Music History

She was originally booked to perform at Woodstock but had to cancel her appearance because of a television engagement. She later wrote the song “Woodstock”.

During their North American tour, they performed at HemisFair Arena in San Antonio. Jethro Tull and Sweet Smoke were also on the bill, but only Led Zeppelin faced negative reactions from locals because of their long hair.

Their debut album Three Dog Night received a gold record for sales of one million copies. After modest success with “Nobody” and “Try a Little Tenderness”, the label released the single “One”, which reached No. 5. Later editions of the album emphasized this hit in the title, and the album was certified platinum in 2008.

On August 15, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened on Max Yasgur’s 600-acre farm in Bethel, New York. Originally promoted as “Three Days of Peace and Music,” the festival had already attracted tens of thousands of people before the official opening, and the grounds quickly filled with an enormous crowd. Due to the overwhelming turnout, severe traffic jams and problems with ticket control, the festival eventually became a free event. The festival was officially opened by spiritual teacher Sri Swami Satchidananda. Richie Havens was the first musician to take the stage and performed an unusually long set because many of the scheduled performers were delayed. The first day also featured Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez, who closed the first day’s performances. The opening of Woodstock became one of the defining moments in music history, creating an atmosphere of peace, music and collective celebration that would come to symbolize an entire generation.

Blind Faith released their self-titled debut album.

Blind Faith performed at the Earl Warren Fairgrounds in Santa Barbara, California.

Child, featuring Bruce Springsteen, played the first of two concerts over two days at the Student Prince in Asbury Park. Because of these concerts, Springsteen was unable to perform at Woodstock.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performed together for the first time at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, where they played two concerts. Joni Mitchell performed with them. It was the historic debut of the CSNY lineup, just two days before their appearance at Woodstock.

David Bowie performed at the Free Festival organized by the Beckenham Arts Lab in Beckenham, London. He later commemorated the event in his song "Memory of a Free Festival".

Elvis Presley performed two concerts at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, an evening show at 8:15 p.m. and a midnight show, both attended by approximately 2,200 spectators. The programs included songs such as Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, Memories, In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, Yesterday/Hey Jude and Can't Help Falling in Love.

Led Zeppelin performed at Convention Hall in Asbury Park with Joe Cocker as the opening act. Because of this concert, they were unable to perform at Woodstock.

The Guess Who's "These Eyes" received a gold certification.

The Jackson 5 played one of their first major concerts as the opening act for Diana Ross and The Supremes at The Forum in Inglewood, Los Angeles.

During The Who's performance at Woodstock, activist Abbie Hoffman interrupted the concert and seized the microphone. After a brief speech about John Sinclair, Pete Townshend struck him with his guitar and knocked him off the stage.

The second day of the festival continued with performances by a remarkable line-up of artists. The stage featured Quill, Country Joe McDonald, Santana, John Sebastian, the Keef Hartley Band, the Incredible String Band, Canned Heat, Mountain, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, the Who, and Jefferson Airplane. One of the day’s most memorable moments was Santana’s performance. Carlos Santana later recalled experiencing the effects of mescaline and hallucinations while on stage. The evening continued with performances by the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Janis Joplin. In the early morning hours, the Who took the stage at around 5 a.m., followed by Jefferson Airplane. The second day of Woodstock was one of the most intense stretches of the entire festival and featured several performances that would later become legendary moments in rock music history.

The third day of the festival continued with another remarkable line-up of performances. The stage featured Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, Ten Years After, The Band, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Joe Cocker’s energetic, blues-influenced performance became one of the festival’s most memorable moments. Ten Years After also made a lasting impression, culminating in an extended and intense guitar performance by Alvin Lee. Another significant moment was the first public performance by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a group. The Band brought their distinctive blend of rock, folk, and American roots music, while Johnny Winter delivered a powerful blues-rock performance. The third day offered a diverse combination of rock, blues, folk, and soul, continuing the atmosphere of a musical gathering that was gradually becoming a historic event.

