More Than 50 Years Later: Woodstock Paychecks Revealed

Performed on: Day 3
Played for: 85 mins
Payment: $1,375* ( $9,953.22 adjusted for inflation)

British singer John “Joe” Cocker was one of the acts who played at Woodstock. He performed a cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” a song by the Beatles, which had reached #1 on the charts before his performance. He also performed, in addition to the 1969 concert, at the Isle of Wight Festival, Golden Jubilee, and the Party at the Palace.

Joe Cocker ©Scherman Rowland/credo.library.umass.edu | @bill1217 / Pinterest.com

He also was known in the states for his hit with Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong,” which won him a Grammy in 1983. Cocker won a Sheffield Legends plaque in 2007, and the OBE.

Joe Cocker, who was recognized by media outlets like Fox as “a music legend,” led his Grease Band in a performance that would become famous. The blues singer, clad in a tie-dye shirt, was one of the final performers to go on before the thunderstorms hit that would drench the crowd (and performers).

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 75 mins
Payment: $6,500* ($47,051.58 adjusted for inflation)

Rock band Canned Heat performed at Woodstock, and their appearance there and at the Monterey made them world-renowned, granting the band international fame. Canned Heat originally formed in LA in 1965 thanks to Alan Wilson and Bob Hite. The band name came from the old Tommy Johnson song “Canned Heat Blues.”

Canned Heat @Paytress / Twitter.com

Canned Heat was a very popular hippie band, and its music had a lot of psychedelic solos. Its most famous records included On the Road Again and Going Up the Country, the latter of which was a remake of a Henry Thomas song called “Bull Doze Blues.”

Woodstock fan pages and blogs remember Canned Heat as an audience favorite. Recordings of the rock band’s performance, which you can see on YouTube certainly show a high-energy performance. Canned Heat hit the stage at 7:30PM on August 16th (a Saturday), and they performed for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Performed on: Day 3
Played for: 30 mins
Payment: $700* ($4,966.53 adjusted for inflation)

Doo-wop group Sha Na Na gained notoriety after performing at Woodstock. It was a band that based its work on fifties songs, performing a song and dance routine that parodied New York street culture in the 1950s. The group formed in 1969, gaining enough popularity to make the Woodstock lineup that same year.

Sha Na Na @pir8lksat40 / Twitter.com

The group’s performance launched their career, and they had their own variety series in the late 70s and early 80s. The group was easily recognizable for their flashy costumes. They also had ducktails and pompadour hairstyles. Sha Na Na still records and tours to this day, all these decades later.

Later on, we’d get a glimpse into why Sha Na Na performed at Woodstock. David Garrett and Rob Leonard stated in a later interview that they owed their performance to Jimi Hendrix. The Capitol Records artist saw Sha Na Na perform at the Scene Club a few months earlier-he recommended to Woodstock’s producers that Sha Na Na perform. 

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 50 mins
Payment: $7,000* ($50,670.93 adjusted for inflation)

Sly Stone (whose real name is Sylvester Stewart) started the band Sly and the Family Stone, which was critical to the development of funk, rock, and soul music, as well as psychedelia that was around during the 1960s and 70s. Stone himself was born in Texas but raised in California, learning several instruments at an early age and becoming a gospel singer.

Sly & the Family Stone @ JJKALE2 / Twitter.com

He was a record producer for the Autumn Records label, and he formed his band Sly & the Family Stone in 1966, three years before its performance at Woodstock, which included its songs “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music.”

Sadly, Sly and the Family Stone wouldn’t last much longer after Woodstock. In 1972, the band broke up after a stretch of drug-related “bleak days,” according to SFGate.com. The original bassist, Larry Graham, got chased out of the group. Now, Sly and the Family Stone lives on on Spotify and Apple Music, but their live performances are done for good.

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 25 mins
Payment: $1,000* ($7,238.70 adjusted for inflation)

John Benson Sebastian was the founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful, a band that was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2000. Sebastian, who was also known as G. Pugliese, made an impromptu Woodstock appearance as part of his solo career. He originally went to the festival just to attend, but organizers asked him to play an acoustic set at the last minute.

John Sebastian @ dean_frey / Twitter.com

There was a rain delay, and the organizers couldn’t set up amps until things dried up. So, Sebastian got onstage with his guitar and played five unreleased songs. The set was reportedly spontaneous and very casual, but it was well-received.

