Michael Lang (producer)

American concert promoter and record producer (1944–2022)

Michael Lang

Lang in 2009

Born| (1944-12-11)December 11, 1944

New York City, U.S.

Died| January 8, 2022(2022-01-08) (aged 77)

New York City, U.S.

Occupation(s)| Concert promoter, producer
Known for| Woodstock Festival
Children| 5

Michael Scott Lang (December 11, 1944 – January 8, 2022)[1] was an American concert promoter, producer, and artistic manager who was best known as a co-creator of the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969.[2] Lang served as the organizer of the event,[3][4] as well as the organizer for its follow-up events, Woodstock '94 and the ill-fated Woodstock '99.[3] He later became a producer of records, films, and other concerts, as well as a manager for performing artists, a critically acclaimed author, and a sculptor.

## Early life

[edit]

Lang was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish-American family.[5][6][7]

In 1967, Lang dropped out of New York University and moved to Coconut Grove, Florida, to open a head shop. In 1968, after promoting a series of concert events in the Miami area, Lang (with Marshall Brevetz) produced the 1968 Pop & Underground Festival. It drew approximately 25,000 people on day one (May 18) and featured Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, John Lee Hooker, Arthur Brown and Blue Cheer. On the afternoon of the second day (May 19), it started to rain and the event ended early.[citation needed]

## Career

[edit]

### Woodstock Festivals 1969, 1994, 1999, 2019

[edit]

After he moved to Woodstock, New York, and met Artie Kornfeld, the two developed the concept for a major festival event to celebrate the 1960s social movements and planned to open a recording studio in the town of Woodstock. With Kornfeld and partners John P. Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Lang initiated the planning of the Woodstock festival, which was held on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York, August 15–18, 1969.

Michael Lang was featured in many scenes of the documentary film Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (1970).

Lang also produced Woodstock '94 with partners Roberts, Rosenman, and co-producer John Scher, and Woodstock '99 with John Scher and Ossie Kilkenny. In contrast to the previous Woodstock festivals Lang organized, Woodstock '99 proved to be more chaotic and violent.[8]

In May 2014, Lang revealed plans for a possible fiftieth anniversary of the first Woodstock concert to be held in 2019, and that he was exploring various locations.[9]

On January 9, 2019, Lang announced the official Woodstock 50 festival would take place August 16–18, 2019, in Watkins Glen, New York.[10] However, the event was cancelled after confronting many logistical issues, financial backing issues, and three venue changes.[11]

In September 2021, about three months before his death, Lang was interviewed for a three-part Netflix documentary called Trainwreck: Woodstock '99, detailing how the festival of the same name became a catastrophe.[12]

### Altamont free concert

[edit]

Lang was not among the producers of the December 6, 1969, Altamont Free Concert that some had billed as a "Woodstock West". However, Lang was asked by the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead to assist with the last-moment re-location, from Sears Point Raceway to the Altamont Speedway, near Tracy, California.

Initially, the concert was planned for Golden Gate Park and was to feature the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The city of San Francisco revoked the permits for the Golden Gate venue, ostensibly due to a San Francisco 49ers football game at Kezar Stadium, located in the park on the scheduled date. Subsequently, the concert was moved to Sears Point Raceway. However, a dispute over film rights led to its cancellation. Lang and Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully were then offered the Altamont Speedway—a rival to Sears Point Raceway—by owner Dick Carter. After the venue was set for the concert, Lang appeared, with his experience in moving the much-larger Woodstock festival.[13] The venue was moved on December 4 to the racetrack with the concert starting December 6.

The venue change created major technical problems, including a stage built too low and close to the fans. The Hells Angels were then hired for stage security, which resulted in numerous fights with concertgoers, as well as an on-stage altercation with members of Jefferson Airplane, in which singer Marty Balin was struck and knocked unconscious. Audience member Meredith Hunter was stabbed and killed when he rushed the stage with a revolver while the Rolling Stones were performing. These incidents were captured on film and appear in the Maysles Brothers documentary film Gimme Shelter (1970). There were also three accidental deaths among the crowd of 300,000.

Lang is briefly seen in the film. He last appears onstage, walking away during the scuffle on the stage between the Hells Angels and the Jefferson Airplane.