Singer, songwriter, rapper and producer Donald “Donnie” Wahlberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He became known as a founding member of New Kids on the Block.

On August 17, 1969, Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, in two shows: an evening Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m. and a Midnight Show. Each performance had an audience of approximately 2,200 people. A reliable setlist for this date has not been confirmed.

Elvis Presley's television special was rebroadcast on NBC-TV. The song “Blue Christmas” was cut and replaced with “Tiger Man”.

Rapper and producer Kelvin Mercer, also known as Posdnuos or Pos, was born in New York. He is a co-founder of the hip-hop trio De La Soul.

Led Zeppelin performed at the Oakland Musical Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut, during their North American tour.

During The Who's performance at Woodstock, Pete Townshend pushed activist Abbie Hoffman off the stage after he attempted to make a political statement. Townshend later said that at the time he did not know it was Hoffman.

Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show at 8:15 p.m., followed by a Midnight Show. Both performances were attended by approximately 2,200 people. For the Dinner Show he wore a black herringbone suit with red pleats, and for the Midnight Show a black herringbone suit with blue pleats.

Rapper, singer, songwriter and guitarist Erik Francis Schrody, known as Everlast, was born on Long Island, New York. He became known as the frontman of the hip-hop group House of Pain.

Jimi Hendrix closed the Woodstock festival with a morning performance featuring “Hey Joe.” As the festival's headline act, he had originally been scheduled to perform the previous evening, but because the program ran longer than expected, he did not take the stage until Monday morning. His performance included a striking version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

King Crimson performed at the Cooks Ferry Inn in London.

Led Zeppelin performed two concerts at the Rock Pile in Toronto during their North American tour.

Mick Jagger suffered a deep cut to his hand when a prop gun malfunctioned during the filming of the movie Ned Kelly in Australia.

Local up-and-coming band Rush watched Led Zeppelin perform in Toronto. In 1974, when Rush began receiving US airplay with “Working Man,” radio stations received many calls asking whether it was a new Led Zeppelin song.

The Woodstock festival ended with morning performances by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha Na Na and Jimi Hendrix, who played his version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at 9 a.m. Of the more than 400,000 attendees, only an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people remained in the mud for Hendrix's closing performance.

Due to delays caused by bad weather, technical problems and the enormous scale of the event, the festival continued into Monday morning. Sha Na Na took the stage first, bringing a striking return to the rock ’n’ roll style of the 1950s and creating a sharp contrast with much of the festival’s psychedelic and rock-oriented music. The final performer was Jimi Hendrix with his band Gypsy Sun & Rainbows. He took the stage at around 9:00 a.m., by which time most of the audience had already left the festival grounds. His performance nevertheless became one of the most famous moments in Woodstock history, particularly for his distinctive rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” After Hendrix’s performance, the musical program of Woodstock officially came to an end. The remaining festivalgoers began leaving the site, leaving behind enormous amounts of garbage, mud and debris. A massive cleanup operation followed, involving both volunteers and hired crews. The grounds were gradually cleared and restored.

Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in both the evening and midnight shows. The evening show began at 8:15 p.m. and included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “My Babe”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don’t Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me to Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday/Hey Jude”, “In the Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds”, “What’d I Say” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The midnight show included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “My Babe”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don’t Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train”, “In the Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Crosby, Stills and Nash appeared on The Dick Cavett Show. The episode, now often referred to as “The Woodstock Show”, featured artists and audience members who had come directly from the Woodstock festival the previous weekend. Crosby, Stills and Nash gave first-hand accounts of the festival. Joni Mitchell, who had skipped Woodstock to secure her appearance on the show, performed her song “Woodstock”, which she had written about the festival.

