Michael Lang, one of the co-creators of the legendary Woodstock Music & Arts festival series, has died at 77 of a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City, according to his publicist.
Lang left New York University in 1967 and moved to Miami. He managed a head shop in Miami and promoted several concerts. One of these was the 1968 Miami Pop Festival. It attracted over 25,000 attendees. .
Artie Korfeld met him in Woodstock, New York, and they began to discuss the idea for a large music festival that would be a celebration of the culture. That led to Woodstock, which was held at Max Yasguar’s farm in the Bethel, New York area from Aug. 15 to 18, 1969. The show attracted the cream of that era’s musicians, but was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attendees, estimated at 400,000. Traffic was backed up, and the producers eventually decided to make it a free festival.
Lang was featured in many scenes from the 1970 documentary film. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music.
Woodstock’s major cultural impact was revived in the 1990s in 1994 and 1990 editions, with major concert promoter John Scher on board. In 2019, Woodstock’s 50th anniversary was celebrated with a three day event featuring performances by Santana, John Fogerty and other artists.
Lang was also a founder and operator of Just Sunshine Records. The label had more than 40 albums produced by artists from Karen Dalton to Mississippi Fred McDowell. Joe Cocker, Rickie Lee Jones and Willie DeVille were also among his management.
Lang is survived his wife Tamara and their sons Harry & Laszlo as well as his daughters LariAnn and Shala.