### Just Sunshine Records

[edit]

Lang owned and operated Just Sunshine Records, which produced and released more than 40 albums by such diverse musical artists as Karen Dalton, Betty Davis and Mississippi Fred McDowell. Lang also managed several successful international recording artists, including Joe Cocker, Rickie Lee Jones, Willy DeVille, Tarkan, and Spanish recording artists El Ultimo de la Fila. The label was active and distributed by Gulf & Western's Famous Music Group from 1971 until 1974.

### Joe Cocker

[edit]

Shortly after the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in 1969, Lang began managing Joe Cocker, who appeared at the original Woodstock concert. Their professional relationship continued for more than twenty years. Lang made an appearance in Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" music video as a flugelhorn player.

### Later years

[edit]

Lang was associate producer of Wes Anderson's film Bottle Rocket (1996).[14]

The Michael Lang Organization (MLO) encompasses live event production, film production, and artist management. Projects included a fiftieth anniversary event for the Lincoln Center featuring the French Theater company Royal de luxe, a Woodstock fiftieth anniversary event planned for summer 2019 that ultimately was cancelled, a movie version of the cult classic novel The Master and Margarita, and theater projects in Turkey and South Korea. Additionally, with his partners in Woodstock Ventures, Lang was developing future projects that included a Broadway musical based on Woodstock the musical and a Woodstock lifestyle brand.

MLO worked with the following artists: Outkast, Prince, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Steely Dan, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Tarkan, Shakira, Madonna, Norah Jones, Marc Anthony, Twista, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Kid Rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Christina Aguilera, Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne and Joe Cocker.[15]

In 2009, Woodstock Ventures (Michael Lang, Joel Rosenman, and the John Roberts estate) formed joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment and launched a new woodstock.com.[16] The site celebrates the history of the original Woodstock Festival.

In the Ang Lee film Taking Woodstock (2009), Michael Lang is portrayed by actor Jonathan Groff.

In 2009, Lang co-authored with Holly George-Warren the critically acclaimed New York Times Best Seller The Road to Woodstock.

## Personal life and death

[edit]

Lang was also a sculptor. He had five children. His first wife, vocalist Ann Lang, toured as a backup singer with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell from 1978 to 1982. At the time of his death, he was married to Tamara Pajic.[1]

Lang died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on January 8, 2022, at the age of 77.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Sisario, Ben (January 11, 2022). "Michael Lang, a Force Behind the Woodstock Festival, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
2. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (January 9, 2022). "Woodstock Festival Co-Creator Michael Lang Dies at 77". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
3. ^ a b c Halperin, Shirley; Willman, Chris (January 9, 2022). "Michael Lang, Woodstock Co-Creator, Dies at 77". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
4. ^ Shutler, Ali (January 9, 2021). "Woodstock organiser Michael Lang has died". NME. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
5. ^ Bloom, Nate (August 14, 2009). "Woodstock - The Jewish connection". The Jewish Standard. "One of the promoters of that concert was Michael Lang, now 65, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn."
6. ^ Bloom, Nate (August 19, 2009). "The Hidden Jewish History of Woodstock". 18Doors.
7. ^ Benarde, Scott R. (July 1, 2003). Stars of David: Rock'n'roll's Jewish Stories. Brandeis University Press. p. 126\. ISBN 978-1584653035. "Four Jews organized the Woodstock Festival: Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, John Roberts, and Joel Rosenman"
8. ^ "Woodstock '99 ends in fiery chaos". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 26, 1999. p. 4A. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
9. ^ Newman, Jason (May 30, 2014). "Woodstock Organizer Plotting 50th Anniversary Concert for 2019 : Michael Lang in early stages of semicentennial celebration". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
10. ^ Greene, Andy (January 9, 2019). "Three-Day Woodstock Festival From Original Organizer Coming This Summer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
11. ^ Grow, Kory (July 31, 2019). "Woodstock 50 Is Officially Canceled". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
12. ^ "Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang passed away in January 2022 aged 77". HITC. August 4, 2022.
13. ^ Inside History of the Grateful Dead by Dennis McNally – Broadway (August 12, 2003) ISBN 0-7679-1186-5
14. ^ "Bottle Rocket (1996) - IMDb" - via www.imdb.com.
15. ^ Michael Lang: His hair remains the same, so does his energy – Hürriyet. Translation by Ali Yildirim
16. ^ Video on YouTube

