
The Sound of Woodstock
Clip: Season 31 Episode 6 | 6m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
Bill Hanley made Woodstock sound system that forever shaped our collective memory.
50 years ago, organizers of the historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York searched for someone who could handle the unprecedented challenge of running their sound system. Luckily for them, “this crazy guy in Boston,” Bill Hanley, was available. Hanley’s innovative setup and the resulting recording forever shaped our collective memory of this generation-defining concert.
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The Sound of Woodstock
Clip: Season 31 Episode 6 | 6m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
50 years ago, organizers of the historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York searched for someone who could handle the unprecedented challenge of running their sound system. Luckily for them, “this crazy guy in Boston,” Bill Hanley, was available. Hanley’s innovative setup and the resulting recording forever shaped our collective memory of this generation-defining concert.
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For families that just decades earlier were torn apart by chattel slavery, being photographed together was proof of their resilience.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipJoel Rosenman: Woodstock Producer
In 1969, Joel Rosenman and his partners met to brainstorm what would become Woodstock. (1m 13s)
Official Trailer | Woodstock | PBS
They came for the concert of their lives, but most experienced something far more profound (30s)
Max Yasgur: Woodstock’s unexpected champion
Max Yasgur, a dairy farmer agreed to host Woodstock on his property. (1m 7s)
Wavy Gravy: “Please Chief” of Woodstock
Hugh Romney, aka Wavy Gravy, was an American figure of the 1960s counter culture. (1m 13s)
In 1969, about half a million people gathered at a farm in upstate New York to hear music. (2m 1s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCorporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.