Picture courtesy of Bob Hamilton

Promoter

The greatest bluegrass talent festival lineup in history was put together by then 20 year old Hal Davidson was born and raised in Baltimore County, Maryland.

His new company, Cactus Productions, Inc. was founded in Las Vegas where he had moved to join his folks in 1975. While attending college in MD in 1972-75, Hal was the advance man taking professional clowns and other top performers around to P.R. appointments in Baltimore for Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus. He would return years later as a Regional Marketing Director for the circus and Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice.

The advance man job was his first experience with show business and it was exciting! After this, Hal quickly developed interest in the concert business, but always in his mind was the festival business which had not really emerged yet in U.S. history to the extent it is now. He only knew that he wanted to get into the concert business but knew it would be impossible to get a job in such a tough field to enter on an administrative level.

The Story

With two Maryland friends in 1974, Hal traveled to two major music festivals making a deep impression.

J. Pierce Van Hoy’s Union Grove, NC Old Time Fiddlers Convention, which was a huge campout with a small stage and local or regional bluegrass performers. Then on the other end of the music spectrum, he and his buddies headed to the August Jam at the Charlotte Motor Speedway featuring major rock bands; Allman Bros. Band, ELP, Foghat, Black Oak Arkansas, The Marshall Tucker Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils. We slept in a tent on the infield of the speedway for 2 days. They say 200-300,000 people were there. It felt like it.

Those two events resonated. These were epic-size events to experience for your first festivals. The gears were turning already. Nobody was promoting a major bluegrass festival with all major acts and none were being promoted heavily! He bundled the original investment with profits earned on the first set of concerts he promoted in Baltimore in 1975 and early 1976, then borrowing additional small amounts from people in the area.

In Baltimore and in the County, he promoted Thin Lizzy with Golden Earring, Natalie Cole, The Persuasions, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Nils Lofgren with the original Spirit, Chick Corea and others in small indoor facilities. Concert tickets back then were $5.50, $6.50 and $7.50 and with 2,500-4,000 seat venues it became clear that small concerts were somewhat of a gamble and the profit margin was slim. He really couldn’t afford major concerts in the Baltimore Civic Center about 12,000 seats.

For Stompin’ 76, to reach his young target market, he would use more than 20 east coast rock radio stations. Back then the simple marketing plan  worked in a day when there were very few music festivals and in the bicentennial year, he wanted to celebrate the nation’s birthday! All of the advertising would be dressed in red, white and blue.

Something larger was what he needed. In the cold winter of February, 1976, he stopped promoting concerts and while in his apartment in Reisterstown, MD one night, listening to music with a couple of friends, decided that bluegrass music was affordable and it could mix with other compatible genres (like jamband music or blues) and he came up with the name “STOMPIN 76”. It would be a great big bluegrass festival. Hal felt bluegrass music meant just as much fun as rock, was cheaper to produce and just as many people would come to it, if it was big. Hal learned to love bluegrass music. To this day, he appreciates learning of the ways, the culture and friendship of bluegrass people.

Back then, ideas didn’t cost as much to activate as these days. Even then, things were far simpler. There was no Ticketmaster yet Ticketron started that summer. Phone charge was not popular yet either. 
The Start

Hal got started on Stompin 76 in late February 1976 and established the dates of August 6,7,8. Originally, the weekend after was scheduled, but the main talent agent, Keith Case said that talent availability was far better on the first weekend in August. Using his own money, his parent’s and friends in Baltimore, Stompin 76 was produced with a total of about $30,000. He started an office in Baltimore County from his apartment and soon recruited a dozen enthusiastic young friends.

Bluegrass Music

3 years after Woodstock, Eric Weisberg’s “Dueling Banjos” from the hit 1972 movie Deliverance stirred the bluegrass DNA within most young Americans. A surge of awareness in clubs and bars across the country sparked a modern interest in Bluegrass Music. Jerry Garcia’s roots were in bluegrass and the sounds were in his guitar and mandolin playing. New, quality bluegrass festivals like Telluride were emerging. Many of the starring acts at Stompin had roots in Bluegrass then seeing the benefit of appealing to greater numbers, crossovered to rock, country rock, blues, new country, folk and other hybrids.

