what happened on the altamont

Altamont is now known as the place where "the Hells Angels stabbed a man to death while The Rolling Stones were putting on a concert," and not as the Woodstock sequel it was meant to be. The stabbing at Altamont happened to a man named Meredith Hunter

and one of the Hells Angels, Alan Passaro, was tried for murder but found not guilty.

Full Answer

What happened at the Altamont Festival?

Murder at the Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end Altamont, a new music festival in Northern California, was the brainchild of the Rolling Stones, who hoped to cap off their U.S. tour in late 1969 with a concert that would be the West Coast equivalent of Woodstock, in both scale and spirit.

What is Altamont now known as?

Altamont is now known as the place where "the Hells Angels stabbed a man to death while The Rolling Stones were putting on a concert," and not as the Woodstock sequel it was meant to be. The stabbing at Altamont happened to a man named Meredith Hunter and one of the Hells Angels, Alan Passaro,...

What happened at Altamont Speedway in 1969?

"The violence just in front of the stage was incredible," Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones recalls of The Altamont Speedway free concert on Dec. 6, 1969 in Livermore, Calif. The festival was intended to be an epic event — and it certainly was, but for all the wrong reasons.

What happened at the Rolling Stones'Altamont concert?

The most gruesome of the four deaths at the Rolling Stones ' Altamont concert was Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr., who was outright murdered by concert security.

What happened on the Altamont Pass?

Fire crews got the upper hand on a brush fire on the Altamont Pass near Livermore overnight and reached full containment on the blaze early Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The wind-driven Flynn Fire, burning along Interstate 580, broke out around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

What happened to the Hells Angels at Altamont?

During the performance by the Rolling Stones, Hunter approached the stage, and was violently driven off by members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club who had agreed to serve as security guards....Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr.Meredith HunterDiedDecember 6, 1969 (aged 18) Altamont, California, U.S.Cause of deathStabbing3 more rows

What happened with the Rolling Stones at Altamont?

Police lead Mick Jagger through the audience at Altamont Speedway. Dozens of people at the concert were beaten by the Angels, with fists and pool cues and whatever else was at hand. Marty Balin, of Jefferson Airplane, was knocked unconscious.

Did the Rolling Stones hire Hells Angels for security?

The Rolling Stones' US tour manager Sam Cutler had hired the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club to provide security for the concert. According to Bill Wyman, former bassist of the Rolling Stones, the Hell's Angels agreed to protect the generators and stage from the crowd.

How many Hells Angels were at Altamont?

On this day, there were approximately twenty or twenty-five Hells Angels present, with another few dozen prospects and hangers-on with them.

What violent event happened during the main concert at Altamont?

The Rolling Stones headline the Altamont concert at a speedway in California. It's a free event with Jefferson Airplane and Santana also on the bill, but it turns violent when the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, who are hired as security, kill a crowd member.

How many people died at Altamont Rolling Stones?

Altamont Speedway Free Festival 1969: In total, four people died at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival in Northern California on December 6, 1969. Meredith Hunter, an 18-year-old, was stabbed to death during a Rolling Stones set by a Hell's Angels security guard.

What happened at the Rolling Stones free concert?

Scores were injured, numerous cars were stolen (and subsequently abandoned) and there was extensive property damage. The concert featured (in order of appearance): Santana, Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), with the Rolling Stones taking the stage as the final act.

Who drowned at Altamont?

Hunter was 18. Just more than 50 years later, the free show at Altamont remains synonymous with dystopia. But how Meredith Hunter's tragic fate became entwined with a festival designed to showcase peace and love is an American story that is finally being told.

Is Alan Passaro still alive?

March 29, 1985Alan Passaro / Date of death

How many people died at Gimme Shelter?

By the end of the show, a total of four people died—among them 18-year-old Meredith Hunter, who was stabbed to death by a Hells Angels member, a moment captured in the Maysles Brothers and Charlotte Zwerin's classic documentary film Gimme Shelter.

What bands were at Altamont?

It was only on Thursday, December 4, 1969, that organizers settled on the Altamont Speedway location for a free concert that was by then scheduled to include Santana; the Jefferson Airplane; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and the Grateful Dead, all in support of the headlining Stones.

