Remembering the man responsible for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Remembering the man responsible for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Warren Hellman was a successful investor and banjo player who once joked that he founded the festival in 2001 so he could join in with the world's best musicians.
KGO logo
Saturday, October 6, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival has grown leaps and bounds, in part thanks to its creator and benefactor, Warren Hellman.

RELATED: Fleet Week and Hardly Strictly take San Francisco by storm

He passed away in 2011.

Hellman was a successful investor and banjo player, who once joked that he founded the festival in 2001 so he could join in with the world's best musicians.



RELATED: PHOTOS: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2017 in San Francisco

Music Programmer Chris Porter and festival Co-Founder Jonathan Nelson both remember Hellman's passion and his goal to give something truly special to the city: a world-class music festival completely free to the public.

Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.