Max Yasgur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Max B. Yasgur (December 15, 1919–February 9, 1973) was the owner of a dairy farm in Bethel, New York upon which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held on August 15-18, 1969.
On the third day of the festival, just before Joe Cocker's early afternoon set, he addressed the crowd, telling them, "the important thing that you've proven to the world, is that... a half million young people can get together... and have nothing but fun and music, and God Bless You for it!". Michael Wadleigh's 1970 documentary film of the event, Woodstock: Three Days of Peace & Music, includes the speech.
Four-and-a-half months after the festival Yasgur was sued by his neighbors for area property damage caused by the attendance of the "flower children". The damage to his own property was far more extensive, and over a year later he received a $50,000 settlement to pay for the near-destruction of his dairy farm.
In 1971, less than two years after the festival, Max Yasgur sold the farm, and nineteen months later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 53. He was given a full-page obituary in Rolling Stone magazine.
Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock" (also covered by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Richie Havens) includes a reference to "Yasgur's Farm":
- Well, I came upon a child of God
- He was walking along the road
- And I asked him, "Tell where are you going?"
- This he told me...
- Said, "I'm going down to Yasgur's Farm
- Gonna join in a rock and roll band
- Gotta get back to the land
- And set my soul free."
In addition, Mountain, a band which played at the festival, recorded a song titled "For Yasgur's Farm" shortly after the event.
[edit] Quotes
| “ | I'm a farmer...I don't know how to speak to twenty people at one time, let alone a crowd like this. But I think you people have proven something to the world — not only to the Town of Bethel, or Sullivan County, or New York State; you've proven something to the world. This is the largest group of people ever assembled in one place. We have had no idea that there would be this size group, and because of that you've had quite a few inconveniences as far as water, food, and so forth. Your producers have done a mammoth job to see that you're taken care of... they'd enjoy a vote of thanks. But above that, the important thing that you've proven to the world, is that a half a million kids — and I call you kids because I have children that are older than you are — a half million young people can get together and have three days of fun and music, and have nothing but fun and music, and God Bless You for it! | ” |
|
—addressing the crowd at Woodstock on August 17, 1969, from the film, Woodstock |
||
