Wolfgang's Vault
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang's Vault is a private music-focused company established in 2003 dedicated to the restoration and archiving of live concert recordings in audio and video format and the sale of music memorabilia. It began with the collection of the late promoter Bill Graham
, and added multiple other music and memorabilia archives. It was called "the most important collection of rock memorabilia and recordings ever assembled in one business," by The Wall Street Journal, Dec 13, 2005.
. Born Wolodia Grajonca in Berlin in 1931, he escaped Nazi Germany to grow up in a foster home in the Bronx and anglicized his name at the age of 18. His later work as a music promoter is what inspired Wolfgang's Vault.
Radio France's "Un Jour Sur La Toile" named Wolfgang's Vault their #1 website of the year 2008.
PC Magazine
named it one of the best five undiscovered music sites of the year in 2008.
MacWorld
named the free iPhone app the world's best iphone app of 2009.
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
, and added multiple other music and memorabilia archives. It was called "the most important collection of rock memorabilia and recordings ever assembled in one business," by The Wall Street Journal, Dec 13, 2005.
History
The name Wolfgang's Vault is inspired by Wolodia "Wolfgang" Grajonca, known widely as Bill GrahamBill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
. Born Wolodia Grajonca in Berlin in 1931, he escaped Nazi Germany to grow up in a foster home in the Bronx and anglicized his name at the age of 18. His later work as a music promoter is what inspired Wolfgang's Vault.
Wolfgang's Vault
The company launched its website in November 2003. Later that year, Wolfgang’s Vault released the BG Archive photography collection, and subsequently added collections called "vaults" for: vintage poster art, rock clothing, vintage audio concert recordings. The Video Vault was added in 2011.Music
Beginning in the late ‘60s, Graham recorded thousands of performances, which he stored on tapes in the basement of the Bill Graham Presents headquarters. Bill Sagan acquired these archives in 2003, and had the tapes restored and digitized for presentation on the Concert Vault of audio recordings. In February 2006, Wolfgang’s Vault launched Vault Radio to allow fans of the music to hear some of these recordings. In an article about Vault Radio, the Washington Times noted “lovers of classic rock will not find a better historical source for their favorite music anywhere on the Internet.”Radio France's "Un Jour Sur La Toile" named Wolfgang's Vault their #1 website of the year 2008.
PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
named it one of the best five undiscovered music sites of the year in 2008.
MacWorld
Macworld
Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
named the free iPhone app the world's best iphone app of 2009.
Other properties
- Wolfgang's Vault bought Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy!Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
in 2006, and relaunched it in 2007. - Wolfgang's Vault bought a majority stake in DaytrotterDaytrotterDaytrotter is a website for the recording studio Horseshack, which hosts recording sessions with many popular and typically upcoming indie music acts, although it works with local bands in the Illinois area as well. The sessions can be compared to that of a radio station's lounge recordings, where...
in 2008. - Wolfgang's Vault bought the Ash Grove (music club)Ash Grove (music club)The Ash Grove was a folk music club located at 8162 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, founded in 1958 by Ed Pearl and named after the Welsh folk song, "The Ash Grove."...
blues archive in 2009. - Wolfgang's Vault bought the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk FestivalNewport Folk FestivalThe Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
archives in 2010. - Wolfgang's Vault bought PastePaste (magazine)Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine in 2011.