TheWoodstockMusic and Art Festival was held Aug. 15 - 18 , 1969 , not in Woodstock but in Bethel , New York , 40 miles ( 64 kilometers ) away . Woodstock was suppose to host the festival , but when rumors unfold that attending could reach 1 million people , the city gage out . Farmer Max Yasgur save the concert by host more than 500,000 meeter in his alfalfa field .
With the huge bunch , there were dearth of food for thought , body of water and public lavatory , but most revelers still savor some of the sound musical human action of the geological era . Here ’s thelineupfrom that fateful weekend .
1. Richie Havens
Richie Havens , a Greenwich Village ethnic music singer , got the concert start around 5 post meridiem Friday , Aug. 15 . He played eight song , including the memorable " Motherless Child , " which he ended with the word " freedom " sung over and over . After Woodstock , Havens stay to tour and expel record album , and in 1993 he performed at the inauguration ceremonial for President Bill Clinton . He died in 2013 .
2. Sweetwater
Sweetwater — who open up the psychedelic stone / classic fusion style later picked up by Jefferson Airplane — was the first band to do at the festival . They played eight song , include " What ’s Wrong , " " Crystal Spider " and " Why Oh Why . " After Woodstock , Sweetwater dissolve when lead singer Nansi Nevins was badly injured in a car accident . They reunited for Woodstock ' 94 .
3. Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer was a folks singer and former fellow member of the baroque - soda water group The Left Banke . Sommer play 10 song at the festival , include " Jennifer , " " Jeanette " and " America . " He continue to record and execute until his death in 1990 .
4. Tim Hardin
Tim Hardin was also a Greenwich Village folk musician and composer . During his set , Hardin performed only two songs solo — " Misty Roses " and " If I Were a Carpenter , " which was a top-10 striking for Bobby Darin . The rest of the set , he execute with his band . Hardin keep to immortalize until 1973 and cash in one’s chips of a diacetylmorphine and morphine overdose in 1980 .
5. Ravi Shankar
Bengali - Amerind musician and composer Ravi Shankar is well recognize for teach George Harrison to play the sitar . His study with Harrison and other rock stars landed him a gig at Woodstock , where he play five Song dynasty in the pelting , including " Tabla Solo in Jhaptal . " Hewasn’t a fanof the drug - pickings crew . Today , his daughter Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones are both successful musicians . Shankar break down in 2012 .
6. Melanie
Melanie , put up Melanie Anne Safka - Schekeryk , made her first recording at age 5 and was successful in Europe with " Beautiful People , " one of the two song she performed at Woodstock . She later put down " Lay Down ( Candles in the pelting ) " after being exalt by the Woodstock audience lighting candles during her stage set , which started at 11 p.m. on Friday , amid pelting .
7. Arlo Guthrie
Before Woodstock , Arlo Guthrie — the Word of folk vocaliser and composer Woody Guthrie — was best known for his 18 - mo - long call ( and subsequent film ) " Alice ’s Restaurant , " which trace how he annul the draft . Arlo work " Coming into Los Angeles , " " take the air Down the line of credit " and " Amazing Grace " at Woodstock . He continues to record and do .
8. Joan Baez
Day one at Woodstock closed with Joan Baez , plausibly the most illustrious tribe and dissent singer to do at the fete . It was 1 a.m. , so technically it was sidereal day two . Baez performed 12 Song dynasty at Woodstock , including her bang " Joe Hill " and " Sweet Sir Galahad " and classic such as " Swing Low Sweet Chariot " and " We Shall get the better of . " After more than 60 twelvemonth in the music biz , Baez continues to record and perform vocal about passive resistance , civic and human rights and the surround .
9. Quill
Day two at Woodstock kicked off around noon with the Boston band Quill . They had open for several notable artists , let in The Who , Sly and the Family Stone , The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin . At Woodstock , Quill played four songs , let in " They Live the Life " and " Waitin ' for You . " After Woodstock , Quill released its first album , which fizzled , and the stripe burst up in 1970 .
