Woodstock: The Oral History (Excelsior Editions)
"The definitive study of the mega-concert." --Rolling Stone"Woodstock comes alive here, even if the music itself seems almost incidental to the backstage dramas." --Publishers WeeklyWoodstockis the definitive, electrifying account of the rock festival that shook the world and defined a generation.In 1969 four young men--two budding entrepreneurs who really wanted to write sitcoms, a former head shop proprietor turned rock band manager, and a record company executive who smoked hash in his office--had a dream: to produce the greatest rock concert ever held. Little did they know how enormous a reality their dream would become.Woodstockis the fascinating story of how it all came together--and almost fell apart--told exclusively in the voices of the men and women who made it happen. It shares the adventures of a ragtag bunch of businessmen and bohemians, of hippies, hucksters, handymen, and hangers-on, working against all odds to unite a generation for one wild, glorious weekend in August 1969. You'll get behind-the-scenes stories from such people as David Crosby, Abbie Hoffman, Miriam Yasgur (who, along with her husband, Max, owned the land on which the festival was held), Richie Havens, Wavy Gravy, Paul Kantner, Chip Monck, and a host of others.This special 40th anniversary edition features a new foreword by Michael Lang and Joel Rosenman, two of the original coproducers of Woodstock, as well as updated information on the people who made the music festival happen.