Michael Lang, one of the creators of the iconic and historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair, has died. He was 77.
Lang’s death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by a rep who said he died due to complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
While he wore multiple hats in the music industry — from running his own record label (Just Sunshine Records) to managing Joe Cocker for two decades — Lang will forever be tied to those “3 Days of Peace & Music” on Max Yasgu’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York in August 1969. In addition to Lang, Woodstock was organized by Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman and John P. Roberts. The festival featured performances from Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, the Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker, The Band, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and many more.
Lang would help co-produce Woodstock ’94 and Woodstock ’99 marking the 25th and 30th anniversaries of the legendary festival. Lang had attempted to organize a 50th anniversary installment of Woodstock, aptly named Woodstock 50, but the event ran into a litany of issues from investor/funding issues to lack of permits and many others.