10. Country Joe McDonald
Country Joe McDonald made an unscheduled visual aspect at Woodstock without his band , The Fish . McDonald ’s solo set included " I Find Myself miss You , " " I - Feel - Like - I’m - Fixin'-to - Die sheet " and the " Fish sunniness , " a birdsong where he usually spelled out the watchword angle with the audience , but at Woodstock , he spelled another four - missive F - word instead . He came back to perform with his band on Sunday .
11. Santana
The career of Romance rock guitarist Carlos Santana catch a major encouragement when concert producer Bill Graham convinced Woodstock promoters to reserve the striation , even though they had n’t yet released an record album . The band played seven songs , including " Waiting , " " Jingo " and the 11 - hour instrumental " Soul Sacrifice , " which was considered a highlight of the festival .
Although the 1970 album " Abraxas " contact No . 1 on the record album charts and sold more than 4 million copies , Carlos Santana would n’t get nigh to this success until the 1999 release of " Supernatural , " a collaboration with Eric Clapton , Wyclef Jean and other artists . It sold a banging 30 million copies worldwide . The album garneredeightGrammyawards , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for the song " Smooth " with Rob Thomas .
12. John Sebastian
John Sebastian is best eff as a founder of the Lovin' Spoonful , member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . Sebastian was n’t scheduled to come along at the fete , but he played five songs , including " I Had a Dream " and " Rainbows Over Your bluing . " In 1976 , he had a No . 1 single with the television receiver motif Sung " receive Back , Kotter . " Sebastian continue to record and tour and promoted a collection of the 1960 ’s greatest collision via infomercial .
13. The Keef Hartley Band
The Keef Hartley Band , which mixed elements ofjazz , blue devil and rock ‘n’ roll , was one of the few British bands to play at Woodstock . Keef Hartley ’s life history took off when he replace Ringo Starr as the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes when Ringo join The Beatles . At Woodstock , the band play eight songs , including " Spanish Fly " and " Rock Me Baby . " Hartley register until the mid-1970s and buy the farm in 2011 .
14. The Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band was a Scots acoustical stria that formed in the former 1960s and by and by interchange to psychedelic folk euphony . They were supposed to perform Friday , but did n’t want to bet in the rainfall , causing Melanie to go on in their place . Their set of four songs included " The Letter " and " This Moment . " The Incredible String Band fracture up in 1974 , reunited in 2003 , and let out up again in 2006 .
15. Canned Heat
Blues - rock / boogie-woogie band Canned Heat perform four songs at Woodstock , including " Goin' Up the nation " and " Let ’s Work Together . " In 1970 , they fetch in blue angel vocalizer and guitar player John Lee Hooker to immortalize the treble album , " Hooker ' n ' Heat . " While many of the original member have give way , Canned Heat has replaced them and keep to perform and criminal record .
16. Mountain
The rock ring Mountain was dally only its quaternary live fizgig when it performed 13 song at Woodstock , including " Stormy Monday , " " Waiting to Take You off " and " Theme for an Imaginary Western . " Mountain broke up and re - formed a number of times after Woodstock and is presently back together and performing , but without plant fellow member Felix Pappalardi , who was bourgeon and obliterate by his wife April 17 , 1983 .
17. The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was make out for performing farsighted live jams of their combination of rock , folk , bluegrass , blues , country , jazz , psychedelia and gospel . form in San Francisco in 1965 by guitarist Jerry Garcia , The Grateful Dead performed four long songs at Woodstock : " St. Stephen , " " Mama strain , " " Dark Star / High Time " and " Turn on Your Love Light . " Their solidifying was delayed because of rainwater and technical difficulties , so they finish around midnight .
The Grateful Dead continued to tour on a regular basis for its " Deadhead " followers until Jerry Garcia died in August 1995 . The remaining member disbanded , but later reunite to mold The Other Ones and in 2003 renamed themselves The Dead . Now they tour as Dead & Company .
18. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Heavily regulate by the swamp blues medicine that come out of Louisiana in the late ' 50s and early ' 60 , Creedence Clearwater Revival formed in the San Francisco Bay area in 1959 . They hit their peak in early 1969 , just in time for Woodstock .
At the festival , they performed an 11 - call set that include " Bad Moon Rising " and " Proud Mary . " Their execution was not included in the Woodstock picture show or record album , manifestly because lead singer John Fogerty did n’t wish their carrying out . CCR break up in 1972 , but Fogerty emerge as a solo artist in the mid-1980s and continues to commemorate and tour .
19. Janis Joplin
Before her decease from a heroin overdose in 1970 , Janis Joplin made a immense impact on rock music with four albums and memorable performance . At Woodstock , she gave a game execution of 10 songs , including " To Love Somebody , " " Try ( Just a small turn Harder ) , " and " Piece of My Heart , " starting around 2 a.m. Her grownup - sell record album " Pearl , " released posthumously in 1971 , featured her hit exclusive " Me and Bobby McGee " and the a cappella call " Mercedes - Benz . "
20. Sly and the Family Stone
One of the first racially integrated dance orchestra , San Francisco ’s Sly and the Family Stone compound somebody , funk and psychedelia in its music . They played eight birdsong at Woodstock , including " Dance to the Music , " " Stand ! , " " Everyday People " and " I require to Take You Higher , " lead off around 3:30 a.m. Woodstock made the band popular , but Sly Stone ’s drug use brought them down .
When the stria was initiate into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 , many of the establish members execute , but Sly , in a surprise appearing , have his award and disappeared . Then , during a Sly and the Family Stone protection at the 2006GrammyAwards , Sly joined the banding in the middle of " I Want to Take You Higher , " but left the stage before the song ended .
21. The Who
Woodstock was The Who ’s biggest performance since the loss of their groundbreaking tilt opera house " Tommy . " Their 24 - song hardening began around 5 a.m. Sunday morning and include many songs from Tommy as well as " I Ca n’t explicate , " " Shakin ' All Over " and " My Generation . " At the last of their band , Pete Townshend thrash his guitar into the leg and shed it into the crowd .
Drummer Keith Moon died in 1978 from a prescription drug drug overdose and the group formally disbanded in 1983 but have reunited for various events and tours over the years . In 1990 , The Who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , and they proceed to tour .
22. Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane ’s eight - song set contain off at 8 a.m. Sunday morning . This psychedelic rock dance orchestra from San Francisco performed such collision as " Volunteers , " " Somebody to Love " and " White Rabbit . " After Woodstock , Jefferson Airplane continued to execute and record hits under unlike name calling , including Starship and Jefferson Starship the Next Generation . Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 .
23. Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker took the stage around 2 p.m. The English rock and blues musician performed five songs , let in his version of The Beatles ' song " With a Little Help from My Friends , " as well as " Something ’s Goin' On . " Cocker get the better of job with drug and alcoholic beverage abuse and continued to tour sporadically . He fail in 2014 .
24. Country Joe and The Fish
After a rain postponement lasting several hours , Country Joe returned , this time with his dance band The Fish , taking the stage around 6 p.m. They played four songs , including " Rock and Soul Music " and " Love Machine . " In 2004 , Country Joe formed the Country Joe Band with some of the original band members and went on spell .
25. Ten Years After
English blues - rock-and-roll band Ten Years After perform five vocal at Woodstock , including " Good Morning Little Schoolgirl , " " Help Me " and " I ’m belong Home . " Between 1967 and 1974 , Ten Years After recorded and secrete 10 multimillion - selling albums , before breaking up in 1975 . After their entire catalog was digitally remastered and rereleased in 2001 , three of the establish members flummox back together and are again commemorate and touring .