Where was the Altamont concert?

Originally, the Altamont concert was to be held at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park , a lush green park full of trees, flowering plants, and wonder. It's a seriously beautiful place, and it would've been an excellent venue ...

What year did the Rolling Stones perform at Altamont?

The Rolling Stones' Altamont concert was one of the most tragic music events in history. The show took place on Saturday, December 6, 1969 , and makes any sketchy barroom show in the sticks look like Ozzfest. The music was awful, the venue was awful, the crowd, etc. The only moderately redeeming quality to the show was its price: free.

How did Rolling Stone fans die?

Two fans, as Rolling Stone catalogs, were killed by a car that ran into a group as they sat by a fire next to the road at the end of the night. The driver has never been identified. One person met their tragic death after being warned that taking a fun slide down an irrigation canal was a bad idea.

What was the stage set in at Altamont Speedway?

The stage was set in a way that fans could surround it, and it was low enough to be s warmed. Altamont Speedway was situated right next to a giant freeway that would taint the music with sounds of passing vehicles as well as create dangerous obstacles on the perimeter.

What happened to Hunter in the Hells Angel?

Anyway, the Hells Angel punched Hunter in the mouth, knocking him down. At which point, the "security" literally jumped on him. Hunter tried to run but several other Angels swarmed him. They kicked him in the head multiple times, and one stabbed the kid in the back. Hunter then pulled out a gun and held it in the air.

Who was killed at the Rolling Stones concert?

The most gruesome of the four deaths at the Rolling Stones ' Altamont concert was Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr., who was outright murdered by concert security. Hunter was an 18-year-old Black man who was doing nothing but minding his own business and having a good time when, according to eyewitness testimony reported by Rolling Stone, was grabbed "by the ear and hair" by one of the Hells Angels. The young man didn't fight. He simply pulled away, irritated and upset, and, apparently, that was enough to set the club member off.

Who was the tour manager that pushed Mick in the mouth?

William L. Rukeyser/Getty Images. "Mick got off the first helicopter with Ronnie [Schneider, the tour manager] when a kid comes running up to Mick and says: 'I hate you,' or something, and punches Mick right in the mouth," one writer wrote about the situation (via The Telegraph ).

When did the Rolling Stones show in Altamont?

It was supposed to be the West Coast's answer to Woodstock, but a perfect storm of negativity and naiveté saw the Rolling Stones Altamont show of December 6th, 1969 forever defined as the day the U.S. counterculture's utopian hippie dream died. The initial germ of an idea came from Jefferson Airplane 's Spencer Dryden and Jorma Kaukonen whose ...

What is Altamont 2020?

By Ian Fortnam ( Classic Rock) January 14, 2020. Altamont was meant to be a celebration, but The Rolling Stones' set was the soundtrack to tragedy and chaos. Hells Angels beat a fan with pool cues at the Altamont Free Concert (Image credit: 20th Century Fox / Getty Images)

How much beer did the Angels take?

By most accounts, including their own, the Angels accepted 500 dollars worth of beer (supplied to them by Stones road manager Sam Cutler) to mind the stage.

When was Passaro acquitted of Hunter's murder?

Passaro was acquitted of Hunter's murder in 1971, the jury concluded that he'd acted in self-defence. The events of Altamont are forever synonymous with the death of the Woodstock Nation and, in many ways, marked the end of rock's innocence.

Who was the only person left standing in the plane?

Bassist Jack Casady voiced his displeasure over the microphone and following a 'scuffle' the only Jefferson left standing was Grace Slick ...

Did Altamont happen in a vacuum?

Altamont didn't happen in a vacuum. A dark vibe had already fallen over California's 'Love Generation' in the wake of August '69's Tate-LaBianca murders (perpetrated by Charles Manson's 'Family'). The hippies' house of cards was already starting to tumble and behind their blissed-out peyote smiles they knew it.

How much did the Stones pay for the Altamont concert?

The Altamont contract called for these things: that the site be used for the concert without charge to the Stones or to the spectators; that the Stones pay $5,000 for clean-up after the event; and that a $1,000,000 insurance policy be taken out to protect the facilities from any damages incurred.

Why did Hiatt get Hunter up on the stage?

