Bill Walton, a basketball Hall of Famer beloved by many in Boulder for his Pac-12 commentary and love of The Grateful Dead, died Monday at 71 years old.
Bill Walton vibes out at a Dead & Company concert on June 17, 2022 at Folsom Field. A devoted Deadhead, Walton was a fixture at Dead & Co. shows in Boulder. Walton died Monday at the age of 71. Bill Walton, a basketball Hall of Famer beloved by many in Boulder for his Pac-12 commentary and love of The Grateful Dead,
“Bill Walton loved, loved The Grateful Dead,” Rizzi said. “It’s only natural to talk about this band if we’re talking about Bill Walton.” Rizzi is 6-foot-2 said usually he worries about blocking someone’s view when he’s at the front of the crowd. But not with Walton behind him.Rizzi described Walton as a “gentle giant” who always had a big, goofy smile on his face.“Walton was a character, a rare character,” Rizzi said. “A sports Hall of Famer who had a love for counter culture and music but you wouldn’t know it. The band loved him, the audience and fans loved him. I think losing someone like that, it just really hurts.
“He left and he came back and said, ‘Mike, c’mon let’s get a picture,’ and then he made me wait for them to go get a Sink shirt and he took his shirt off and he stood in the lobby of The Sink right there with his shirt off for probably three minutes,” Blodgett said. Added Blodgett, “He was so humble. He didn’t really care what people thought, he always went for the greater good.”
“He was interested in Native American issues and we’re one of the leading national Native American organizations,” Echohawk said. “He was very interested and dedicated to everything. I remember at the time he came by there was a huge Native American issue in the news — the Dakota Access Pipeline demonstration up in South Dakota, the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.”
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