Bridging the generation gap with peace and love
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“I always believed in the music we did and that’s why it was uncompromising.” — Jimmy Page
This is about a generation gap. A large gap.
Image: Adobe Stock
I had a meeting with one of our residents to talk about quality of life. It’s no secret that the current generation seeks a better professional and private quality of life.
As I stated in a previous commentary, if we want to survive as leaders in the medical field, we have to adapt to today’s circumstances. That means if the current generation feels that being on call every third night won’t work for them, we must adapt or quality care will probably suffer.
Deer in the headlights
During the discussion of quality of private life, the subject of music came up. I enjoy all types of music, and during my childhood my parents had music playing all the time. Genres ranged from big band to opera, classical, Frank Sinatra and rock ‘n’ roll.
When I mentioned Woodstock, the resident’s eyes lit up like a deer in the headlights.
“Woodstock” I repeated, “the largest music festival held in 1969.”
Still, a deer in the headlights.
I explained that Woodstock was a 3-day festival held on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, and that it attracted a gathering of mainly young people living the hippie lifestyle of the 1960s. I told him the festival took place during a time when many young people in America strongly opposed the Vietnam War and wanted to spread the message of peace and love. They did so through a lot of mind-enhancing agents including marijuana, which at the time was illegal.
I then expanded the discussion. Not many people know, nor do many of the attendees at Woodstock remember, that 32 acts performed outdoors despite intermittent rain. With over 400,000 attendees, it remains one of the largest music festivals ever held.
It also occurred during the era of the civil-rights movement, a period of great protest and unrest. Woodstock gave people an opportunity to escape, listen to music, and spread a message of unity and peace. Too bad we don’t see that message of unity and peace spread more often today.
‘One giant leap’
I recalled that also back in the summer of ’69, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk the lunar surface, where he uttered his famous quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Fortunately, the resident knew about Armstrong.
He also knew about the Beatles, who did not play at Woodstock. The promoters contacted John Lennon to discuss a performance at the festival, but Lennon said he would not play unless there was also a spot for Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band. Lennon was turned down.
Organizers of Woodstock ended up with a $1.4 million debt. Today, that would be about $10.3 million. However, they broke even years later, thanks to revenue from the Woodstock album and documentary film about the event.
I informed the resident that plenty of people had a bad time or a “bad trip,” including one person who died of a drug overdose and another who died after being run over by a tractor in his sleep. However, in spite of the extremely poor conditions, the crowds at Woodstock remained relatively peaceful and nonviolent.
Get the Led out
Some of you may wonder why Led Zeppelin did not perform at Woodstock (by the way, the resident said he had heard of Led Zeppelin). The band’s manager, Peter Grant, turned down the offer. Lead singer Robert Plant said in a recent interview that Led Zeppelin's management thought that they would be typecast. It appears that Grant didn’t want Zeppelin to just be another act among many.
People often ask what the biggest hit was at Woodstock. According to Billboard Magazine, “Soul Sacrifice” by Santana was the best performance of the entire 3-day festival.
Lastly, for those baby boomers reading this commentary, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane received $7,500 each for performing at Woodstock. Sly and the Family Stone got $7,000 and The Who got $6,250. Folk icon Arlo Guthrie and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young earned $5,000 each. Imagine what they would receive today.
I’m not sure whether our conversation will inspire the resident to search for Woodstock on his streaming service. Regardless, on my way home tonight, I’m pulling up Zeppelin.
Stay safe.
References:
- Best Woodstock performances: 5 legendary 1969 Woodstock performances we’ll never forget. Available at: https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/best-woodstock-performances-5-legendary-1969-woodstock-performances-well-never-forget/. Accessed April 20, 2023.
- Jimmy Page quotes. Available at: https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results?q=Jimmy+Page. Accessed April 20, 2023.
- Tuttle B. Here's how much Woodstock performers got paid 50 years ago — and who's the richest star now. Available at: money.com/woodstock-1969-bands-richest-how-much-paid/. Published Aug. 15, 2019. Accessed April 20, 2023.
For more information:
Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, FACS, is Bank of America endowed medical director of ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and associate director of translational research at Wistar Cancer Institute. He also serves as Associate Medical Editor of Surgical Oncology for HemOnc Today. He can be reached at npetrelli@christianacare.org.
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Best Woodstock performances: 5 legendary 1969 Woodstock performances we’ll never forget. Available at: https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/best-woodstock-performances-5-legendary-1969-woodstock-performances-well-never-forget/. Accessed April 20, 2023.
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