Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair (American History Through Music)

Held over three days in August 1969, the Woodstock festival was, for many, the culmination of the counterculture movement. More than 35 years later, the word Woodstock conjures notions of Edenic peace and love, a landmark moment from the Sixties that is both unforgettable and inimitable. In this authoritative reference guide—the first of its kind—historian James Perone presents encyclopedic entries on all the performers who played Woodstock, including Joan Baez, Country Joe and the Fish, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Ten Years After, The Who—even Sha Na Na—as well as the organizers and decision makers behind the event, from Michael Langer, governor Nelson Rockefeller, documentary film director Michael Wadleigh, and even the Concerned Citizens Committee who prevented Woodstock Ventures from holding the fair at the original site in Walkill, New York. Historical chapters trace the history of the festival from its inception and planning to its aftermath—including the infamous Altamont concert in December 1969 and the ill-fated 30th anniversary concert held in Rome, New York, in 1999. A wealth of historic photos plus an appendix of recordings and a subject index round out this wonderful reference for any scholar of 20th-century American music, history, and culture.