39 Years Later

Can it really be almost four decades ago?

This August marks the 39th anniversary of Woodstock, the rock concert held in upstate New York which came to symbolize, in many people's minds, the generation that came of age in the'60s.

39 years: that's how old comedian Jack Benny said he was every year when he celebrated his birthday. Ever thought you read Jack Benny and Woodstock in nearly the same sentence? But, if you think about it, unless you are our age, you may not really remember either one anymore.

Woodstock was held just a few weeks before the Vanderbilt Class of 1973 arrived on campus. Did any of us attend Woodstock that summer on the way to Nashville? What are your memories whether you attended or not? Please leave your thoughts below.

And in the meantime, thanks to the wonders of YouTube, enjoy these flashbacks to Woodstock:


Grace Slick & The Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit (recorded live at Woodstock)



Crosby Stills & Nash: Sweet Judy Blue Eyes (recorded live at Woodstock)


And finally, especially for the Vandy Class of '73:

Jerry Garcia & The Grateful Dead: Lovelight (recorded live at Woodstock)

The mainstream media in the Summer of 1969 had a lot of difficulty both covering the Woodstock story (the rain, the mud, the crowds, the traffic) as well as coming to grips with what it meant.

Here's how CBS News reporter John Laurence talked about it (in a coat and tie in his New York studios) on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite on August 18, 1969. Notice in particular, he never uses the word Woodstock.







If you'd like to know even more about Woodstock, check out this website:

http://www.woodstock69.com

Peace