Michael Murphy's Blog, page 7

Woodstock Day Two

What’s a little rain and mud among friends?

The second day of Woodstock moved away and focused on rock bands including Santana, Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who and some surprisingly less than on their game performances by the Grateful Dead, and Janice Joplin.

Day Two turned into Day Three. Early in the morning, came Sly and the Family Stone and Grace Slick and Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane.

Two years before Woodstock

The rains continued, some left, more stayed. During a rain-delayed break in the performance, John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful was plucked from the crowd and performed acoustic versions of songs he wrote and performed for the Spoonful.

While concertgoers dealt with the rain, mud and food shortages, the media painted a far bleaker story than was happening. Many establishment people wanted to concert to fail and the weather and drug use fed their paranoia.

New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller declared Sullivan County a disaster area and threatened to send in the national guard. But word got out as those in attendance called home. People began to contact the media informing them their family members were at Woodstock and were very much enjoying the event.

As Saturday turned into Sunday morning and Joe Cocker took the stage, those who were at Woodstock were treated to a day of memorable sixties music.

 

 

 

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Woodstock Opens, forty-four years ago today

Forty-four years ago, roads were jammed. Scheduled performers couldn’t get in. The enormous crowd grew impatient. None of the acts who had made it wanted to go on stage, but organizers finally talked Richie Havens into open the festival. He performed a nine song set, the final being his famous Freedom which he improvised on stage.

Richie Havens memorable Woodstock performance

Next up was Country Joe McDonald, who was scheduled to perform much later with his group Country Joe and the Fish. With a borrowed acoustic guitar around his neck with a rope, he followed Richie Havens.

Day one was scheduled to feature mostly folk singers. In spite of the late start, it’s perhaps remembered the most. Also performing was Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, a very young Arlo Guthrie and a very pregnant Joan Baez.

Give me an F…

Where were you August 15, 1969?

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Woodstock 44 years ago

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“We must be in Heaven, man.”

Forty-four years ago today, August 14, 1969, Woodstock organizers were still scrambling to complete the infrastructure for the event. After their original site near Woodstock, New York cancelled their permit, they found an alternate site for the festival on forty acres of Max Yasgur’s farm outside of Bethel, New York.

Even as festival goers arrived early, crews focused on finishing the stage, sound equipment and a fence surrounding the forty acres. After all, they expected as many as 50,000 people to attend and they had to make sure there were enough medical and sanitary facilities and enough food to feed everyone.

Follow this blog and relive the event over the next few days. And take a look at Goodbye Emily, a novel that revisits the Woodstock Music Festival.

One final roadtrip

 

 

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Richie Havens ashes to be scattered at Woodstock

Richie Havens, who opened the Woodstock music festival in 1969, will be honored with a ceremony August 18, 2013 at the original site, now the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Havens died of a heart attack on April 22.

A ticket will be required, but in keeping with the Woodstock tradition, it will be free. Amid a day of song and remembrance, his ashes will be scattered where it all began.

Richie Havens memorable Woodstock performance

From my original blog about Richie Haven’s performance:

Friday, August 15, 1969 the Woodstock music festival had gotten off to a slow start, or more accurately, no start. Several hours after the festival was to begin, scheduled opening acts were still blocked from arriving due to the massive traffic jam. With 400,000 impatient fans, festival organizers talked a reluctant Richie Havens into performing first.

He was encouraged to perform a lengthy set, and with few options, organizers talked him repeatedly into returning to the stage. After performing for nearly three hours, he’d exhausted all the songs he knew. When he was asked to return to the stage one more time, he improvised a song that defined him to a generation and made famous by the 1970 documentary, Woodstock. Havens song was based on the old spiritual “Motherless Child.” Looking out over the crowd he improvised by singing ”Freedom” repeatedly.

As he explained later, “When you see me in the movie tuning my guitar and strumming, I was actually trying to figure out what else I could possibly play! I looked out at all of those faces in front of me and the word “freedom” came to mind.”

Richie Havens’s Woodstock performance was a major career changer. After Woodstock started his own record label, Stormy Forest, and produced his first album Stonehenge. Later in 1970 came the album Alarm Clock which included his version of George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun.”

He appeared on popular television shows including the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. During the 1980s and 1990s, Havens continued to tour the world and release albums. In 1993 he performed at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. In 2003, the National Music Council awarded Havens the American Eagle Award for his place as part of America’s musical heritage, and for providing “a rare and inspiring voice of eloquence, integrity and social responsibility.”

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Still Making Woodstock Magic

I recently posted a schedule of upcoming tour performances by iconic Woodstock performs still making magic with their music.

Grace Slick, former lead singer for Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship is now an accomplished painter. Her works include portraits of old friends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jerry Garcia. The Art of Grace Slick is now at the San Francisco Art Exchange. Her paintings are fabulous and are on display and for sale. Check them out.

Country Joe McDonald has a new 2 CD set Time Flies By is out. Co-produced by Tim Eschliman and Country Joe. Features 25 songs from solo to full band covering a time period of 30 years of song writing. Available at the Country Joe Store.

