Hilly Kristal, founder and owner of the influential Lower East Side club CBGB where punk flourished with The Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads, died yesterday. He was 75.
Kristal died at Cabrini Medical Center, after a long battle with lung cancer, said his son, Mark Dana Kristal. Kristal's cancer battle coincided with his high-profile battle to keep his famous club open after a rent dispute with its landlord. That battle ended last year when CBGB lost its lease and closed after 33 years in the same location on the Bowery.
" He was the mayor of The Bowery," said Scott Goodstein, a former employee and the coordinator of the Save CBGB campaign. "He knew everybody. He was the guy sitting behind the desk, willing to help everybody out. Tourists from overseas would come in and he would give them tours throughout the day so they could see the club. Most club owners you can't even find in the club. He would always be there, eating a sandwich from Katz’s, talking on the phone and giving a tour at the same time. This guy’s New York, man. They don't make guys like this any more."
MORE CBGB: Full obit / Patti Smith's tribute / AP obituary / CBGB dethroned /