Maurice William "Bill" Kennedy Jr.

Bill Kennedy, nightclub owner, talent agent, magazine publisher, band manager, salesman, impresario, Bill Kennedy was, indeed, a man of many hats. But the common denominator among all those vocations was music. Yes, he had other jobs—among them, working for an employment recruiting service, selling computers (with virtually no computer skills) and owning a fish market—but they were just ways to make money. Music was his bliss, his passion, his first love. Maurice William “Bill” Kennedy II passed away at age 75 on May 24 at Wesley Long Hospital after a long battle with heart disease. He and wife Cathy lived in Gibsonville. The Virginia Beach native was the son of Maurice and Margaret Kennedy, both deceased. He dropped out of William and Mary College to enlist in the Marine Corps. Upon his honorable discharge in 1964, he landed a job for a hotel in Raleigh, booking bands and handling concessions. From that moment, the die was cast. Kennedy soon moved to Greensboro and opened his first nightclub, Jokers 3, on Walker Ave. He later opened another Jokers 3 on Spring Garden St. and finally one on Oakland Ave. He also used that name for his talent agency. He booked and/or managed hundreds of groups, from the fledgling garage bands to the biggest names in the field, including the Allman Brothers, the Tams and the Chairmen of the Board. The band he took the most interest in, however, was a soul-turned-rock band from Greensboro, Kallabash Corp. (the “Corp.” was later dropped). He formed a record label, Uncle Bill Records, to record and produce their 1970 eponymous album, now considered a classic. Many longtime observers will argue that Kallabash was the finest rock band ever produced by Greensboro, but their claim to fame was getting naked onstage at a huge music festival in Love Valley, NC, after a smoke bomb went off. His favorite band since the late '80s was Slider, a funk/rock outfit formed from members of Kallabash and Newground. They released their debut CD last year. During the late ’60s and early ’70s, Kennedy also managed the Castaways on Arnold Ave., which was owned by Bill Griffin. Baby Boomers to this day remember the Castaways as the most frequented and most memorable nightclub of their youth. The relationship between the two Bills lasted until Griffin’s death in 1999. When Kennedy teamed with local journalist Ogi Overman to found ESP Magazine in 1987, he turned to his old friend Griffin for help. Griffin had just opened another nightclub, and he bought a preliminary issue that featured nothing but ads and stories about his new club, Hooligans. That gave Kennedy enough seed money to pay the first printing bill, and off they went. With either Kennedy or Overman at the helm, the entertainment and sports magazine enjoyed a prosperous 15-year run. He was known variously as Uncle Bill, BK, Mr. Kennedy, or whatever expletive-laden description Griffin opted to call him that day. The two Bills’ lives were so entwined for four decades, from the nightclub business to the publishing business, that many folks mistook one for the other. Kennedy received one of the first Keeping the Blues Alive awards from the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society in 1990. He was also awarded four plaques of appreciation from the N.C. Country Music Association. For over two decades, he championed Christmas Toys for Tots benefits, in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Reserves. He is survived by his wife, Catherine C. Kennedy of the home, whom he married on New Year's Eve, 1994; sister Joyce Kennedy Martz of Southport, NC; son Maurice William Kennedy III of Dallas, Texas, and wife Carey; grandchildren Reece, Julia and Anderson; one niece; and 13 nephews. He was predeceased by brother James Francis Kennedy, and sisters Margaret Mary Akey and Patricia Ann Grande. A celebration of life will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. in the chapel of Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 N. Elm St., Greensboro. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions may be made in Bill’s name to the American Heart/American Stroke Association. Immediately afterward, a party (that’s the term Bill would have used) will take place at the Blind Tiger, 1819 Spring Garden St. Musicians are asked to bring their instruments, whether they knew Bill or not, as an all-star jam is bound to ensue until the last man’s standing. That’s the way Uncle Bill would have liked it. Online condolences can be made at www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.