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Bill Graham (1951 – 11 May 1996) was an Irish journalist and author. He attended Blackrock College and
Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
and resided in
Howth Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and inclu ...
. In addition to authoring several books, Graham wrote for ''
Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who ...
'' magazine from its founding. He died of a heart attack at forty-four on 11 May 1996 being survived by his mother Eileen. Graham's long time colleague and ''Hot Press'' editor Niall Stokes described him: "In many ways, he was a founding father of modern Irish music. He inspired a whole generation of Irish fans and musicians to look at the world in a different and broader light. And he was good on more than music too. He felt a kinship with Northern Ireland and the people on both sides of the sectarian and political divide there that was unusual in those who were brought up within the narrow confines of the culture of Ireland in the '60s and '70s – and his political writing reflected this. And he was also ahead of the game in terms of his appreciation of the importance of the politics of food and the position of the developing world in the new era." Graham was instrumental in the formation of Irish rock band U2, having brought them to the attention of their manager
Paul McGuinness Paul McGuinness (born 16 June 1951) is the founder of ''Principle Management Limited'', a popular music act management company based in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. He was the manager of the rock band U2 from 1978 to 2013. Early life ...
. At a recent exhibition of early group photos, McGuinness remembered the role Bill Graham played by introducing him to the band. Despite being widely known as the man who "discovered" U2, it was a title he disavowed. He wrote enthusiastically about the band, giving them their first exposure. Both guitarist
The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...
and
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
have explained Graham's role in the band's development.
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
observed that "It is often said that Bill 'discovered' U2. This is untrue. Bill created U2, through his enthusiasm for them. He gave them a reflection of their own possibilities and they only looked back that once"... He had a "deep knowledge of virtually every form of popular and roots music... and Waters goes on to credit him as 'the first Irish writer to write about the connection between Irish political culture and Irish rock'n'roll'.


Books

Book written by Graham include ''Enya: The Latest Score'', ''U2: In the name of love : a history'' and ''Complete Guide to the Music of U2''.


Influence

A number of music critics/journalists have cited Graham as a primary influence, in some cases suggesting they got into the field as a direct result of his writing, e.g.
Jim Carroll James Dennis Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an American author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work '' The Basketball Diaries'', which inspired a 1995 film of ...
, Irish Times, June 2012– "I blame it all on Bill Graham, the brilliant ''Hot Press'' writer who sadly waltzed off this mortal coil in 1996. I blame dear old Bill for lots of things. I'll be honest: without him, I probably would never have been a music writer in the first place and you wouldn't be reading this. I used to say that to wind him up when we'd meet and he'd groan aloud. I mean, there are a lot of things to carry the rap for and the shit I've written over the years is a damn heavy burden to bear.... Bill's feature took my breath away. Here was someone writing with an unsurpassed degree of passion, fervour, belief, enthusiasm, knowledge and depth about one of my favourite bands. I must have read that piece about a hundred times. I had already heard the big music, but now I'd seen the big picture. I had found my career. And I had found the fever." His funeral drew many of biggest bands from the world of Irish music including
Clannad Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
, Altan, U2 and
Hothouse Flowers Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock band that combine traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel, and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin, they started as street performers. Their first album, ''People'' (1988), was the most successf ...
, along with singers Simon Carmody and
Gavin Friday Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes. Early life Friday was born in Dublin and atten ...
.


See also

* List of writers on popular music * Timeline of U2


References


External links


Bill Graham articles on Hotpress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Bill Irish journalists Irish writers Irish columnists 1951 births 1996 deaths People from Howth People educated at Blackrock College 20th-century journalists