Woodstock, NY.

Remember, there are decent people out there. Everywhere, or it would never work. 

When I was a kid, and we lived in Woodstock, upstate New York, I remember a woman called Lynne – her house had burned down. Now Woodstock is a small town but like a lot of places of that type – it was a close, caring community.

Lynne had been made homeless in the morning of the day I’m writing about – by the evening two of Woodstock’s musicians – John Sebastian and Paul Butterfield had organised a concert in the town hall. Sebastian played with the Lovin’ Spoonful and had recently been number one in the US charts with ‘Welcome Back’ – a theme tune to a John Travolta tv series. Both John Sebastian and Paul Butterfield had played at the Woodstock festival in Bethel in 1969.

All this was before Live Aid. About 50 people all showed up at the town hall that night and the guys put on a show. You donated what you had or could afford, and that money went to helping Lynne be re-housed.

I’ll always remember that. Most people are okay. 

bobby stevenson 2020