Photo from Life Magazine Vol. 67 Number 9 August 29, 1969

Woodstock (1969)

My interest in music began during childhood when my grandmother bought me a 45 RPM record.  My grandparents bought me a drum set two or three years later.  I began playing the drums with other people in high school (don't all musicians have a high school reunion band) and progressed with my first "road tour" in 1966.  I was relatively successful during those early years, sometimes playing on the same stage with Bob Seger, The James Gang, The McCoys, and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.  Our initial recording entitled "Heather Girl" was a major hit in Ohio and Florida.  When a picture of me in the crowd at Woodstock appeared in Life Magazine (circa 1969), it seemed there would be no end to my instant celebrity status.  By the way, see if you can pick me out of the crowd.  In reality, one of my groups had already received (1968) the highest rating ever for "New Recordings" on Dick Clark's famous program American Bandstand.  But, an appearance at Woodstock seemed to generate more "local" excitement than any of my other adventures at the time.  No, I was not performing at Woodstock.  However, I was part of a festival crowd that came together for three fabulous days on Yasger's Farm.

I'd like to provide readers with a realistic description of "What it was like to be at Woodstock!"  It should be understood that Woodstock was not a highly publicized event.  There was no media-hype surrounding Woodstock prior to the event.  Robert Harris (a long-time friend and great musician) and I learned about Woodstock from our girlfriends at the time.  They had saved an ad from a local (Columbus, Ohio) underground newsprint about an "Arts & Crafts Show" in upstate New York.  There was very little discussion of music, so the four of us set out for New York City in a Volkswagon Beetle.  We did purchase tickets in Greenwich Village; but, by the time we got Woodstock, we were half-a-million strong with fences long trampled under foot and tickets of no real value.  I'll promise to tell the "whole story" at a later date.  Bottom line assessment - nobody could have predicted the overwhelming impact of Woodstock...

There are many who claim to have attended Woodstock.  Life Magazine recorded my attendance (far right in the sheep skin vest with no shirt) for the ages.  Best Moment - either my attempt to bathe in the pond or Carlos Santana's performance. 

Woodstock 1969  Like so many who attended, I left Woodstock a different person.  Pictured far right in a sheep skin vest without a shirt, I decided to go to Woodstock on the spur of the moment. Without realizing it at the time, I became part of contemporary history by attending the original festival of love, peace, and happiness.

Woodstock Stage Area


It was all about love man!