Fred Herrera

1935 - 2019

Fred Valentine Herrera

February 14, 1935 – March 26, 2019

Fred Herrera (aka Keystone Freddie) was born in Santa Fe, NM and after a brief illness passed away in Los Altos, CA. Freddie was married to Sandi Clarke-Herrera for 31 years until her passing in December 2017. Freddie was preceded in death by his parents (Fred and Celia) and sisters (Edna, Polly and Gerry), and is survived by his children Jeanie (Mike), Paul, Joyce (Bill), his grandchildren Rachael, Jason, Atlantis, Paul James, his great-grandchildren Jayden, Kaden, Bryce, Elliot, Tab and Lauren, and by his sister Effie (Rich) Knight and brother Leroy (Connie) Herrera and many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends.

Freddie was the owner of the well-known San Francisco Bay Area nightclubs, Keystone Korner, Keystone Berkeley, Keystone Palo Alto, and The Stone SF from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. These clubs were pivotal in the early stages and careers of music legends like Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Merl Saunders, Boz Scaggs, Tower of Power, Huey Lewis, The Pointer Sisters, Greg Kihn, Elvin Bishop, Metallica, Tom Petty, John Lee Hooker among others. Recognizing his long-time musical involvement in the Bay Area led to Freddie being inducted into the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame in 2005.

Freddie was very special to his close-knit family and wide circle of friends. His endless energy, love of adventure, smile, and big heart to anyone in need will be deeply missed. Family and friends are invited to a Funeral Mass and reception on April 26, 2019, at 10:30 am at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 5882 North Ashley Lane Stockton, CA. A Celebration of Life will be held in San Francisco this summer. Details are still being finalized.

In memory of Fred Herrera, please join us in supporting the Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford https://my.supportlpch.org/fundraiser/1226591 or the Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/.