John Fogerty Drops Out of Woodstock 50
John Fogerty has become the first artist to drop out of Woodstock 50 after it was announced yesterday (July 25) the festival was moving its site from upstate New York to Columbia, Maryland at the Merriweather Post Pavillion.
Fogerty’s reps released the following statement to Variety:
“John Fogerty knows where he will be for the anniversary weekend of Woodstock. At only one site… at the original one – the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. As he says in his song ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain,’ written upon returning from Woodstock – “NO MORE CONFUSION ON THE GROUND.”
“When John took the call from the organizers in 1969 and was asked to play a festival called ‘Woodstock,’ John accepted. So now, 50 years later, John is going back to the original site where his name appears on a plaque commemorating that weekend. John will celebrate his own 50th Anniversary as well as Woodstock’s, together at Bethel on August 18. Back at the original site that he stepped foot on 50 years ago, nearly to the day!”
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, an amphitheater on the site of the original Woodstock festival, is holding a three-night event in honor of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock being headlined by Fogerty, fellow Woodstock alum Santana, The Doobie Brothers and Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band.
Bloomberg first reported about Woodstock 50’s third public venue change. The Merriweather Post Pavillion holds about 32,000 people. Despite all of the changes and setbacks, Woodstock 50 is still scheduled to take place on August 16-18. Although tickets have yet to go on sale, Bloomberg reported passes will cost around $129 to $595.
