Michael Lang (producer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Lang
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Lang in 2009
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| Born | December 11, 1944 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 8, 2022 (aged 77) New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Concert promoter, producer |
| Known for | Woodstock Festival |
| Children | 5 |
Michael Scott Lang (born December 11, 1944 – died January 8, 2022) was an American concert organizer and producer. He is most famous for helping create the legendary Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969.
Lang was the main organizer for the original Woodstock event. He also helped organize later Woodstock festivals in 1994 and 1999. Besides festivals, he produced music records and films. He also managed many famous music artists.
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Early Life
Michael Lang was born in Brooklyn, a part of New York City. He came from a Jewish-American family.
In 1967, Lang left New York University. He moved to Coconut Grove, Florida, where he opened a store. In 1968, he started promoting concerts in the Miami area. He then helped produce the 1968 Pop & Underground Festival.
This festival attracted about 25,000 people on its first day. Famous artists like Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa performed. The event ended early on the second day because of rain.
Michael Lang and the Woodstock Festivals
After the Miami festival, Lang moved to Woodstock, New York. There, he met Artie Kornfeld. They came up with the idea for a big music festival. They wanted to celebrate the social changes happening in the 1960s.
Lang, Kornfeld, and their partners John P. Roberts and Joel Rosenman started planning the first Woodstock festival. It took place on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York. The festival ran from August 15 to 18, 1969.
Michael Lang was shown in many parts of the 1970 documentary film about the event. The film was called Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music.
Later Woodstock Events
Lang also produced Woodstock '94 with his partners. This festival was a follow-up to the original. He then helped organize Woodstock '99. This festival faced many challenges and was different from the earlier ones.
In 2014, Lang talked about plans for a 50th anniversary Woodstock concert in 2019. On January 9, 2019, he announced that Woodstock 50 would happen. However, this event was canceled. It faced many problems with planning, money, and finding a location.
In 2021, Lang was interviewed for a Netflix documentary. It was called Trainwreck: Woodstock '99. The documentary looked at the difficulties that happened during the 1999 festival.
Other Projects and Work
Michael Lang was also involved in other music events. He helped with the Altamont Free Concert in 1969. This concert had to change its location at the last minute. Lang used his experience from Woodstock to help move the event.
Just Sunshine Records
Lang owned a record company called Just Sunshine Records. This company produced over 40 albums for different artists. Some of these artists included Karen Dalton and Betty Davis.
Lang also managed several successful music artists from around the world. These included Joe Cocker, Rickie Lee Jones, and Tarkan.
Working with Joe Cocker
Soon after the first Woodstock festival in 1969, Lang began managing the singer Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker had performed at the original Woodstock concert. Their working relationship lasted for more than twenty years. Lang even appeared in Joe Cocker's music video for "You Can Leave Your Hat On".
Later Years and New Ventures
Lang was an associate producer for the 1996 film Bottle Rocket.
His company, The Michael Lang Organization (MLO), worked on many projects. These included live concerts, making films, and managing artists. MLO worked with many famous artists. Some of them were Outkast, Prince, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, and Madonna.
In 2009, Lang and his partners launched a new website, woodstock.com. This website celebrates the history of the original Woodstock Festival.
In the 2009 film Taking Woodstock, actor Jonathan Groff played Michael Lang. In the same year, Lang also co-wrote a book called The Road to Woodstock. It became a New York Times Best Seller.
Personal Life and Death
Michael Lang was also a sculptor, creating art. He had five children. His first wife, Ann Lang, was a singer. She toured with artists like Joe Cocker. At the time of his death, he was married to Tamara Pajic.
Michael Lang passed away on January 8, 2022. He was 77 years old. He died from a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Lang (productor) para niños