Bands like the Grateful Dead, Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage would have fit just fine, into the Stompin lineup. Actually, Kingfish with Bob Weir and Jerry Jeff Walker and the Lost Gonzo Band were originally confirmed as two of the support acts, but later (by late June, ’76) the agents withdrew them due to scheduling conflicts. We then booked Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, John Hartford and others. You can see how the Stompin spirit was taking on it’s own personality. It was about then I reached my hands to the sky and proclaimed “IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!”.

Bluegrass and new grass and the American bluefusion was growing popular that summer as was rockabilly and the blues. Teenagers all over America had already thought it cool to wear plaid shirts since Woodstock.

For Stompin, a bluegrass lineup full of stars plus special stars like Bonnie Raitt made it a unique Stompin music lineup and format, never to be duplicated just like that! All bands advertised played.  Total talent cost: $100,000.00 paid out in increments to the bands that whole summer. And about $10,000 of it weeks after the event.

Promotions

By promoting relentlessly all over the east coast in a full court press to the 18-25 demo; much of the force in the strength of dozens of rock radio stations, yes rock stations, back when that’s all there was. That’s where the target audience was and I was going to reach out and touch them. It was a clarion call to action. At least 30 radio stations, many newspapers, billboards, aerial ads over 5 beaches (Va Beach, OC MD, Myrtle Beach, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale), ads in the Village Voice and Rolling Stone. Major street teams with those red, white and blue vinyl bumper stickers were sent back with each order. Thousands of posters and flyers and a word of mouth that was historic in it’s viral power to attract more than five times the crowd size we wanted. The mail orders continued despite the schedule change. The festival was catching fire, we were promoting in at least 12 states, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, MD, NY, NJ, WV, MA, OH, DE. I don’t remember promoting in TN or KY.

The Talent Agent, Keith Case

was then based in Colorado and the Telluride festival had just started. Keith booked many of the acts that appeared at Stompin 76. Hal was unable to pay a $10,000 balance on the talent due. Keith was shocked when he received it in the mail shortly thereafter. Hal was then broke. Keith Case and Associates was based in Nashville on music row for many years. This great talent agent passed away some years ago. Rest in peace Keith. It is Hal’s opinion that Keith was the finest and most honest talent agent in the whole wide world. 

The Site

It was called The New River Jam Site. The search throughout northern North Carolina and southern Virginia began. Hal hooked up with attorney Mickey Andrews who had knowledge of the Lawson farm. The farm was visited, then signed. Lawson’s 400 acre farm with its natural amphitheater seemed like the best match for the largest outdoor music festival the summer of 1976, and what would go down in history as the undisputed biggest and best Bluegrass festival in History. Hal remembers how kind and helpful Lawson was considering Hal was a cranky Yankee.

How Big: Saturday night in the natural cow pasture amphitheater while Bonnie Raitt performed, over 70,000 folks crammed into the actual concert area. However, due to traffic backups, cars were parking on the interstate over 11 miles away. People just parking their cars on the shoulder lane and packing their camping items on their backs, kid’s wagons, however they could haul their gear. Huge tracts of farmlands surrounding the little one lane road up to the top of the hill where the site entrance was, were packed and crisscrossed with every kind of vehicle and campsite imaginable. The masses took over!

A State Police helicopter hovered above. (This was real BIG) If all were able to enter that wanted to get in, it is estimated that there would have been  150,000 people in the actual concert area. Maybe many more, we will never know. Folks instead, just made a party wherever they could.

“I’ll always remember the foggy night that the shuttle chopper couldn’t get into or out of the festival site, and each band in the musician’s area, chose a representative that would ride along with John Prine’s RV as it tried to naviagate through the clogged road to the main highway.

