Who sang the opening song at Woodstock?

Answer 1

Richie Havens's performance at Woodstock was scheduled well in advance. But he was scheduled to play later on that day meaning he was not the opening performer. Nothing could have prepared him for the circumstances he found there. Because of traffic problems, none of the early acts arrived on time, the concert was nearly three hours late, and Havens was the first performer to appear before the restive throng.

Answer 2

Friday, August 15The first day officially began at 5:07 p.m. with Richie Havens and featured folk artists.

• Richie Havens - 5:07pm - 7:00pm
  1. "Minstrel From Gault"
  2. "From The Prison>Get Together>From The Prison"
  3. "I'm A Stranger Here"
  4. "High Flyin' Bird"
  5. "I Can't Make It Any More"
  6. "With a Little Help from My Friends"
  7. "I Had A Woman"
  8. "Handsome Johnny"
  9. "Strawberry Fields Forever / Hey Jude"
  10. "Freedom/Motherless Child"
• Swami Satchidananda - gave the invocation for the festival - 7:10pm - 7:20pm
• Sweetwater - 7:30pm - 8:10pm
  1. "What's Wrong"
  2. "Motherless Child"
  3. "Look Out"
  4. "For Pete's Sake"
  5. "Day Song"
  6. "Crystal Spider"
  7. "Two Worlds"
  8. "Why Oh Why"
  9. "Let The Sunshine In"
  10. "Oh Happy Day"
• Bert Sommer - 8:20pm - 9:15pm
  1. "Jennifer"
  2. "The Road To Travel"
  3. "I Wondered Where You'd Be"
  4. "She's Gone"
  5. "Things Are Going my Way"
  6. "And When It's Over"
  7. "Jeanette"
  8. "America"
  9. "A Note That Read"
  10. "Smile"
• Tim Hardin - 9:20pm - 9:45pm
  1. "Hang Onto A Dream"
  2. "Susan"
  3. "If I Were a Carpenter"
  4. "Reason To Believe"
  5. "You Upset The Grace Of Living When You Lie"
  6. "Speak Like A Child"
  7. "Snow White Lady"
  8. "Blue On My Ceiling"
  9. "Simple Song Of Freedom"
  10. "Misty Roses"
• Ravi Shankar, with a 5-song set, played through the rain - 10:00pm - 10:35pm
  1. "Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital"
  2. "Tabla Solo In Jhaptal"
  3. "Raga Manj Kmahaj"
  4. "Iap Jor"
  5. "Dhun In Kaharwa Tal"
• Melanie Safka - 10:50pm - 11:20pm
  1. "Johnny Boy"
  2. "Close Yo It All"
  3. "Momma Momma"
  4. "Beautiful People"
  5. "Animal Crackers"
  6. "Mr. Tambourine Man"
  7. "Tuning My Guitar"
  8. "Birthday Of The Sun"
• Arlo Guthrie--order of set list unknown; - 11:55pm - 12:25am
  1. "Coming Into Los Angeles"
  2. "Wheel of Fortune"
  3. "Walking Down the Line"
  4. "Story about Moses and the Brownies"
  5. "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep"
  6. "Every Hand In The Land"
  7. "Amazing Grace"
• Joan Baez- she was six months pregnant at the time - 12:55am - 2:00am [2]
  1. Story about how the Federal Marshals came to take David Harris into custody "Joe Hill"
  2. "Sweet Sir Galahad"
  3. "Hickory Wind"
  4. "Drugstore Truck Driving Man" duet with Jeffrey Shurtleff
  5. "Sweet Sunny South"
  6. "One Day At A Time"
  7. "Why Was I Tempted To Roam"
  8. "Let Me Wrap You In My Warm and Tender Love"
  9. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
  10. "We Shall Overcome"

Saturday, August 16

The day opened at 1:20 pm, and featured some of the event's biggest psychedelic and guitar rock headliners.