26. The Band
in the beginning sleep together as The Hawks , the careers of Canadian - American musician The Band took flight of stairs when Bob Dylan recruit them as his backup band for his 1965 - 1966 world tour . They subsequently show four albums with Dylan . At Woodstock , their 11 - song exercise set included the songs " teardrop of Rage , " " Long Black Veil " and " make love You Is Sweeter Than Ever . "
The Band broke up in 1976 , then reformed in 1983 without founding guitar player and main songwriter Robbie Robertson . They are member of both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame .
27. Johnny Winter
Albino vapours vocaliser and guitarist Johnny Winter released his first record album in 1968 . He execute nine songs at Woodstock , include two with his brother Edgar Winter , also a blues vocaliser with albinism . The set included " Johnny B. Goode , " " I Ca n’t Stand It " and " Tobacco Road . "
In 1977 , Johnny produce Muddy Waters ' Grammy Award - winning return record album , " Hard Again . " In 1988 , Johnny was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame . He died in 2014 .
28. Blood, Sweat and Tears
When they performed at Woodstock , idle words - careen band origin , Sweat and Tears were still riding high from their 1969 Grammy winnings for Album of the Year for their ego - titled sophomore album . The stria ’s five - birdsong band at Woodstock included " Spinning Wheel " and " Something Coming On . " Blood , Sweat and Tears broke up and re - mold a routine of times and continues to tour .
29. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
common people tilt supergroup Crosby , Stills , Nash and Young start their 16 - song set around 3 a.m. Sunday night ( or make that Monday morning ) . Made up of former members of The Byrds , The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield , Woodstock was only their second lance . Their nine - songacousticset included " Suite : Judy Blue Eyes " and " Marrakesh Express . " The electric set that followed include " Long Time Gone " and " Find the price of Freedom . "
They after recorded the song " Woodstock " to mark the fete and for a while they touch The Beatles in terms of popularity . But their superegos stimulate the group to dissolve in mid-1970 . They ’ve all enjoyed success as solo artists and have reunify in various constellation to record and duty tour over the years . David Crosby pall in 2023./\r\n/
30. Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Paul Butterfield was a harmonica player and vocaliser who brought the Chicago electric blues style to rock . The Paul Butterfield Blues Band ’s five - Song dynasty lot at Woodstock include " Everything ’s Gon na Be Alright , " " Driftin ' , " and " bear Under a Bad Sign . " Butterfield broke up the Blues Band in 1970 and form a young radical called Better Days . He execute unaccompanied in the late 1970s and early ' 80s and go in 1987 from a drug and alcoholic drink overdose .
31. Sha Na Na
By far the funniest isthmus to perform at Woodstock was Sha Na Na , a radical that cross doo - greaseball Song dynasty from the fifties while clowning around in period outfits . At Woodstock — only the seventh lance of their life history — they perform nine songs , including " Yakety Yak , " " Wipe Out " and " At the Hop . "
At the clip , Sha Na Na did not have a phonograph record great deal , but they received one immediately afterward and go on to liberate more than 25 album . From 1977 to 1982 , the group even had its own strike tv set show , but after several decades , they decide tostop touring .
32. Jimi Hendrix
Perhaps the most influential guitarist in rock medicine history , Jimi Hendrix insisted on closing the show . He was scheduled to do at midnight , but his set was delayed until around 9 a.m. Monday morning . By that clip , the crowd , which once list more than 500,000 , had dwindle away to an calculate 80,000 .
Still , Hendrix encounter a 16 - call curing that featured hits such as " Foxy Lady , " " Purple Haze " and " Hey Joe . " He also toy a striking and memorable rendition of " The Star - Spangled Banner . "
On Sept. 18 , 1970 , Hendrix was notice numb in London . It is believed that he asphyxiated on his own vomit follow an overdose of sleeping pill . Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame in 2005 .
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies , Marjorie Dorfman , Mary Fons , Deborah Hawkins , Martin Hintz , Linnea Lundgren , David Priess , Julia Clark Robinson , Paul Seaburn , Heidi Stevens and Steve Theunissen
