Chet Helms - Later Years

Later Years

Helms left the concert business in 1970 except for managing a few later events: Tribal Stomp at Berkeley's Greek Theater (1978); Tribal Stomp II at the Monterey County Fairgrounds (1979); a concert series at San Francisco's Maritime Hall in 1995 under the Family Dog name; and a 30th Anniversary celebration of the Summer of Love in Golden Gate Park (1997), a free event attended by 60,000 people.

Helms became an accomplished art dealer, selling American and European paintings and sculpture at his Atelier Doré art gallery on Bush Street in San Francisco, from 1980 until 2004. True to his nature, he never turned down a request for money and helped countless in that period. Although having a great eye for artwork his philanthropy never guaranteed the rent on time. When he retired in 2004 he was suffering from Hepatitis C. After suffering a mild stroke he died within days, on June 25, 2005. Helms is memorialized in a "bright niche decorated with photographs and memorabilia" at the Neptune Society Columbarium.