## Sources

[edit]

* Roberts, John; Rosenman, Joel; Pilpel, Robert H. (1974). Young Men with Unlimited Capital: The Inside Story of the Legendary Woodstock Festival Told By The Two People Who Paid for It (1st ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 9780151559770. OCLC 922819.
* The Road to Woodstock by Michael Lang. Ecco Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-157655-3.
* Michael Wadleigh, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend et al. (1970). Woodstock 3 Days of Peace and Music. ISBN 0-7907-2935-0.
* Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman, John Roberts, Michael Richards (1995). Woodstock 1969 Music Festival: The Creation of The Birth of a Generation. Virtue Films. OCLC 34800689.

## External links

[edit]

* Michael Lang at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Woodstock Festival

List of performances and events

Founders|

* Artie Kornfeld
* Michael Lang
* John P. Roberts
* Joel Rosenman
* Max Yasgur

Performers|

| August 15, 1969|

* Richie Havens
* Swami Satchidananda
* Sweetwater
* Bert Sommer
* Tim Hardin
* Ravi Shankar
* Melanie
* Arlo Guthrie
* Joan Baez

|

August 16, 1969|

* Quill
* Country Joe McDonald
* Santana
* John Sebastian
* Keef Hartley
* The Incredible String Band
* Canned Heat
* Mountain
* Grateful Dead

August 17, 1969|

* Creedence Clearwater Revival
* Janis Joplin
* Sly and the Family Stone
* The Who
* Jefferson Airplane
* Joe Cocker and The Grease Band
* Country Joe and the Fish
* Ten Years After
* The Band

August 18, 1969|

* Blood, Sweat & Tears
* Johnny and Edgar Winter
* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
* Paul Butterfield Blues Band
* Sha Na Na
* Jimi Hendrix

Media|

* Woodstock (1970 film)
* My Generation (2000 film)
* The Road to Woodstock (2009 book)
* Taking Woodstock (2007 book)
* 2009 film
* Woodstock Revisited (2009 film)
* Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage (2021 film)
* Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 (2022 miniseries)

Songs|

* "Woodstock"
* "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"

Recordings|

* At the Woodstock Festival (1970)
* Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (1970)
* Woodstock Two (1971)
* The Best of Woodstock (1994)
* Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music (1994)
* Woodstock (Jimi Hendrix) (1994)
* Woodstock Diary (1994)
* Woodstock 94 (1994)
* Live at Woodstock (Jimi Hendrix) (1999)
* Woodstock 1999 (1999)
* The Woodstock Experience (2009)
* Woodstock 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm (2009)
* Live at Woodstock (Joe Cocker) (2009)
* Woodstock 1994 (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (2016)
* Woodstock 1994 (Green Day) (2019)
* Woodstock – Back to the Garden: 50th Anniversary Collection (2019)
* Woodstock – Back to the Garden: 50th Anniversary Experience (2019)
* Woodstock – Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive (2019)
* Live at Woodstock (Creedence Clearwater Revival) (2019)

Revivals|

* Woodstock '79
* Woodstock Reunion 1979
* Woodstock '89
* Woodstock '94
* Woodstock '99
* Heroes of Woodstock Tour
* Woodstock 50 (canceled)

Related|

* Woodstock Nation
* Woodstock Sound-Outs
* Chip Monck (festival master of ceremonies)
* Arnold Skolnick
* Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
* Hog Farm Collective
* Wavy Gravy

* v
* t
* e

Historic rock and pop festivals

italics = festival ongoing

List of
festivals|

| 1950s–
1960s|

| 1950–1966|

* Big Sur Folk Festival
* Sanremo Music Festival
* Festival di Napoli
* Newport Jazz Festival
* Beaulieu Jazz Festival
* Nationaal Songfestival
* Eurovision Song Contest
* Melodifestivalen
* Benidorm International Song Festival
* Thessaloniki Song Festival
* Viña del Mar International Song Festival
* Melodi Grand Prix
* Sopot International Song Festival
* Reading and Leeds Festivals
* National Jazz and Blues Festival
* Festival Omladina
* National Festival of Polish Song in Opole
* Festivali i Këngës
* Festival da Canção
* Un disco per l'estate
* Parada ritma / Vatromet ritma
* Jazz Bilzen
* Gitarijada (Belgrade)
* Golden Orpheus
* Gitarijada (Zaječar)

|

1967–1968|

* Mantra-Rock Dance
* Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival
* Barbeque 67
* Monterey Pop Festival
* Schaefer Music Festival
* Miami Pop Festival I
* Northern California Folk Rock Festival I
* Summerfest
* Quebec City Summer Festival
* Newport Pop Festival
* Festival de Ancón (Perú)
* Isle of Wight Festival
* Sky River Rock Festival
* Internationale Essener Songtage
* San Francisco Pop Festival
* Los Angeles Pop Festival
* Miami Pop Festival II

