The Contemporary Icons That Helped Shape The Era

  

The Grateful Dead

Contemporary music icons such The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix not only took the stage at one of history’s greatest music festivals ever, but they also helped shape the form of the revolution known as Woodstock: peace, love, and music.  While the Grateful Dead helped blend music cultures of country, folk, blues, Latin, and rock; Janis Joplin graced the stage with one of the most beautiful voices in music history, and Jimi Hendrix displayed to the world just why he was and still very much is one of the greatest guitar players in music notoriety.  These artists set the standard by which excellence and the “freedom movement” of their day took root.  Leaving nothing on the stage less than what Janis called a piece of my heart.

Janis Joplin

With an era bent on renewed love and the spirit of peace, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix have always been accredited in the success of the era.  Freedom was found to be just another word by Joplin and The Grateful dead most certainly embodied everything about the hippy subculture with Mama tried.  Jimi Hendrix, played his guitar with his teeth and left the nation and certainly New York always remembering his live performance of The Star Spangled banner, at a time when  peace was a way to come together. 

Jimi Hendrix

While their lights may have ended early, These three musicians rocked a culture spun into an evolutionary movement that forever changed the flavor of music history.  The followers of the Grateful dead can still be found wondering concert arenas in search of the next great Jerry Garcia, all while proudly representing a group known as the “dead heads”.  Woodstock defiantly defined music history and gave a realistic depiction of a culture heavily influenced by the ravishing of the drugs of the 60s and 70s.  While Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix brought the generation of their time to their feet, they ignited a fire within the spirit of America; and ultimately paid the price of a life lost to early when drugs took control.  The fire, well….it’s still burning strong and today we can all see a little Joplin in artists of this era; whether it’s the late Amy Winehouse, or the current singer Adele, whom prefers to set fire to the rain, they have all found comfort in the tones and legends of Woodstock.

“We hope the feeling of peace and pleasure that were in this place, will follow out into the streets so all can share them.” - Michael Lang (founder)