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