American rapper, singer, songwriter and actor Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, known as Nate Dogg, was born in Long Beach, California. He began his career as a member of the California rap trio 213 with his longtime friend Warren G and cousin Snoop Dogg. He is considered one of the pioneers of West Coast hip hop. He died on March 15, 2011, at the age of 41.

Andy Williams' album “Happy Heart” was certified gold.

Elvis performed an evening and midnight show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The evening show began at 8:15 p.m., had a capacity of 2,200 and included, among others, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got A Woman”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Hound Dog”, “Mystery Train”, “Tiger Man”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “It's Now Or Never”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight program is not listed on the source.

Frank Zappa temporarily disbanded The Mothers of Invention shortly after an eight-day tour of Canada. He said he was tired of playing for people who applauded for all the wrong reasons, as he felt audiences often overlooked the compositional complexity of the music and responded instead to the band's image and superficial eccentricities. He re-formed the group several months later.

Led Zeppelin performed at The Aerodrome in Schenectady, New York.

Elvis Presley performed at 8:15 p.m. and at midnight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both concerts were attended by 2,200 people. The 8:15 p.m. setlist included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got A Woman”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “I Can't Stop Loving You”, “My Babe”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me To Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday/Hey Jude”, “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds”, “What'd I Say” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “All Shook Up”, “I Got A Woman”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me To Do”, “Runaway”, “Surrender/Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Words”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds”, “What I'd Say” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. After the midnight show, Elvis introduced Shelly Fabares.

James Brown opened the first two of his Gold Platter restaurants in Macon, Georgia. The soul-food restaurants served food on plates resembling gold records and were intended as a franchise opportunity for Black entrepreneurs. However, the concept did not catch on and the project was discontinued in 1970.

Led Zeppelin performed at the Carousel Theatre in Framingham, Massachusetts, during their North American tour.

Yes performed at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.

Blind Faith performed at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, during their only North American tour. Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood would not perform together again until 2008.

On August 22, 1969, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas as part of his first Las Vegas engagement, which ran from July 31 to August 28. The evening show began at 8:15 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight; both had a capacity of 2,200 spectators and were recorded by RCA. The evening show included Opening Theme, Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Memories, Mystery Train/Tiger Man, monologue, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Runaway, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Yesterday/Hey Jude, Suspicious Minds and What'd I Say. The midnight show included Opening Theme, Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Memories, Mystery Train/Tiger Man, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Runaway, Funny How Times Slip Away, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Yesterday/Hey Jude, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, What'd I Say and Can't Help Falling In Love. For the evening show, Elvis wore a black herringbone suit with red pleats and a red-and-black macramé belt; for the midnight show, he wore a white herringbone suit with a white macramé belt.

During their North American tour, Led Zeppelin played the first of two concerts at Pirates World in Dania, Florida. The bill also included The Royal Ascots, Brimstone, and The Echo.

The Latin rock band Santana released its self-titled debut studio album through Columbia Records. The album reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 34 in the United Kingdom. It included the single “Evil Ways”, which reached No. 9 in the U.S. and introduced Gregg Rolie as lead singer; Rolie later became a co-founder of the band Journey.

English guitarist Stephen “Steve” Cradock was born in Solihull. He became best known for his work with Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. Ocean Colour Scene formed in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1989; in 1996 they had the UK No. 4 hit “The Day We Caught the Train”, more than 12 other Top 40 singles, and in 1997 the UK No. 1 album “Marchin' Already”.

The Beatles gathered at Tittenhurst Park in Sunninghill, England, the home of John and Yoko Lennon, for their final joint photo session. Photographers Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco of the Daily Mirror took photographs, and The Beatles' assistant Mal Evans also took additional pictures. Three of Ethan Russell's photographs from the session were later used on the front and back covers of the compilation album “Hey Jude”, released by Capitol in 1970. Yoko Ono and a pregnant Linda McCartney, who would give birth to her daughter Mary six days later, also appeared in some of the photographs.

The Beatles filmed a short film for the song “The Long and Winding Road”.