Who was Michael Lang and how did he die?
MICHAEL Lang is responsible for helping create one of the biggest musical festivals in 1969.
On January 9, 2022, it was announced that he had passed away at the age of 77.
Who was Michael Lang?
Born December 11, 1944, Lang was known as an American concert promoter, producer and artistic manager.
To date, he is best known for co-creating the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Festival as well as organizing its follow-ups, Woodstock ’94 and Woodstock ’99.
In 2019, he had also attempted to produce the 50th anniversary Woodstock festival in Watkins Glen, NY, but ran into multiple setbacks after he announced Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and Dead and Company as performers.
Ultimately, he had problems getting permits from local authorities and also lost $32million in funding after financial partner Dentsu and its investment division Amplifi pulled their support.
Prior to his role in the music industry, the Brooklyn native attended college in New York City.
How did he die?
Lang passed away at Sloan Kettering in New York City after losing his battle with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a family spokesperson Michael Pagnotta.
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Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is known as a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system and causes white blood cells to grow abnormally which can tumors throughout the body.
He is survived by his wife Tamara and their five children, Harry, Laszlo, Molly, and twins Shala and LariAnn, 50.
What is the Woodstock Music and Art Festival?
Held from August 15 to August 18, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Festival, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival that has since been referred to as a pop culture phenomenon.
“If you can remember Woodstock, you probably weren’t there," the late Robin Williams once joked, according to .
The festival was known to have heavy drug usage by both attendees and performers.
Lang recalled to in 2019 a time when Jerry Garcia passed some acid to Carlos Santana, who believed he had hours before a performance but was rushed on stage, high as a kite.
“He battled that guitar because he thought it was a serpent,” Lang recalled at the time.
The festival exceeded all expectations with hundreds of thousands of people making their way to the site, causing roads to become blocked as they abandoned their cars to get to the site.