Here’s How Much Each Artist Got Paid For Playing Woodstock

This weekend we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of what many consider the most important event in music history. Almost a half a million people gathered at Max Yasgur’s farm in New York for 3 days of peace, love, and music, and the lineup was phenomenal.

Looking back, it’s crazy how much things have changed since then, especially when it comest to how much concert tickets cost, which really, is a direct relation to how much artists get paid for their shows.

A 3-day pass for Woodstock was $18 in advance, and $24 at the gate (of course we all know how the “at the gate” thing went). Today, that’s the equivalent of about $125 bucks.

So, yeah, it made me wonder how much each artist that performed at Woodstock got paid, and it is really surprising!

Jimi Hendrix was the top paid performer. He made $18,000.Blood Sweat and Tears was reportedly paid $15,000. Joan Baez and CCR got $10k, and The Band, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane were paid $7,500.

The Who is said to have been paid somewhere around $6,000, but in a Rolling Stone report their road manager collected $11,200 before the band took the stage.

I think the one that surprised me the most was Joe Cocker only making $1,375! Oh, and Santana only got paid $750!

Here’s the complete list, according to numerous online reports:

1. Jimi Hendrix – $18,000

2. Blood, Sweat and Tears – $15,000

3. Joan Baez – $10,000

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – $10,000

5. The Band – $7,500

6. Janis Joplin – $7,500

7. Jefferson Airplane – $7,500

8. Sly and the Family Stone – $7,000

9. Canned Heat – $6,500

10. The Who – $6,250 (or $11, 200)

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


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