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UID:Indybay-18887182
SEQUENCE:19064943
CREATED:20260704T041800Z
DESCRIPTION:The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, a San Francisco landmark since 1915, 
 continues its monthly speaker series, Making History Fun Again, designed to 
 celebrate the city’s legendary past through lively storytelling, 
 fascinating personalities, and unforgettable local history.\n\nJust in time 
 for summer, Ben Fong-Torres will take guests through a personal journey 
 back to the Sixties and Seventies in San Francisco. From the eve of the 
 Summer of Love in 1967 through his times as an editor and writer at Rolling 
 Stone, he has plentiful memories, stories, photos, and interview soundbites 
 with the likes of Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, George Harrison, Tina Turner 
 and more. Ben also was a DJ on weekends on the free-form pioneer, KSAN, and 
 produced a nationally syndicated and award-winning special about that 
 fabled summer. He will share. \n\nAbout the Speaker\nBen Fong-Torres is an 
 acclaimed American journalist, author, and broadcaster best known for his 
 influential work at Rolling Stone during the magazine’s formative years. 
 Joining the publication in the late 1960s, he became one of its most 
 prominent writers and editors, helping shape modern music journalism 
 through in-depth profiles and interviews with legendary artists including 
 Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Marvin Gaye, Linda Ronstadt, and 
 the Rolling Stones. His groundbreaking reporting earned him a reputation 
 for combining rigorous journalism with an insider’s understanding of 
 popular culture.\n\nAfter leaving Rolling Stone in 1981, Fong-Torres built 
 a distinguished multimedia career as a newspaper columnist, radio host, 
 television personality, and author of numerous books on music and culture. 
 A longtime Bay Area media figure, he has won multiple Emmy Awards and was 
 portrayed in the Academy Award–winning film Almost Famous, which drew 
 inspiration from his mentorship of young journalist and future filmmaker 
 Cameron Crowe. In 2022, his life and contributions to journalism were 
 celebrated in the documentary Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of 
 Ben Fong-Torres.\n\nEvent Details\n\nWhat: Making History Fun Again — 
 Speaker Series - History of San Francisco: Like a Rolling Stone 
Featured 
 Speaker: Ben Fong-Torres
\nWhen: Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. 
 Cocktail Hour | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Program
\nWhere: The Redwood Room, The 
 Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
\nAdmission: Complimentary with 
 RSVP\n\nUpcoming Speaker Series Lineup\n\nThursday, August 20 - Rob Thomson 
 - History of the Presidio / 250th Anniversary\nThursday, September 17 - 
 Kevin Kopjak Panel - History of the Performing Arts\nThursday, October 15 - 
 Rae Alexander - KQED and Author of Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed 
 the Bay Area\nThursday, November 19 - Heather Knight (NYTimes) - leading a 
 panel that includes Will Hearst (ALTA, formerly SF Examiner), Wendy Tokuda 
 (formerly KPIX), Joe FItzgerald Rodriguez (SF Standard), John Rothmann 
 (formerly KGO) - History of Media \n\nSignature Speaker Series 
 Cocktails\n\nGuests attending the speaker series events may enjoy themed 
 cocktails honoring San Francisco’s storied past, including:\nPisco Punch 
 — A Gold Rush original from 1853\nMartini — Born along the trail 
 between San Francisco and Martinez\nNight Moves (Buena Vista Tribute 
 Espresso Martini) — A wink to the city’s famed Irish Coffee\nMaiden 
 Lane — A nod to one of San Francisco’s most notorious streets\n\nAbout 
 The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel\n\nLocated at 495 Geary Street, The Clift 
 Royal Sonesta Hotel blends contemporary design with timeless character. 
 Home to the legendary Redwood Room, the hotel has been a cultural fixture 
 of San Francisco since 1915. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, 
 The Clift offers 372 stylish guest rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art 
 event space, and an enduring commitment to hospitality that is — and 
 always has been — legendary. Learn more at Sonesta Press Room / The Clift 
 or by calling (415) 775-4700.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2026/07/03/18887182.php
SUMMARY:The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel Continues Its Speaker Series: Making History Fun Again
LOCATION:The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2026/07/03/18887182.php
DTSTART:20260717T010000Z
DTEND:20260717T020000Z
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