• Quill, forty minute set of four songs - 1:20pm - 2:00pm
  1. "They Live the Life"
  2. "BBY"
  3. "Waitin' For You"
  4. "That's How I Eat / Jam"
• Country Joe McDonald- 2:20pm - 2:45pm
  1. "Janis"
  2. "Rockin All Around The World"
  3. "Flyin' High All Over the World"
  4. "Seen A Rocket Flyin'"
  5. "The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag"
• John Sebastian- 3:10pm - 3:35pm
  1. "How Have You Been"
  2. "Rainbows Over Your Blues"
  3. "I Had a Dream"
  4. "Darlin' Be Home Soon"
  5. "Younger Generation"
• Keef Hartley Band - 4:00pm - 5:00pm
  1. "Spanish Fly"
  2. "Believe In You"
  3. "Rock Me Baby"
  4. "Medley"
  5. "Leavin' Trunk"
  6. "Sinnin' For You "
• Santana- 5:15pm - 6:00pm
  1. "Waiting"
  2. "Evil Ways"
  3. "You Just Don't Care"
  4. "Savor"
  5. "Jingo"
  6. "Persuasion"
  7. "Soul Sacrifice"
  8. "Fried Neckbones"
• The Incredible String Band- 6:30pm - 7:15pm
  1. "Sleepers Awaken"
  2. "Invocation"
  3. "The Letter"
  4. "This Moment"
  5. "When You Find Out Who You Are"
• Canned Heat - 8:00pm - 9:00pm
  1. "A Change Is Gonna Come/Leaving This Town"
  2. "Going Up the Country"
  3. "Let's Work Together"
  4. "Woodstock Boogie"
  5. "On The Road Again"
• Mountain, hour-long set including Jack Bruce's "Theme for an Imaginary Western." - 9:30pm - 10:30pm
  1. "Blood of the Sun"
  2. "Stormy Monday"
  3. "Long Red"
  4. "Beside The Sea"
  5. "For Yasgur's Farm"
  6. "You and Me"
  7. "Theme for an Imaginary Western"
  8. "Waiting To Take You Away"
  9. "Dreams of Milk and Honey"
  10. "Blind Man"
  11. "Blue Suede Shoes"
  12. "Southbound Train"
• Grateful Dead, their set was cut short after the stage amps overloaded during "Turn On Your Love Light" - 12:00am - 1:00am
  1. "St. Stephen"
  2. "Mama Tried"
  3. "Dark Star"
  4. "High Time"
  5. "Turn on Your Love Light"
• Creedence Clearwater Revival- 1:30am -2:15am
  1. "Born on the Bayou"
  2. "Green River"
  3. "Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)"
  4. "Commotion"
  5. "Bootleg"
  6. "Bad Moon Rising"
  7. "Proud Mary"
  8. "I Put a Spell on You"
  9. "Night Time is the Right Time"
  10. "Keep On Chooglin'"
  11. "Suzie Q"
• Janis Joplin with The Kozmic Blues Band - 2:30am - 3:15am [3]
  1. "Raise Your Hand"
  2. "As Good As You've Been To This World"
  3. "To Love Somebody"
  4. "Summertime"
  5. "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)"
  6. "Kozmic Blues"
  7. "Can't Turn You Loose"
  8. "Work Me Lord"
  9. "Piece of My Heart"
  10. "Ball 'n' Chain"
• Sly & the Family Stone - 3:30am - 4:30am
  1. "M'Lady"
  2. "Sing a Simple Song"
  3. "You Can Make It If You Try"
  4. "Everyday People"
  5. "Medley: Dance To The Music/Music Lover/I Want To Take You Higher"
  6. "I Want to Take You Higher"
  7. "Love City"
  8. "Stand!"
• The Who- 5:00am - 6:30am kicking off a 25-song set including Tommy'"
  1. "Heaven and Hell"
  2. "I Can't Explain"
  3. "It's a Boy"
  4. "1921"
  5. "Amazing Journey"
  6. "Sparks"
  7. "Eyesight to the Blind"
  8. "Christmas"
  9. "Tommy Can You Hear Me?"
  10. "Acid Queen"
  11. "Pinball Wizard" Abbie Hoffman incident
  12. "Do You Think It's Alright?"
  13. "Fiddle About"
  14. "There's a Doctor"
  15. "Go to the Mirror"
  16. "Smash the Mirror"
  17. "I'm Free"
  18. "Tommy's Holiday Camp"
  19. "We're Not Gonna Take It"/"See Me, Feel Me"
  20. "Summertime Blues"
  21. "Shakin' All Over"
  22. "My Generation"
  23. "Naked Eye"
• Jefferson Airplane- 7:00am - 8:30am
  1. "Other Side of This Life"
  2. "Somebody To Love"
  3. "Three-Fifths of a Mile In 10 Seconds"
  4. "Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon"
  5. "Eskimo Blue Day"
  6. "Plastic Fantastic Lover"
  7. "Wooden Ships"
  8. "Uncle Sam's Blues"
  9. "Volunteers"
  10. "Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil"
  11. "Come Back Baby"
  12. "White Rabbit"
  13. "House At Pooneil Corners"

Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18Joe Cocker was the first act on the last officially booked day (Sunday); he opened up the day's events at 2 PM. His set was preceded by at least two instrumentals by The Grease Band.