When you listen to John Sebastian’s Woodstock recordings on Apple Music or Spotify, you wouldn’t think that his life had so much turmoil. But it did. The late sixties were the last time that his former band would be together, as it was falling apart due to inner turmoil and drugs. Sebastian abandoned the band and started his solo career right before Woodstock.

Performed on: Day 1
Played for: 45 mins
Payment: $6,000* ($43,432.23 adjusted for inflation)

Richie Havens famously opened Woodstock with a performance that shot him to global fame. The blues singer performed for a little under an hour. He was called back for a few encores, and he made up songs on the spot. He stated that he was told to continue playing because other artists hadn’t arrived yet because of bad traffic.

Richie Havens @ TodayThatWas / Twitter.com

He ended up coming up with his song, “Freedom,” while onstage. He improvised the tune after the song “Motherless Child,” an old spiritual. The festival helped his career take off, and he appeared at Isle of Wight soon thereafter.

The music legend would later talk to CNN about the performance that made him famous. Havens said he was under “strong pressure” to get Woodstock off the ground. He came up with “Freedom” when he looked out at the crowd of people. “Freedom” was the first word that jumped to his mind. 

Performed on: Day 3
Played for: 90 mins
Payment: $3,750* ($27,145.14 adjusted for inflation)

Johnny Winter was a Texas-born musician known for writing and producing music with Muddy Waters. He also had several blues albums of his own that were nominated for Grammys. He received his induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988, and he was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the best guitarists of all time.

Johnny Winter @ PhilVdG / Twitter.com

Winter played the Woodstock show right after he received a $600,000 advance from his record label to record albums. This was the largest advance in the entire industry at the time. Winter and his band dropped two albums in 1969.  

Johnny Winter’s 12-string Fender stole the show just as much as the performer did. Winter showed off his slides on his Fender, which was fitted with only six strings, so as to make it easier to play slide. Fender Music Corporation, formerly owned by CBS, sold guitars to all the greats, from Elvis to Hendrix.

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 60 mins
Payment: $7,500* ($54,290.28 adjusted for inflation)

Janis Joplin rose to fame in 1967 after performing at the Monterey Pop Festival. She was the lead singer of Big Brother & the Holding Company before leaving to become a solo artist. She sang at Woodstock, and then joined the Festival Express tour. Joplin was known for her charismatic performances and mezzo-soprano voice.

Janis Joplin @ trin_mw / Twitter.com

Her famous covers included “Me & Bobby McGee,” which hit the top of the charts two years after Woodstock. She also covered “Down on Me,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Ball and Chain,” and more.

By the time Woodstock came around, Joplin was technically a solo artist. She told her band to play Woodstock like it was “just another gig.” Her performance started at 2AM. It was one of the artist’s final performances, as she died a year later, at age 27, from the drug addiction that plagued her since she was a teen. The YouTube videos of her performance have been viewed millions of times.

Performed on: Day 1
Played for: 40 mins
Payment: $4,500* ( adjusted for inflation)

Born in the Uttar Pradesh state of India, Ravi Shankar composed Hindustani classical music. He was famous for his sitar-playing ability, making the traditional Indian instrument one of his most well-known features. He toured India and Europe, teaching audiences about Indian music and Carnatic music. He released his first album in 1956.

Ravi Shankar @ TodayThatWas / Twitter.com

Shankar performed at Woodstock, though he later said he was not a fan of the festival because it wasn’t a “pure” event dedicated solely to music. The artist stated that he was not part of the hippie movement because he was more concerned with reaching “godliness.”

Though he might not have approved of Woodstock’s hippie ways, Shankar released an album called At the Woodstock Festival. Shankar’s performance was described as “mesmerizing,” taking place just as the rain began to hit. Though he wasn’t a domestic artist or signed to a major US label under the UMG branch, Shankar’s unique music still sold well in America. 

Performed on: Day 3
Played for: 50 mins
Payment: $7,500* ($54,290.28 adjusted for inflation)

Canadian-American band The Band was a rock group performed at Woodstock just a few years after touring with Bob Dylan as part of his opening act. The Band, which was hand-picked by Dylan, toured with him during his famous 1965 US tour, followed by his 1966 world tour. 

