Bill Bowker spent more than four decades introducing Sonoma County to blues, roots, and Americana music from behind a radio microphone. Now, months after a fall left the 82-year-old broadcaster with a broken hip and in need of round-the-clock care at his Santa Rosa home, the musicians he championed for years are stepping up to help him.
A benefit concert set for September 27 at HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol will bring together a lineup including Dave Alvin, Mark Karan, Roy Rogers, Poor Man's Whiskey, David Luning, The Pulsators, Janiva Magness, and Amy McCarley, according to The Press Democrat. The show, presented by KC Turner, is scheduled to start at noon at the venue's address of 230 Petaluma Avenue, with tickets starting at $48.18 and reportedly selling quickly. Proceeds are earmarked for Bowker's home-care expenses, per the outlet's reporting.
Bowker fell while crossing a parking lot on his way to a show at HopMonk last December, the newspaper reports, and he has required ongoing medical care at home ever since, including regular visits from medical personnel for checkups, Bowker himself said. He now gets around with a walker and hopes to attend the benefit concert held in his honor.
A Half-Century on Sonoma County Airwaves
Bowker moved to Sonoma County from Southern California in 1979, eventually settling in at KRSH in 1994, according to the Press Democrat's account. Over the years, he worked at about a half-dozen local radio stations, continuing to host weekly programs even after his 2021 retirement from full-time daily radio work. His flagship program, Blues with Bowker, actually traces back even further — he created the show in Los Angeles in 1975 before bringing it to Santa Rosa's KVRE in 1979, according to KRSH.
That KQED retrospective from his 2021 retirement noted Bowker signed off on December 15 of that year — his 78th birthday — closing out a 52-year broadcasting career that included 42 consecutive years on Sonoma County airwaves, as KQED reported at the time. Blues with Bowker still airs 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays, while Krush Americana runs 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays. KRSH program director Mindi Levine said the station is airing reruns of both shows until Bowker returns with new episodes.
Beyond Radio, a Concert Promoter and Festival Founder
Bowker's imprint on the region goes well beyond the airwaves. He was the longtime founder, booker, and host of the Sonoma County Blues Festival, a summer tradition at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds that ran for 30 years and brought national blues acts to local audiences, according to the same KQED report. He also ran Smith and Bowker Productions for 14 years with his late business partner Doug Smith, a fellow KRSH DJ who died in a 2005 motorcycle accident, producing roots and Americana shows at venues including Santa Rosa's Los Robles, per an earlier SFGATE account.
That legacy earned Bowker induction into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame's Class of 2026, honoring his 42-year career as a program host, program director, and music promoter in Sonoma County, according to the Bay Area Radio Museum. Bill DeCarli, director of HopMonk Presents, said musicians have banded together to support Bowker, a fitting tribute given how many artists credit him with championing their music on Sonoma County radio for decades.
A Fall That Illustrates a Broader Risk for Seniors
Bowker's injury reflects a risk faced by many older adults. The CDC reports that more than 300,000 adults aged 65 and older are hospitalized for hip fractures in the United States each year, with over 95% of those injuries caused by falls. Geriatric health research from the University of Nevada Extension shows fewer than half of older adults who suffer a hip fracture regain their full pre-injury independence, with up to 30% requiring long-term care or home caregiving support afterward.
An online GoFundMe campaign called Friends of Bill Bowker launched in August to help cover his mounting caregiving and medical costs, organized by John Campbell and amplified by KRSH. The fundraiser and the benefit concert together represent the community's swift response, though the long-term financial demands of 24/7 in-home care remain an ongoing concern.
A Street Named in His Honor?
Beyond the concert and fundraiser, there's talk of a more permanent tribute. Mark Barry proposed naming a street in Santa Rosa after Bowker, an idea that began as a joke between the two men, per the Press Democrat. Barry said a street or alley named after Bowker would be nice — a small but lasting nod to a man who spent his career putting Sonoma County's music scene on the airwaves.
