Area residents recall Woodstock experience 40 years later

Dennis Greene, who has been a law professor at the University of Dayton for six years, was a member of the musical group Sha Na Na. The group performed at Woodstock.

Ron Alvey/Staff Dennis Greene, who has been a law professor at the University of Dayton for six years, was a member of the musical group Sha Na Na. The group performed at Woodstock.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Antioch College's free tuition offer attracts 2,500
2/12/12
Tea Party’s impact may be strongest for general election
2/12/12
Bellbrook High threat prompts police to increase security
2/12/12
'Powerball' numbers from $325M jackpot
2/12/12
Education strong determinant with work success
2/12/12
> More headlines

Jim Noelker/Staff Gordon Harris of Clayton attended the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, and has the ticket to prove it.

Spirit of giving, sharing dominated festival

By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 10:43 PM Thursday, August 13, 2009

DAYTON — Woodstock performer Dennis Greene of Dayton arrived by helicopter at the mythic, muddy rock music festival held 40 years ago, Aug. 15-18, 1969, in Bethel, N.Y.

Greene, a founding member of Sha Na Na, recalled seeing groupies backstage drinking champagne from the bottle. In contrast, the 500,000 people who converged on Max Yasgur’s farm to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Who spent three days with little food or water.

Greene walked the mucky field and watched concert-goers share what they had to eat and drink.

“It was reminiscent of the Gospel of St. John, talking about the loaves and fishes, in the sense of people being that giving and that sharing in the worst kind of adversity imaginable,” said Greene, who is now a law professor at the University of Dayton.

Traffic snarls forced people to abandon their cars miles from the site and walk to the concert. Fences were torn down, turning the festival into a free concert. Heavy rains deluged a crowd 10 times larger than the expected 50,000 people.

“All of the conditions that should have made it horrible ... just made everyone be that much nicer because we were all in the same boat,” said Gordon Harris of Clayton, who still has his tattered, water-stained Woodstock ticket.

Harris recalled hiking to fill a water jug and sharing most of it with strangers on his way back.

“It was a unique experience for that number of people who were ill-prepared and made the best of their situation, and it’s probably never been duplicated since,” said Charlie Castilano of Centerville, who also attended.

Woodstock attendees such as Solomon Fulero of Kettering knew the world was watching and responded in a positive manner.

“There was great pride,” Fulero said. “I think there was a consciousness of community.”

Keep reading: UD professor sang for Sha Na Na at festival

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article