Woodstock Co-Founder Michael Lang Passes Away At 77

Michael Lang, one of the co-founders of the legendary Woodstock music festival, is widely regarded as the man who shaped pop culture in 1960s. We’re very sorry to report the passing of the legend. It’s an very unfortunate day in the music world.

The promoter, whose career spanned over decades included managing acts such as Woodstock alum, Joe Cocker. On Saturday, Deadline reported, Lang succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 77.

Lang’s fame was amplified when a documentary about the music festival came out in 1970. It included a detailed interview of him discussing what it took to make the festival a success. Fans all around the world mourn his death.

Acts ranging from Joan Baez and the Grateful Dead to Credence Clearwater Revival and Jimi Hendrix all performed at the festival in upstate New York. The impressive lineup of music legends also included The Who, Janis Joplin, Sly and The Family Ston, Ravi Shankar and Jefferson Airplane.

Michael has revealed the event took inspiration from “Saturday soundouts” that took place “on a little farm outside Woodstock” and were the “best thing I had ever experienced musically”. The duo of Michael and Artie Kornfeld teamed up with Joel Rosenman and John P. Roberts to make the festival possible.

As the hippie phenomenon, the antiwar movement, civil rights and the rise of rock ‘n’ roll took off in the 1960s, Woodstock became an significant event in the history of pop culture. Later on Michael’s career included more concerts, plus starting Just Sunshine Records which worked with such acts as Betty Davis.

RIP, and thank you for changing music history forever.

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