JIM RISSMILLER,
1942-2019

Wolf & Rissmiller Presents, for Angelenos of a certain age, was the name associated with the biggest rock bands in the world, the promoters bringing the likes of The Rolling Stones, Queen and Elton John to The Forum and elsewhere. Jim Rissmiller died Wednesday in Cleveland. He was 76.

The cause was a stroke, retired promoter Larry Vallon told the Los Angeles Times.

Beginning in 1967, Steve Wolf, Bob Eubanks and Rissmiller, then a William Morris agent, promoted shows as Concert Associates. They sold to Filmways Corp. in 1969 and continued to run the business sans Eubanks.

In 1975, they created Wolf & Rissmiller and became the dominant promoter in Southern California, promoting acts such as The Who and Pink Floyd and booking venues ranging from the Coliseum to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. As a promoter they helped break acts such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

Their partnership ended just over two years when Wolf was murdered in November 1977.

Rissmiller continued in concert promotion, staging the California World Music Festival at the L.A. Coliseum in 1979 and the Rolling Stones at the same venue in 1981. He left the business after unsuccessfully attempting to run the Country Club in Reseda.