I remember telling my mom that I wanted to go to Woodstock haha a 4 year old native New Yorker living in San Diego ready to go where the music would take me. Music was a big part of our lives, my parents loved music and so did we. I paid attention to all kinds of people that I came across. My sister and I would throw the peace sign to hippies and they'd laugh and throw it back to us. We wore the plastic jewelry out of the machines from the grocery store that were 5 cents back then (now 50 cents).
My sister Michele in the brown and me in the Nancy Sinatra boots hahaWhat a great time to experience life. I wish I was older back then because they had quite a line up at the concert. On day one, the performers were Richie Havens, Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez. Sweetwater was the first band to perform at Woodstock. The lead singer, Nancy Nevins, was in a car accident that damaged her vocal cords so the bands fame started and ended at Woodstock. Ravi Shankar has released over 35 albums and is Norah Jones father. Joan Baez was one of the more popular singers and was very active against the Vietnam War and even the Iraq War. She still continues to make music and even appeared at the 50th Newport Folk Festival.
Day two consisted of Quill, Country Joe McDonald, John B. Sebastian, Keef Hartley Band, Santana, Incredible String Band, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Leslie West and Mountain, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane. Santana added some latin flavor to Woodstock and to this day everyone knows who they are. Carlos Santana has been the most recognized from the group to this present day. What can I say about the Grateful Dead that you don't already know? Jerry Garcia was the most well known member of this group and as you know, he died of a heart attack back in 1973. Like Santana and The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival still is a favorite among many people and their songs are still listened to and played on classic rock stations. Janis Joplin, one of my all time favorite singers, still wins the hearts of fans today no matter their age. I admit I even have a greatest hits cd of hers and her voice will always be one that you can recognize in seconds. She was such a talent and had her life came to an end way before her time. She is part of the "27 club", those who died at 27. After Woodstock she lived for about a year and died of heroin overdose in 1970 in her hotel room. It was a sign of the times, so many drugs that people were doing and unfortunately there was a lot of living fast and dying young going around. I don't believe her overdose was intentional. Based on a lot of research I have done on her, it seems that on that fateful night, she just over did it not expecting not to wake up the next morning. I don't care what anyone says, to me Janis had a great smile and a shining soul and although her time her on Earth was cut short, I'm glad we still have the recordings to listen to of such a talented singer that will stay strong even after I am long gone.
The greatest female singer of the 60's and always, Janis Joplin
Sly and The Family Stone were on their fourth album at the time that they performed at Woodstock. To this day, their performance at Woodstock is still regarded as one of their best live shows. The Who is another one of those bands who is still listened to today and not only played on the radio but also have become the theme song to particular tv shows. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are still alive and continue to tour on and off with replacement musicians for drummer, Keith Moon, who died at age 32 of a drug overdose and bassist, John Entwistle, who died in 2002 of a heart attack. Jefferson Airplane, who later became Jefferson Starship, is one of those bands you definitely relate to Woodstock and the late sixties. Grace Slick retired from the band in 1988 to start a different career as a painter and artist. You might recognize her vocals especially in the ever popular songs "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love".
The ever popular lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, Grace SlickDay three had performers Joe Cocker, Country Joe & The Fish, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Joe Cocker has had quite a career since the original Woodstock. He was at Woodstock 1994, has over 20 albums, a film appearance and has a tour in North America planned for 2009 and a cd release planned for 2010. Nice to see someone come such a long way and maintain it since 1969. Before the Woodstock performance, Neil Young had joined CSN, and although he occasionally joins up with them, both CSN as a group and Neil Young as a solo artist, have enjoyed successful music careers and continue to do so today.
Day four ended with Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha Na Na and Jimi Hendrix. Sha Na Na was sort of the odd band appearing at Woodstock and most people remember seeing them in the movie "Grease". They also had their own tv show from 1977 to 1982 and they are still performing to this day. Jimi Hendrix is probably the most popular performer at Woodstock and it's no wonder why. His version of "The Star Spangled Banner" had the crowd going crazy. He is another one, like Janis, who had his own distinctive sound and vocals. Jimi could sing anything and you would know it was him. And again like Janis, he died about year after his performance at Woodstock. He was one of the most influential guitar players of all time and was a pioneer in the use of the electric guitar. He couldn't read music and can you believe was a self taught musician? I personally think this is what led him to be so creative with his music and sound. I wonder how many people know that Jimi was in the U. S. Army in the paratroop division? He was discharged though due to an injury he got from a parachute jump. That was lucky for us and for him because he went on to perform with some greats such as Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard and Sam Cooke. Jimi's untimely death in 1970 was ruled as barbiturate intoxication and inhalation of vomit, although now there is speculation that it may have been murder. Hendrix was worth more dead than alive to his manager who was the beneficiary in his life insurance. Hendrix was 27 when he passed, yep another one like Janis for the "27 Club", and what makes this even more tragic is that Jimi's manager died 3 years later in a plane crash. So much for the greed that led to Jimi's proposed murder. There was a movie made on the life of Jimi Hendrix and if you have not seen it, you must. It was a great movie. His songs will be played for a long time to come.
He pioneered the playing of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix
I can't believe it has been 40 years since the original Woodstock, a concert that cannot be repeated in my book. I envy anyone who was there especially to see Joplin and Hendrix perform live. What a time it was where people promoted love and peace even at a time when there was war and racism. Although I was young, I was definitely influenced by the music of the time and my memories of that time were great ones. I feel blessed that I was alive then and as I reflect on the past 40 years, I think we have come a long way. I think sometimes we can learn from others in their own words.
"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."-JANIS JOPLIN
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."-JIMI HENDRIX
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