I played at the event, as part of the group “Handle.” We opened the show on Sunday, only a few hours after Jimi Hendrix’s dawn rendition of the Star Spangled Banner has closed the previous night’s festivities. Between the temperature (hot as the hinges of Hell) and the crowd’s having had to sleep in place, no one paid us much attention. However, it has given me a basis to claim that “Jimi Hendrix was my opening act ….”Y’know, Jimi Hendrix was _scheduled_ to hit the stage at 11:00 PM or midnight or something, Friday night, but the schedule had been ruined before noon that day, and just kept getting more and more in arrears. There were groups that weren’t even on the bill. I assume the folks who were running things at the Festival now work for Amtrak.
Attached is the only bit of photographic memorabilia I have of the event.That’s me (Shelton Hall) on the right, and Robin Conant on the left. You can barely see the audience in the picture, but I assure you that it was impressive; the stage was about 12 feet high, and from the front of it you couldn’t see the back of the crowd. A vast sea of dirt-caked, bleary-eyed young people.
I got to dance onstage during the Allan Brothers Sunday night set. Then Johnny Winter jammed with them. I had on tie dye jeans and a bikini top. Wish I could see the film footage.
I was fortunate enough to crawl up the scaffold and sit with the sound man the whole Jimi show. Probably 50feet away. I know I wished I could see a video of me I was only
16 yrs old and hitched hike with friend Dennis from Michigan. We were hitch hiking to Florida and some witches and other hippies picked us up in old bread truck. Clothes were stolen after swimming in creek. Dennis gave me his t-shirt it came down to my knees. We hitched a ride Salvation Army store I think it was and He bought me a apricot sparkling little top and bell bottoms. He was like my big brother. Lots of good things happened and it was all about peace and love.
I was there and it was awesome. We thought we were so cool but we really met some real hippies, we were the pretend hippie. It was a few shocking things , like swimming in the lake and all the naked people😳. So glad I had this experience. I was telling my grandson and he was like wow Meme you saw Jimi Hendrix! I would love to buy something for those memories. Was too young and broke at that time.