The Billionaire Who Loved Bluegrass

F. Warren Hellman, a banjo-picking billionaire whose life followed such an extraordinary and eccentric arc it perhaps could only have taken place in San Francisco, died Dec. 18, 2011 at UCSF Medical Center. He was 77.


Warren founded the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival at the San Francisco Golden Gate park. The festival has grown to a three-day affair, with an attendance of more than 600,000 fans who see world-renowned acts like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and Elvis Costello — for free.