BGP’s ‘Father’ Murphy Dies

David "Father" Murphy, a former stage manager for the Warfield theatre in San Francisco and longtime production manager for Bill Graham Presents, died July 11 in Clovis, Calif., of colorectal cancer. He was 76.

Murphy, who grew up in Fresno, was one of the original rock ‘n’ roll stagehands at the IATSE local in San Francisco and moved on to work with Bill Graham in early days of FM Productions.

Murphy set stages at the Fillmore West and Winterland, and for artists including the Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones and Liza Minnelli. A memorial service is set for July 19 at 11 a.m. at Boice Funeral home in Clovis, according to the Fresno Bee.