Jimi Hendrix already had three groundbreaking releases under his belt before heading to Woodstock in 1969 to dazzle more than 400,000 people. He joined acts like The Band, The Who and Janis Joplin, among others, and the event has gone down as one of the most famous concerts in history and a defining moment for music in the 1960s. Ultimate Guitar recently revisited Woodstock, posting archived documents with how much money each band and artist was paid to perform.
Hendrix tops the list with $18,000, with Blood, Sweat and Tears right behind him at $15,000. Joan Baez and Creedence Clearwater Revival pulled in $10,000 each while The Band, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane took home $7,500 for their efforts.
Some surprises include The Who at No. 10 with $6,250, the Grateful Dead at 18 with $2,500 and Santana at 26 with $750. Iron Butterfly, the band famous for "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," was scheduled to play the festival and receive $5,000, but they never showed up. Check out the full list below.
Woodstock turned 45 in August, and organizers for the event shared their plans for a 50th anniversary concert in 2019. Original promoter Michael Lang is scouting various locations for the show, Rolling Stone noted.
01. Jimi Hendrix – $18,000
02. Blood, Sweat and Tears – $15,000
03. Joan Baez – $10,000
04. Creedence Clearwater Revival – $10,000
05. The Band – $7,500
06. Janis Joplin – $7,500
07. Jefferson Airplane – $7,500
08. Sly and the Family Stone – $7,000
09. Canned Heat – $6,500
10. The Who – $6,250
11. Richie Havens – $6,000
12. Arlo Guthrie – $5,000
13. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – $5,000
14. Ravi Shankar – $4,500
15. Johnny Winter – $3,750
16. Ten Years After – $3,250
17. Country Joe and the Fish – $2,500
18. Grateful Dead – $2,500
19. The Incredible String Band – $2,250
20. Mountain – $2,000
21. Tim Hardin – $2,000
22. Joe Cocker – $1,375
23. Sweetwater – $1,250
24. John B. Sebastian – $1,000
25. Melanie – $750
26. Santana – $750
27. Sha Na Na – $700
28. Keef Hartley – $500
29. Quill – $375