When Hiatt got to the scene, people were trying to get Hunter up on the stage, apparently in the hope that the Stones would stop playing and help could get through quicker.

What was the cause of death of Hunter?

Roland W. Prahl, senior coroner’s investigator for Alameda County, said Hunter’s official cause of death was “shock and hemorrhage due to multiple wounds in the back, a wound on the left side of the forehead, and another on the right side of the neck.”

Where was Hunter taken from the scene?

Prahl said that as far as he knew, Hunter was taken from the scene on a stretcher to the racetrack offices area. Fearing further mutilation to the body, sheriff’s deputies then apparently transported him to another location on the grounds in their van. He was brought by deputies to the coroner’s office at 10:50 that night, and an autopsy was performed Sunday.

Who paid the Hell's Angels $500?

The tendency was to blame it on the Angels, and, fundamentally, on the Stones, since they had paid the Angels to come and act as security. Sam Cutler , acting on behalf of the band, had paid the Hell’s Angels $500 worth of beer to come and act as a security force.

Did the Hell's Angel hit him?

Yeah, right. He shook loose, and the Hell’s Angel hit him in the mouth and he fell back into the crowd and he jumped off stage and jumped at him. And he tried to scramble, you know, through the crowd, to run from the Hell’s Angel, and four other Hell’s Angels jumped on him. They started mugging him and. Related.

What was the most dangerous rock concert?

Altamont at 45: The most dangerous rock concert. The Altamont concert, with its notorious murder caught on film, occurred 45 years ago. Many consider it to be the end of the ‘60s, Owen Gleiberman writes. Forty-five years ago, on 6 December 1969, a free rock concert headlined by The Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway outside San Francisco ...

Was Altamont the last nail in the coffin of the 60s?

Virtually overnight, Altamont became the anti-Woodstock, the rock dream turned nightmare, the official last nail in the coffin of the '60s. It's always easy, of course, to overload a single event with symbolism, but it's hard to deny that Altamont truly was all of those things.

What was the most notable flaw of the haphazardly organized festival?

The most notable flaw of the haphazardly organized festival (besides its relatively inaccessible location) was the hiring of the Oakland chapter of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang as security, a shocking bit of naïveté on the band’s part.

Where did the Rolling Stones perform at the 1969 Rock Festival?

Give Feedback. External Websites. By Ed Ward View Edit History. As the final show of their American tour, the Rolling Stones held a one-day rock festival at Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California, on December 6, 1969. The free event was intended as a thank-you gesture by the band to their fans and was to feature Santana; the Jefferson Airplane;

How many people died at the Altamont Speedway?

It was supposed to be the West Coast version of Woodstock. Instead, it turned deadly as a total of four died, one of whom the Hells Angels stabbed to death during the middle of the Rolling Stones' set.

What kind of crowd was there at Altamont Speedway?

Hippies in the crowd at the Altamont Speedway. Some attendees were stereotypical hippies — although many were not. William L. Rukeyser/Getty Images

How long did it take to clear the Altamont Speedway?

The owner of the speedway said it took at least a week to clear the area of debris. Getty Images

What did the Hells Angels say about Hunter's death?

One of the Hells Angels that attended surprisingly called in — and he described the type of "security" that the Stones paid for: "I didn't go there to police nothing, man.

What did the disorderly angels do?

The disorderly Angels were rough and often used a "take no prisoners" approach to their security efforts.

When was the Altamont Speedway free concert?

"The violence just in front of the stage was incredible," Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones recalls of The Altamont Speedway free concert on Dec. 6, 1969 in Livermore, Calif. The festival was intended to be an epic event — and it certainly was, but for all the wrong reasons.

What led to the disastrous show at the Rolling Stones?

What led to this disastrous show? Most believe it was a lethal combination of grave disorganization and poor decision making by the festival's orchestrators , which included none other than legendary rock band The Rolling Stones.

What was the name of the event that the Rolling Stones played at Altamont?

Another follow-up piece in Rolling Stone called the Altamont event "rock and roll's all-time worst day". In Esquire magazine, Ralph J. Gleason observed, "The day The Rolling Stones played there, the name [Altamont] became etched in the minds of millions of people who love pop music and who hate it as well.

