Did you see Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock? A museum wants to hear your story

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Calling all flower children, The Museum at Bethel Woods Oral History Initiative is looking for people who attended the legendary Woodstock festival.

“As the generation of peace and love continues to age, the clock is ticking to capture their experiences,” a spokesperson for the museum said.  

The Oral History Initiative aims to obtain a deeper understanding of the counterculture of the 1960s by documenting personal experiences. The museum is eager to hear from anyone who may have worked at the Woodstock festival, which took place more than 50 years ago in 1969.  

“We have a mission to preserve the lasting impact of Woodstock for years to come,” said Dr. Neal V. Hitch, senior curator at The Museum at Bethel Woods. “We want to record the experiences of as many participants, attendees, workers, and volunteers from the era as we can because we know they are slipping away fast.” 

Attendees can participate by recording their stories with curators of The Museum at Bethel Woods in locations across the country.  

A brief history of Woodstock

Woodstock is known as one of the greatest events of all time and is considered the most famous music festival in all of history.  

“The Three Days of Peace and Music,” as it came to be known, saw live performances by Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Santana, Jimmy Hendrix, and The Who.  

Although originally planned for Woodstock, New York, the town denied organizers permission to stage the event. Eventually, farmer Max Yasgur made his land available for the event, which attracted an estimated half a million people, many of whom got in free as there was no security.

The Woodstock festival took place over three days, with a closing performance by Jimi Hendrix, a veteran, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his electric guitar.