Who was the first performer to take the stage at Woodstock in 1969?

Richie Havens was the first performer to take the stage at Woodstock in 1969.

Havens opened the festival on August 15, 1969, after traffic delays prevented several scheduled musicians from arriving on time. His planned short set expanded as organizers repeatedly asked him to continue performing.

He ended with “Freedom,” an improvised song built around the spiritual “Motherless Child.” The performance became one of Woodstock’s most memorable moments and helped establish Havens as a central figure in accounts of the festival.

A common mix-up is confusing Havens with Joan Baez, who followed him later that morning. Baez was the first woman to perform at Woodstock, but Havens was the festival’s opening performer overall.