Michigan Hippie Fest Remembered

Well, as the old saying goes, you learn something new every day. It held true for me today; I had no idea there was a "Michigan Woodstock"...in Jackson County, to boot! An article today on mlive.com paid tribute and remembrance of 1970's Goose Lake International Music Festival. This weekend marks the 45th anniversary of the one-time concert gathering.

I was surprised to learn that a former Detroit D.J. organized the event, Uncle Russ Gibb. He and his associates set up shop in the secluded area of Goose Lake, now a campground these days, booked some of the biggest national and regional acts, and attracted some 200,000 people for the three day event...much to the chagrin of local residents. The acts involved included Ten Years After, Faces, James Gang, Jethro Tull, and Chicago. Michigan acts included MC5, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Brownsville Station, and The Stooges. That's one hell of a line up!

Vendors were on hand, openly selling drugs like LSD, pot, and other hallucinogens. Festival goers were openly consuming them, baring their bodies, and f#@k!n& like rabbits!! Residents were agitated with the mess left behind, of course, (see Torch Lake residents, you're not exclusive to giant parties and messes!!) as facility accommodations, a.k.a $#!tter$, could not handle the crowd. There were even long standing rumors, since refuted, of "hippies stealing a cow, killing it, and eating it."

The mlive.com article has some other great trivial information. Check it out! It sounds like one helluva weekend to me! Were you a part of the activity? Share your memories with us!