Woodstock

St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Jan 29, 2002 by Douglas Cooke

What really caused the Woodstock promoters to lose their credibility was their lawsuit against a simultaneous festival called Bethel '94 which was planned at the original Woodstock site in Bethel. The event was scheduled to include such veterans as Melanie, Country Joe McDonald, and Richie Havens. Woodstock Ventures, who had been thwarted and sued by many during the first Woodstock, launched an $80 million law suit to prevent Bethel '94 from happening. But 12,000 attended anyway, and Arlo Guthrie and others gave free impromptu performances. The litigation against Bethel '94 robbed Woodstock Two of any vestige of counterculture coolness.

Woodstock Ventures retained its exclusive rights, but the memory of Woodstock Nation belongs to the world; it is irrevocably imbedded in American culture. One of the most fertile legacies of Woodstock is the anecdotes, stories, and legends which recall the color and humor of that absurd decade. One elusive legend reports that a child was born, though no one seems to know whatever became of the child. The question usually comes up at anniversaries of the event, but remains a mystery. It is possible that the child born at Woodstock is simply a myth providing counterpoint to the deaths (there were three deaths at Woodstock: a youth died Saturday morning when a tractor ran over him as he slept in his sleeping bag; another died of a heroin overdose, and a third died of appendicitis). Besides the dozens of histories and memoirs, Woodstock has also inspired novels, stories, and songs. Its most famous anthem is Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's version of "Woodstock" from their album Déja Vu (1970). The song was penned by Joni Mitchell and also appears on her album, Ladies of the Canyon (1970). Written in the style of a folk ballad, her song beautifully conveys the spirit--as well as the ironies--of Woodstock Nation, with its theme of pastoral escape, the rally of "half a million strong," the haunting subtext of Vietnam, and the poignantly passive dream of peace.