Who played at the Altamont concert?

The concert featured (in order of appearance): Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with the Rolling Stones taking the stage as the final act. The Grateful Dead were also scheduled to perform following CSNY, but declined to play shortly before their scheduled appearance due to the increasing violence at the venue. "That's the way things went at Altamont—so badly that the Grateful Dead, prime organizers and movers of the festival, didn't even get to play," staff at Rolling Stone magazine wrote in a detailed narrative on the event, terming it in an additional follow-up piece "rock and roll's all-time worst day, December 6th, a day when everything went perfectly wrong."

Why was Gimme Shelter criticized?

The film Gimme Shelter was criticized by Pauline Kael, Vincent Canby and other reviewers for portraying the Stones too sympathetically, and for staging a concert for the sole reason that it could be filmed, despite all the problems leading up to it. Salon' s Michael Sragow, writing in 2000, said many of the critics took their cues from the Rolling Stone review, which heavily blamed the filmmakers for being part of a "staged event" so that the Rolling Stones could profit from making a "concert" film. Sragow pointed out numerous errors in the Rolling Stone coverage and added that the Maysles did not make "major motion pictures" in the traditional way; instead, a variety of factors contributed to the tragedy.

What was the name of the rock and roll event that happened in 1970?

The article covered the many issues with the event's organization and was very critical of the organizers and the Rolling Stones; one writer stated: "what an enormous thrill it would have been for an Angel to kick Mick Jagger's teeth down his throat." Another follow-up piece in Rolling Stone called the Altamont event "rock and roll's all-time worst day". In Esquire magazine, Ralph J. Gleason observed, "The day The Rolling Stones played there, the name [Altamont] became etched in the minds of millions of people who love pop music and who hate it as well. If the name 'Woodstock' has come to denote the flowering of one phase of the youth culture, 'Altamont' has come to mean the end of it."

Where was the Altamont Speedway free concert held?

Location in the United States. Altamont. Speedway. Location in California. The Altamont Speedway Free Festival was a counterculture rock concert held on Saturday, December 6, 1969, at the Altamont Speedway, northern California, United States. Approximately 300,000 attended the concert, and some anticipated ...

What happened to the first act of the Angels?

The first act on the stage, Santana, gave a performance that generally went smoothly; however, over the course of the day, the mood of both the crowd and the Angels became progressively agitated and violent. The Angels had been drinking their free beer all day in front of the stage, and most were very drunk.

Where did the grateful dead end their tour?

tour, many (including journalists) felt that the ticket prices were far too high. In answer to this criticism, the Rolling Stones decided to end their tour with a free concert in San Francisco.

How many people died at the Altamont Music Festival?

This free music festival sadly claimed the lives of four people. Two died in a hit-and-run car accident, and another concert-goer drowned while under the influence of LSD. But the most famous fatality, and one that directly resulted from the event's chaos, was that of Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr.

What is Altamont known for?

Altamont is now known as the place where "the Hells Angels stabbed a man to death while The Rolling Stones were putting on a concert, " and not as ...

Why did Hells Angels line up in front of the stage?

Hells Angels members would later claim that "security" was an overstatement, and they had merely been asked, in a vague way, to help out. As a means of blocking performers from the crowd, gang members lined their motorcycles up in front of the stage.

Where did Alan Passaro drown?

In 1985, Alan Passaro drowned in a lake in Santa Clara County, California. The drowning was considered "suspicious" and foul play has never been ruled out. In 2008, the BBC aired a documentary reporting that after the Altamont Music Festival, members of the Hells Angels made an attempt on Mick Jagger’s life.

How many people attended Woodstock?

For the most part, it was just that… 3 days of peace and music. Given the massive crowd of over 400,000 attendees, there were relatively few conflicts.

When was the Altamont Speedway held?

The notorious event known as Altamont, officially called the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, was held at a racetrack in northern California on December 6, 1969, four months after the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival had taken place in upstate New York.

What does it mean when you get too close to the Hells Angels?

If anyone got too close to the performers, that also meant they were too close for comfort to the Hells Angels' bikes. As the makeshift security guards became increasingly intoxicated, their means of crowd control became increasingly aggressive and questionable.