1969|

* Big Rock Pow-Wow
* Northern California Folk-Rock Festival II
* Newport 69 Pop Festival
* Denver Pop Festival
* Bath Festival of Blues
* Mississippi River Festival
* Atlanta International Pop Festival I
* The Stones in the Park
* Harlem Cultural Festival
* Laurel Pop Festival
* Midwest Rock Festival
* Seattle Pop Festival
* Atlantic City Pop Festival
* Woodstock
* Gold Rush
* Vancouver Pop Festival
* Texas International Pop Festival
* New Orleans Pop Festival
* Toronto Rock and Roll Revival
* Altamont Free Concert

1970s|

| 1970|

* Redwood 70
* Festival of Political Songs
* Hollywood Music Festival
* The Kickapoo Creek Rock Festival
* World Popular Song Festival
* Atlanta International Pop Festival II
* Super Concert '70
* Aachen Open Air Pop Festival
* Piedra Roja
* Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music
* Phun City
* Kralingen Music Festival
* Strawberry Fields
* Ruisrock
* Pinkpop Festival
* Powder Ridge Rock Festival
* Goose Lake International Music Festival
* Man-Pop Festival
* Glastonbury Festival
* Vortex I

|

1971–1973|

* Festival de Ancon
* Roskilde Festival
* Pesnya goda
* Vilar de Mouros Festival
* Myponga Pop Festival
* Bumbershoot
* Ilosaarirock
* Tokyo Music Festival
* Weeley Festival
* Northern Lights Festival Boréal
* Festival Rock y Ruedas de Avándaro
* Sunbury Pop Festival
* Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival
* Bickershaw Festival
* Concert 10
* Mar y Sol Pop Festival
* Windsor Free Festival
* BOOM Festival
* Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival
* Aquarius Festival
* Day on the Green
* Summer Jam at Watkins Glen
* Hurricane Festival

1974–1979|

* Stonehenge Free Festival
* Volunteer Jam
* Ashton Court Festival
* Knebworth Festival
* Village Fair
* Zaire 74
* August Jam
* Ozark Music Festival
* Rock Werchter
* California Jam
* Hollywood Rock
* Watchfield Free Festival
* Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
* Midtfyns Festival
* Stemweder Open Air
* Cropredy Convention
* 100 Club Punk Special
* Paléo Festival
* Nambassa
* Deeply Vale Festivals
* Texxas Jam
* Havana Jam
* Gurtenfestival
* Waikino Music Festival
* California Jam II
* Canada Jam
* Bele Chere

Key
people|

* Chet Helms
* Tom Rounds
* Mel Lawrence
* Lou Adler
* John Phillips
* Hilly Kristal
* Michael Lang
* Bill Graham
* Wally Hope
* Ubi Dwyer
* Sid Rawle
* Bill Hanley
* Wavy Gravy
* Freddy Bannister
* Barry Fey
* Merry Pranksters
* Alex Cooley
* Graeme Dunstan
* Mick Farren
* Russ Gibb
* Shelly Finkel
* Jim Koplik
* Stewart Levine
* Hugh Masekela
* Leonard Stogel
* Robert Raymond
* Bruce Lundvall
* Jerry Masucci
* Michael Eavis
* Emily Eavis

|

Related|

* Counterculture of the 1960s
* Summer of Love
* UK underground
* hippies
* la Onda
* deadheads
* rock concert
* crowd surfing
* audience wave
* music festival
* folk festival
* pop festival
* rock festival
* free festival

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Japan
* Italy
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* Netherlands
* Croatia
* Korea
* Poland
* Israel
* Catalonia

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Grammy Awards

People|

* DDB

Other|

* IdRef

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