26 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com BY ELLA DUANE Peace, Music and Indelible Memories Resident featured on Woodstock album cover recalls iconic festival Mount Pleasant resident Fred Miles has a story for the ages. In 1969, Miles and his buddy Jim hit the road in Jim’s father’s car, heading straight for the Woodstock music festival early on Aug. 15. However, driving was not necessarily how Miles got to Woodstock. “We just got to the point everything was backed up. The roads were clogged and nobody could move either way,” recalled Miles. Cars were pulling off to the side of the road and people were walking from the highway, so that’s exactly what Miles and his friend did. “We left his father’s car there.” Miles, now 81, still remembers how the fences surrounding the festival were completely knocked down. Woodstock expected 40,000-50,000 attendees, but attendance grew from 50,000 to 500,000. Vendors were overwhelmed, and resources such as food and restrooms were scarce; nonetheless, the music continued from Aug. 15 into the early morning of Aug. 19. Legendary acts The Who, Janis Joplin, Santana and Jimi Hendrix kept the attraction going. “It was incredible,” Miles said. arts & entertainment Fred Miles, the day before he made his journey to Woodstock, 1969. The 1969 Woodstock album, released a year later in 1970, features Miles and friends.
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