More than 30 acts performed on the concert's main stage at the base of a hill on land owned by farmer Max Yasgur, and concertgoers were treated to iconic performances from artists including Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. Roughly 400,000 people descended on the hamlet of Bethel, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of New York City and endured miles-long traffic jams, torrential rains, food shortages and overwhelmed sanitary facilities. "Both of those thing go hand in hand."Īlong with partners Artie Kornfeld, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Lang put together the festival billed as “three days of peace and music” in the summer of 1969 as the Vietnam War raged and led increasing numbers of disaffected young Americans to turn away from traditional mores and embrace a lifestyle that celebrated freedom of expression. “He was absolutely an historic figure, and also a great guy," Pagnotta, who said he had known Lang for about 30 years, told The Associated Press. A spokesperson for Lang's family says the 77-year-old had been battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and passed away Saturday, Jan. The co-creator and promoter of the 1969 Woodstock music festival that served as a touchstone for generations of music fans, Michael Lang has died. 13, 2009 file photo, producer Michael Lang poses for a portrait in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Show More Show Less 2 of3 FILE - In this Aug. 1 of3 Woodstock co-producer and co-founder, Michael Lang, participates in the Woodstock 50 lineup announcement at Electric Lady Studios, March 19, 2019, in New York.