What was Michael Lang’s net worth?
Michael Lang, a renowned American concert promoter, producer, and artistic manager, had a net worth of $10 million. He was widely recognized for co-creating the iconic Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969, which exceeded expectations when 400,000 people attended, despite initially expecting only 50,000. Tickets were sold for $8 per day.
In addition to Woodstock 1969, Lang also co-produced Woodstock 94 and Woodstock 99, the latter being an unfortunate failure.
Early Life and Career
Michael Scott Lang was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 11, 1944. His father worked as an HVAC system installer while his mother was a bookkeeper. He attended New York University and the University of Tampa. In 1966, Lang opened a head shop in Florida which sparked his interest in the music business.
Michael Lang’s Success with the Miami Pop Festival
In 1968, Michael Lang and his partners organized the Miami Pop Festival, which proved to be a triumphant event. The festival featured iconic musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Frank Zappa, and John Lee Hooker among others, drawing in a large audience and establishing Lang’s reputation as a successful event producer.
Woodstock Ventures: The Creation of a Legendary Music Festival
Michael Lang, inspired by the success of Miami Pop, moved to Woodstock, New York, where he met record executive Artie Kornfeld. Along with John P. Roberts and Joel Rosenman, they established Woodstock Ventures, initially with the goal of creating a recording studio in Woodstock. However, the town proved to be an unsuitable location for a music festival that could attract tens of thousands of attendees.
After searching for a suitable location, the partners chose a farm in nearby Bethel, New York, owned by a dairy farmer named Max Yasgur. Woodstock took place between August 15 and August 18, 1969, and featured dozens of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Still, Nash & Young, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell.
Woodstock’s Financial Success and Failure
The Woodstock partners hoped to sell 50,000 tickets for the iconic music festival, but they ended up selling 180,000 tickets. However, the event attracted 400,000 people, generating around $1.8 million in gate receipts.
The cost of producing Woodstock ranged between $2.4 million and $3.1 million, which is equivalent to $20 – $25 million in today’s dollars. After the concert, John Roberts found himself in debt by $1 million. To pay off his debt, he sold the film and soundtrack rights to Warner Bros. Despite these sales, Roberts remained in debt from Woodstock until at least 1980.
Michael Lang’s Post-Woodstock Career
After leaving Woodstock Ventures, Michael Kornfeld formed the record label Just Sunshine and became a music manager. He managed Joe Cocker, who gained worldwide fame thanks to his Woodstock performance. Later on, Michael co-wrote the New York Times best-selling book “The Road to Woodstock.” Although he rejoined Woodstock Ventures as a minority partner, the partnership’s most valuable asset remains its iconic image of a dove on a guitar, licensed countless times over the decades.
Michael Lang’s Career Highlights
Michael Lang founded the Michael Lang Organization (MLO) which produced films, live events and managed artists. MLO produced dozens of notable events over the years including Lincoln Center’s 50th Anniversary event, while also producing concerts for an endless range of popular artists.
In 1996 Michael served as an associate producer on Wes Anderson’s early film “Bottle Rocket.”
Woodstock 94 vs Woodstock 99
Michael Lang produced both Woodstock 94 and 99. Woodstock 94 was considered a success, despite bad weather that caused the event to become muddy. However, Woodstock 99 turned into a disaster due to scorching weather and a lack of facilities, clean drinking water, affordable food, and security. On the last day, the crowd burned the facility to the ground and state police had to be called in to settle the riot. Female attendees later complained of widespread sexual assault.
Marriages and Children
Michael Lang married Ann Lang, a backup singer for Joe Cocker, in 1972. They got divorced in 1982. He then married Tamara Pajic and had four children.
Death
Michael Lang died at the age of 77 on January 8, 2022, due to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Michael Lang’s Property in Mount Tremper
Michael Lang owned a 17-acre property in Mount Tremper, just 20 minutes away from Woodstock, NY. The property, known as Happy Brooks, boasts a 5,000 square-foot main house, guest houses and cottages, a greenhouse, koi pond, pool, orchard, tree house, and more.
In June 2020, Michael listed the property for $2.45 million but eventually removed the listing.
