Remembering Woodstock – August 15-18, 1969 – DAY 3 (4)
“I hear you are considering changing the zoning law to prevent the festival. I hear you don’t like the look of the kids who are working at the site. I hear you don’t like their lifestyle. I hear you don’t like they are against the war and that they say so very loudly. . . I don’t particularly like the looks of some of those kids either. I don’t particularly like their lifestyle, especially the drugs and free love. And I don’t like what some of them are saying about our government. However, if I know my American history, tens of thousands of Americans in uniform gave their lives in war after war just so those kids would have the freedom to do exactly what they are doing. That’s what this country is all about and I am not going to let you throw them out of our town just because you don’t like their dress or their hair or the way they live or what they believe. This is America and they are going to have their festival.”
“I hear you are considering changing the zoning law to prevent the festival. I hear you don’t like the look of the kids who are working at the site. I hear you don’t like their lifestyle. I hear you don’t like they are against the war and that they say so very loudly. . . I don’t particularly like the looks of some of those kids either. I don’t particularly like their lifestyle, especially the drugs and free love. And I don’t like what some of them are saying about our government. However, if I know my American history, tens of thousands of Americans in uniform gave their lives in war after war just so those kids would have the freedom to do exactly what they are doing. That’s what this country is all about and I am not going to let you throw them out of our town just because you don’t like their dress or their hair or the way they live or what they believe. This is America and they are going to have their festival.”Max Yasgur, addressing a Bethel town board meeting prior to the festival.
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Remembering Roy Buchanan, 1939 – 1988
“I walked in a lot of places I never should have been,
but I know that the Messiah, He will come again…”
The Messiah Will Come Again – Roy Buchanan; from the Album: Roy Buchanan, 1972
Roy Buchanan, September 23, 1939 – August 14, 1988
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Remembering Les Paul, 1905 – 2009
“You can’t go to the store and buy a good ear and rhythm…”
“I wanted to create music that was so different that my mother could tell me from everyone else…”
Lester William Polsfuss – known to the world as “Les Paul” – June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009
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Remembering Gerry Garcia, 1942 – 1995
“What a Long Strange Trip it’s Been…”
Truckin’ – Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Hunter; from the Grateful Dead Album: American Beauty, 1970
Gerry Garcia – August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995