Bay Area remembers rock n' roll singer Eddie Money
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Generations of Bay Area music fans are sharing their memories of rock n' roll singer Eddie Money following his death from cancer.
Money's career and rise to the top of the pop charts were closely intertwined with the history of rock in the Bay Area.
A Brooklyn native, Money moved to Berkeley in 1968. Prior to singing in local nightclubs, Money had worked as a police officer in New York City.
In 1976, Edward Joseph Mahoney legally changed his surname to Money after meeting Bay Area concert promoter Bill Graham. Graham influenced the music scene in the Bay Area, booking many of music's biggest acts to venues like the Cow Palace, Oakland Coliseum Stadium and Arena, the Concord Pavilion and San Francisco's Civic Auditorium, which is now named in honor of Graham, who died in 1991.
Graham also served as Money's manager and included Money in his iconic "Day on the Green" concerts at the Oakland Coliseum. "Day on the Green" provided fans with a "pay-one-price" admission to a concert featuring several prominent acts.
In the 2000's, Money became a fixture during the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's "Bands on the Beach" Friday nights. Money would play two shows, one beginning in the early evening followed by a second before sunset. During both shows, Money and his band would belt out familiar hits like "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Shakin," and would often close with "Take Me Home Tonight."
Money's daughter, Jesse, joined him as a backup singer for performances in Santa Cruz and beyond.
Money also headlined numerous county fairs across Northern California and played year-round in smaller venues like Santa Rosa's Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.
Many 49ers fans many remember Money playing during short halftime concerts during the team's time at Candlestick Park. Money entertained fans with a brief set atop a truck parked in the stadium's north end zone.
Following the 1998 NFL season, Money's voice and hits filled the air at halftime, before an NFC playoff game climaxed with Steve Young finding Terrell Owens on a game-winning touchdown pass to beat the Green Bay Packers.
Money and his family lived in the East Bay. Money often appeared on Bay Area radio stations and many local DJs over the years.
