Today In History

WOODSTOCK ROCKS Bethel, New York August 15 – 17, 1969 The largest rock concert ever, arrived and left, and we will never be the same again. The police estimated that there were a million people on the road trying to get to the festival. Controlling the overwhelming crowd was next to impossible. The festival actually took place on Max Yasgur's farm about fifty miles away. Woodstock was the original location since that was where Bob Dylan was currently residing. There were no clear headliners; the lineup included: Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Santana, The Who, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Sly and the Family Stone, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Sha-Na-Na, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, and many more. Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solo of the "Star Spangled Banner" might be the most memorable musical event of the festival. Woodstock was a peaceful gathering for one million young citizens who were virtually left on their own and discovered the words Sharing, Helping, Consideration, and Respect. Thousands left the Woodstock event with a totally different outlook on life, and rock music moved to the forefront of American pop culture.