MUSIC HISTORY
What the Artists Who Played Woodstock Were Paid
Their paychecks will blow your mind
Time Magazine called it “the greatest peaceful event in history.”
Countless books have been written and documentaries made about the historic gathering of close to a half million souls at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair held in Bethel, New York, in August 1969.
Viewed through the lens of its era, this landmark cultural event was remarkably profound. Considered from a modern-day perspective, some fifty-plus years on, it’s not far-reaching to say that Woodstock was a supernatural occurrence that could only have happened once, at that particular time and place, with those particular people existing together harmoniously.
In a way, those who attended Woodstock achieved a sort of immortality. Their place in history is cemented, everlasting, and indestructible.
Richie Havens said, “Woodstock was not about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It was about spirituality, about love, about sharing, about helping each other, living in peace and harmony.”
According to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts website, over the three days the festival was held, a total of 32 musical acts played. 13 of those were featured artists with backing bands, and…