• Joe Cocker - 3:30pm - 4:10pm
  1. "Dear Landlord"
  2. "Something Comin' On"
  3. "Do I Still Figure In Your Life"
  4. "Feelin' Alright"
  5. "Just Like A Woman"
  6. "Let's Go Get Stoned"
  7. "I Don't Need A Doctor"
  8. "I Shall Be Released"
  9. "Hitchcock Railway"
  10. "Something To Say"
  11. "With a Little Help from My Friends"
• After Joe Cocker's set, a thunderstorm disrupted the events for several hours.
• Country Joe and the Fish 8:00pm - 8:30pm [citation needed]
  1. "Rock and Soul Music"
  2. "Love"
  3. "Love Machine"
  4. "The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag"
• Ten Years After- 9:00pm - 10:00pm
  1. "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl"
  2. "I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes"
  3. "I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always"
  4. "Hear Me Calling"
  5. "I'm Going Home"
• The Band - 10:30pm - 11:30pm - Set list confirmed in Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's On Fire"
  1. "Chest Fever"
  2. "Tears of Rage"
  3. "We Can Talk"
  4. "Don't You Tell Henry"
  5. "Don't Do It"
  6. "Ain't No More Cane"
  7. "Long Black Veil"
  8. "This Wheel's On Fire"
  9. "I Shall Be Released"
  10. "The Weight"
  11. "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"
• Johnny Winter - 12:00am - 1:00am featuring his brother, Edgar Winter, on two songs.
  1. "Mama, Talk to Your Daughter"
  2. "To Tell the Truth"
  3. "Johnny B. Goode"
  4. "Six Feet In the Ground"
  5. "Leland Mississippi Blues/Rock Me Baby"
  6. "Mean Mistreater"
  7. "I Can't Stand It" (with Edgar Winter)
  8. "Tobacco Road" (with Edgar Winter)
  9. "Mean Town Blues"
• Blood, Sweat & Tears - 1:30am - 2:30am ushered in the midnight hour with five songs.
  1. "More and More"
  2. "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"
  3. "Spinning Wheel"
  4. "I Stand Accused"
  5. "Something Comin' On"

• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 3:00am - 4:30am[citation needed] with separate acoustic and electric sets. Chip Monck announced the group as "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young", but the name Young was dropped from the movie and film soundtrack.
  • Acoustic Set
  1. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"
  2. "Blackbird"
  3. "Helplessly Hoping"
  4. "Guinnevere"
  5. "Marrakesh Express"
  6. "4 + 20"
  7. "Mr. Soul"
  8. "Wonderin'"
  9. "You Don't Have To Cry"
  • Electric Set
  1. "Pre-Road Downs"
  2. "Long Time Gone"
  3. "Bluebird Revisited"
  4. "Sea of Madness"
  5. "Wooden Ships"
  6. "Find the Cost of Freedom"
  7. "49 Bye-Byes"
  • Neil Young skipped most of the acoustic set (the exceptions being his compositions "Mr. Soul" and "Wonderin'") and joined Crosby, Stills & Nash, but refused to be filmed during the electric set; by his own report, Young felt the filming was distracting both performers and audience from the music. Young's "Sea of Madness," heard on the album, was drawn from the Fillmore East concert, one month after the festival. The original recording was later restored on the 6-CD boxed set Woodstock: 40 Years On [Back To Yasgur's Farm]
• Paul Butterfield Blues Band - 5:00am - 6:00am
  1. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
  2. "Driftin'"
  3. "Born Under a Bad Sign"
  4. "Morning Sunrise"
  5. "Love March"
• Sha-Na-Na - 6:30am - 7:30am
  1. "Na Na Theme"
  2. "Yakety Yak"
  3. "Teen Angel"
  4. "Jailhouse Rock"
  5. "Wipe Out"
  6. "A Teenager in Love"
  7. "Book of Love"
  8. "Duke of Earl"
  9. "At the Hop"
  10. "Na Na Theme"

• Jimi Hendrix - 8:30am - 10:00am After being introduced as the "Jimi Hendrix Experience", Hendrix corrected the new group's name to "Gypsy Sun and Rainbows."
  1. "Message to Love"
  2. "Hear My Train A Comin'" (titled "Get My Heart Back Together" on Woodstock 2 album)
  3. "Spanish Castle Magic"
  4. "Red House" (Hendrix's high E-string broke while playing, but he played the rest of the song with five strings.)
  5. "Mastermind" (written and sung by Larry Lee)
  6. "Lover Man"
  7. "Foxy Lady"
  8. "Jam Back at the House"
  9. "Izabella"
  10. "Gypsy Woman"/"Aware of Love" (These two songs written by Curtis Mayfield were sung by Larry Lee as a medley)
  11. "Fire"
  12. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"/"Stepping Stone"
  13. "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  14. "Purple Haze"
  15. "Woodstock Improvisation"/"Villanova Junction"
  16. "Hey Joe"
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_performances_and_events_at_Woodstock_Festival

Answer 3

Richie Havens's performance at Woodstock was scheduled well in advance. But he was scheduled to play later on that day meaning he was not the opening performer. Nothing could have prepared him for the circumstances he found there. Because of traffic problems, none of the early acts arrived on time, the concert was nearly three hours late, and Havens was the first performer to appear before the restive throng.

Answer 4

The Woodstock Festival got started nearly on time. On Friday evening, August 15, Richie Havens got up on stage and officially started the Festival. Sweetwater, Joan Baez, and other folk artists also played Friday night.

Answer 5

Answer

Various sources list either "Minstrel Came Down from Gault" or "High Flyin' Bird" by Richie Havens as the first song played.

Answer 6

Jimi Hendrix closed Woodstock with an incredible version of The Star Spangled Banner on the morning of Monday August 18, 1969. The last song he played was 'Hey Joe'.

Answer 7

Crosby, Stills and Nash made the song a hit. Initially performed by Joni Mitchell, written in her hotel room after her manager refused to let her perform at the festival.

Answer 8

Richie Havens

Answer 9

WAR