The Band @ TodayThatWas / Twtter.com

Their association with Dylan helped propel their careers, and the two acts partnered together frequently. They performed at Woodstock, and then, later, released ten studio albums. Their final tour with their original members concluded in 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom.

The Band’s members, including Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Robbie Roberston, and Richard Manuel, hit the stage on the last day of Woodstock to perform eleven songs. The band’s performances all came from Music From Big Pink, their only album at the time. The Band would later sign to Capitol, EMI,  Rhino, and Warner. 

Performed on: Day 1
Played for: 65 mins
Payment: $1,250* ($9,048.38 adjusted for inflation)

Sweetwater was a rock band that formed in LA, and its journey into Woodstock was not an easy one. They were actually scheduled to open the festival, but the traffic was so bad that Richie Havens had to perform in their place instead with musicians Deano Williams and Danny Zebulon.

Sweetwater @ KevDGrussing / Twitter.com

The highways were stuck at a standstill. An actual helicopter was sent by Woodstock organizers to pick up the band, ditching their bus. They were then flown into the festival so that they could make their performance. Sweetwater was actually the first band to take the stage at Woodstock.

The blues band, which was signed to Warner Records at one point, still put on quite a show, despite the hellacious time they had getting there. Sweetwater’s “For Pete’s Sake,” “Motherless Child,” and “What’s Wrong” were hits among the crowd, who were no doubt relieved that Woodstock was back on track, with no fateful helicopter crashes.

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 100 mins
Payment: $7,500* ($54,290.28 adjusted for inflation)

San Francisco band Jefferson Airplane was one of the pioneers of the psychedelic rock genre. The group was formed in 1965, and it was the defining band of San Francisco sound; in fact, it was the first Bay Area band to become internationally famous for psychedelic rock. It headlined at Woodstock, as well as Monterey and Altamont. 

Jefferson Airplane @ StuartPenney1 / Twitter.com

Two years before Woodstock they were part of the Summer of Love’s epic music journey (this was around the time of their debut album’s release, Surrealistic Pillow). That album included “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” both of which they performed at Woodstock.

Jefferson Airplane ascended to the stage at 8AM on Woodstock’s third day, performing right after The Who. The band opened with “The Other Side of This Life,” which was their cover of Fred Neil’s classic. After that, they performed “Somebody to Love.” Their performance was captured by the WarnerBros documentary, Woodstock. 

Performed on: Day 2
Played for: 45 mins
Payment: $750* ($5,429.03 adjusted for inflation)

Latin-American musician Carlos Santana and his band were signed to Columbia Records during the 1960s when they were known collectively as Santana. Bill Graham, a music promoter, saw Santana’s potential early on and arranged for them to perform at Woodstock – long before they’d even recorded an album!

Carlos Santana @ CultrHack / Twitter.com

Santana electrified audiences with “Soul Sacrifice,” an eleven-minute instrumental that defined Sanatana as one of the world’s best guitarists. Santana recorded an album shortly after Woodstock, which went on to peak at #4 on the charts.

The New York Times shed some light on Santana’s energetic performance. As it turns out, he was high on mescaline, which he received from Jerry Garcia, throughout most of his performance. He told his band “over and over” to help him “stay in tune” and “be on time.” Mescaline aside, there’s no denying that Santana’s performance was one of the best at the festival.  

Performed on: Day 1
Played for: 60 mins
Payment: $10,000* ($72,387.04 adjusted for inflation)

Legendary folk icon Joan Baez has been in the music industry for sixty years, releasing more than thirty albums to date. She has recorded songs in eight languages total. The folk singer’s music was popular in the 1960s, stretching across the folk, pop, and country. Joan Baez covered a lot of Bob Dylan songs in addition to her original work (the two toured together and were romantically linked for years).

Joan Baez @ loveinher_eyes / Twitter.com

She appeared at Woodstock, and that helped her become even more famous. She used that fame for political and social justice protests, combining that content with her distinctive vocals. She released fourteen albums, thirteen of which charted on Billboard, with four in the top ten.

Baez’ Woodstock performance closed out Woodstock’s first day. Her hour-long performance contained hits like “I Shall Be Released,” “Hickory Wind,” “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” (performed acapella), “Sweet Sir Galahad,” and more. It also contained stories interwoven throughout the songs. Baez was signed to both indie labels, as well as major companies like Virgin.