Speaking of albums, John Fogerty’s latest, Wrote a Song for Everyone, debuted on billboard’s charts this week, the highest ever for him! He’s joined on each song by artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Zach Brown Band, Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban and more. I just downloaded it from iTunes.

June 25, through 27th, Wavy Gravy will be at the Black Oake Ranch for the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival. June 29 through July 1, he’ll MC the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Busy man!

John Sebastian will be performing June 9th and 10th at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant in Minneapolis.

Joan Baez is continuing her summer tour. She’ll be in Apple Valley, Minnesota this evening. Check out the rest of her summer schedule.

Still making Woodstock magic

 

 

 

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My Woodstock novel, Goodbye Emily

I hope you’re enjoying my Woodstock blog. For the past ten months I’ve been focusing mostly on the great Woodstock performances and will continue to do so. Love your comments along the way. My quest to tell the story of the magic and the music began while researching my return to Woodstock novel, Goodbye Emily.

While the blog focuses on the performers, Goodbye Emily tells a story about four people who attended the event back in 1969. Many of you have emailed me to tell me how much you enjoyed reading about Sparky, Buck, Josh as they relive their 1969 roadtrip to Woodstock.

I’m thrilled with the response since the book’s release, 33 five-star reviews on Amazon, many from people who were there. If you get a chance, I hope you’ll take a look at what readers are saying. My biggest thrill came when Woodstock icons, Country Joe McDonald and Wavy Gravy endorsed the novel.

The book is available through most bookstores, Amazon and can be ordered for Nook and Kindle devices or through the Kindle app on Android phones and tablets. And now it’s just $1.99 at the Kindle Store!

Thank you for this opportunity to talk about Goodbye Emily. Hope you’ll stick around for more updates about Woodstock as I continue the blog, commercial free . And if you’re active on Google Plus, come join Woodstock Nation.

One final roadtrip

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Happy Birthday Joe Cocker

Today Joe Cocker’s birthday. The Woodstock performer and Grammy winner is still bringing the music that made him fresh and unique. Keep it up, Joe!

Joe Cocker at Woodstock

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Woodstock Music Lives On

Yes, Woodstock Music lives on. We’re so fortunate that nearly 44 years after the event, Woodstock acts continue to perform their legendary music to Woodstock Nation and a new generation of music lovers. Below is a list upcoming dates from various tours. In addition, The Who is continuing the group’s European tour and will perform in Dublin on June 1. Many artists not on the list, such as Country Joe McDonald continue to perform but will not be appearing in the coming weeks.

John Fogerty

May 18 John Fogerty, formerly of Credence Clearwater Revival will perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.

May 18 Arlo Guthrie will be on stage at The Dogwood Festival in Dowagiac, Michigan.

May 17 Check out the memorable harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville, Florida.

May 19 Crosby, Stills and Nash will travel up the coast and perform in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Ovens Auditorium

May 26 Check out Canned Heat at the Blues Festival in Oroville, California.

June 1 The legendary Joan Baez will be at the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado.

June 9 and 10  John Sebastian has returned to touring and will be at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

June 23 Melanie continues her tour at The Peg Egan Performing Arts Center in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin.

How many Woodstock acts have you seen perform?

 

 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Wavy Gravy

“We must have been in heaven, man,” Wavy Gravy at Woodstock.

Today (May 15) us Wavy’s birthday! He’s in Canada, Vancouver to be precise at the DOXA Film Festival to screen the fabulous documentary of his life, “Saint Misbehavin’.”

Happy Birthday, man!

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“We must be in Heaven, man.”

 

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Happy Mother’s Day Woodstock fans

Happy Mothers Day to my mother, still kickin’ it at 89, my wife Jennie, the mother of my two children and to all the mothers out there. This is your day.

Today seems an appropriate day to feature the three women solo acts at Woodstock, Joan Baez, Melanie Safka and Janis Joplin. I’ve featured them before, but if you haven’t read those posts, here’s a bit more.

Joan Baez was the featured act on day one of Woodstock which primarily focused on folk singers. Pregnant with her husband in jail, she took the stage and played her set, often interjecting social commentary between songs.  The songs themselves were filled with social commentary a pattern that continues today as Joan tours the world performing as she’s done for five decades.

Joan Baez closed day one at Woodstock

Melanie who’s performing at the Roxbury center in Roxbury today almost didn’t get to perform at Woodstock. Once she made her way through the crowds, she had to prove who she was by grabbing her guitar and singing. Melanie had a string of hits in the sixties and early seventies. Her fans (including me) are loyal. She’s sold more than eighty million records including the hit inspired by her Woodstock Performance, “Laydown (Candles in the Rain).

Melanie sang Beautiful People. She still is one.

Janis Joplin is a rock legend so what could I say that isn’t already known. Woodstock might not have been her best performance, but she was one of the stars and performed on day two. Listen and journey back to Woodstock.

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