RIP. But there is good news, as well:

"And in 2001, Mr. Hellman sponsored a free, outdoor concert devoted to bluegrass music, a love he had nurtured for years.

"Since then, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival has grown into an annual three-day event drawing more than 300,000 people to Golden Gate Park. It is still free, with costs covered by an endowment that Hellman - an amateur banjo player - created to ensure that the festival would continue "after I croak," he said.

"His daughter Patricia Hellman Gibbs confirmed Sunday that "yes, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival will go on!"



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/18/MNPR1M9LUD.DTL#ixzz1h23T6vf8