Woodstock Organizer Michael Lang Dies at 77 Following Battle with Rare Form of Cancer
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Michael Lang, the co-creator and organizer of Woodstock, has died following a battle with cancer, according to a family spokesperson. He was 77.
Lang had been diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, per a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The famed concert promoter died at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on Saturday.
In addition to the original Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969, Lang helped create and organize follow-up events Woodstock '94 and Woodstock '99.
Lang also attempted to hold Woodstock 50 in 2019 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first festival, but plans for the event did not come to fruition.
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Lang grew up in Brooklyn, according to Variety, and briefly attended New York University before dropping out in 1967, per Deadline. He then ventured to Miami, where he cultivated his career as a concert promoter.
Among the first festivals Lang helped organize was the 1968 Miami Pop Festival, which featured major artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and John Lee Hooker.
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Lang later moved to Woodstock, N.Y., where he helped form and execute the idea for one of the most iconic music festivals in history. More than 400,000 people reportedly attended the event hosted at a farm in Bethel, N.Y., owned by Max Yasgur, between Aug. 15 and Aug. 18 in 1969.
The late concert promoter did the same with Woodstock '94, which was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Woodstock event, and the more controversial Woodstock '99.
In 2019, Lang planned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival with a similar event featuring modern artists like Miley Cyrus, JAY-Z, The Killers, The Black Keys, and Chance the Rapper, in addition to classic Woodstock artists such as Santana and Grateful Dead offshoot Dead & Company, featuring John Mayer.
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The event was ultimately canceled. Lang later accused Dentsu Aegis Network, which had financially backed Woodstock 50, of swiping around $17 million from the festival's bank account after the company pulled its support the month prior.
Lang is survived by his wife Tamara, sons Harry and Laszlo, and daughters LariAnn, Shala, and Molly.
