CBGB May Live Again

The hugely influential club CBGB may live once again. The New York City club that launced Blondie, Talking Heads, Patti Smith and many others shut down last year, but a group of investors, members of late owner Hilly Kristal's family and past employees have gotten together to form CBGB Holdings. The new company is looking to fulfill Kristal's dream of opening a CBGBs in Las Vegas along with honoring the legacy of the club in rock history.

Robert Williams, a member of the ownership team, said "This is an awesome responsibility and we are pleased to have arranged for CBGB to be a featured exhibit at the new Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ANNEX opening this week in New York City. It honors the club's place in Rock & Roll History and preserves important artifacts for all to enjoy.

"There were and are lots of clubs around the world, but there was only one CBGB," says Terry Stewart, president of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "Its contribution to rock & roll is undeniable. It is only fitting to have the awning, graffitied walls, and other important pieces of the club here as a key exhibit."

James Blueweiss, another owner who worked closely with Kristal during his final year, added "Everyone knows Hilly wanted to re-open CBGB's in Vegas so we are meeting potential developers and partners there as well as exploring options in a select handful of other entertainment capitals. The company also plans to revamp www.CBGB.com into an online destination and community built around 360 degrees of CBGB, the place to discover cutting edge music, meet friends, share music news, and celebrate the club's past with a CBGB type Wikipedia that will invite everyone who experienced the club to tell their story."

The group will be exposing the legacy of the club to young music lovers next summer by placing a touring exhibit with the Vans WARPED Tour. In addition, the CBGB vault is being reviewed to find historically significant tapes from over the last thirty years for commercial release.

"Our ultimate goal is to make CBGB's relevant again to a whole new generation by putting it back on the frontlines of discovering the next Ramones whether that be on CBGB.com, a CBGB Radio Channel or live at a CBGB venue," says Blueweiss. "Our plans were enthusiastically embraced by Hilly before he passed away. In fact, he was looking forward to his new role with us as Chairman Emeritus of CBGB Holdings. I think Hilly would have been very pleased with what we have accomplished to date."