of gold records, posters and other rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia.

Fire Chief Emmet Condon estimated the damage at $500,000 to the building and $500,000 to the contents.

Fire Capt. Richard Crispen called the fire “suspicious” and said officials were investigating links to a Union Square demonstration that Graham organized last week to protest Reagan’s visit to a Bitburg cemetery where more than 40 members of Hitler’s SS are buried. The rock promoter’s mother and sister died in Nazi death camps.

“It may be relevant,” Crispen said.

Crispen said a telephone call to the Fire Department at 8:25 a.m. “pertained to the possibility the fire was related to the Bitburg situation.”