Bonnie Raitt wouldn’t ride from downtown Galax to the site in a helicopter (she did on her return to Galax), so after a lot of frustration, she jumped on the back of a Harley with her guitar, long flowing red hair blowing in the breeze, got up that hill to the site pretty fast. Bonnie was young and brash. Hal (the 20 year old string bean promoter), remembered eating in the Downtowner Motel at the same time when Bonnie was unhappy with the service and threw her eaten fish skeleton at the waitress. Hal never met Bonnie. But he still has a lot of respect for her and hopes to one day to have her perform at a festival again. She was great! She was the headliner Saturday night and went on about 10pm. The first thing she said when she saw the sea of stompers was “Wow, I’ve never seen this many people before”. Of course, since then, she’s seen a lot. Bonnie Raitt topped off Stompin 76. Everyone was captivated by her electric performance. She played with a band but didn’t need one. She was on fire like the color of her hair.

FINAL POSTER

Thanks to the IBMA for inducting STOMPIN 76 into the BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME, Owensboro, KY

“The Woodstock of Bluegrass”

Promoted from March – August 5, 1976 Stompin 76 was put together by Hal’s Cactus Productions, Inc. of Las Vegas, founded the year before with the intention of promoting concerts back home in Baltimore, Maryland, with his many contacts. His new step-brother Don Berger agreed to be V.P… both were 19 yrs. old in 1975. Stompin 76 was not on the horizon yet, but after promoting 10 concerts in Baltimore, the concept and name was born in the early winter of 1976. It was the 200th Birthday of the nation, something had to be done! A sense of immediacy took hold as the name and the music and the land all merged in March.

Stompin 76 was started with enough money to place deposits on the Lawson farm, north of Galax, VA (we all know Galax is home to the Old Fiddlers Convention-which Stompin had no affiliation with), we also paid 50% deposits to the bands, start-up marketing and some salaries. Things were simple then, the promotion took over.

In the preceding few years, Hal attended J. Pierce Van Hoy’s Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Union Grove, NC, the 1974 August Jam in Charlotte Motor Speedway and all kinds of outdoor concerts like Ten Years After in the Arizona desert or his first concert, the Grateful Dead- Baltimore 1971. These lasting impressions and exciting events from such profound live performances seared a path in Hal’s head literally forcing him to dream up and bring about Stompin 76. It was all adding up.

We opened 2 eastern Stompin 76 operations and ticketing offices located in Owings Mills, Maryland and Winston Salem, NC. My friends and many others from MD, VA and NC about the same age helped grow Stompin 76 the Bicentennial summer! Ticket buyers responded to exciting widespread major market radio ads, large newspaper ads, aerial banners over the beaches and a ton of youthful energy which steamrolled into the biggest event in the east that bicentennial year! Fans mailed cash into these locations where their ticket orders were filled and mailed back. This rudimentary marketing method and ticket outlets in 6 states is how the 29,000 advance tickets were sold. An estimated 2,000 more were sold at the gate even though over 100,000 attended and it’s estimated many thousands more were backed up on the surrounding roads and interstate and couldn’t get in.

“In fear of not promoting enough, we over promoted and made history” My apologies to that rural county and those nice country people. “The Galax Fiddler’s Convention got a big boost from it forever.”

Hal

A bunch of us drove down from NJ, in a questionable vehicle, and camped in one of the cornfields. As I recall, the Pagans were there as “unofficial” police, and I remember catching rides to the stage area from time to time. One of my enduring memories is of Johnny Hartford, who showed me this origami style bird made from leaves of some sort (possibly corn husks) that someone gave to him. It has endured in the annals of my memory as one of the best adventures I’ve had. Cheers!
Nancy MacIntyre Hollinshead

$12 for a three day festival; no wonder I could afford it then. Unbelievable and I was there.
David Valentine

I remember parking on the side of the road and hiking in for 5 miles just to get to the gate to get in. So many people and the music was great. I lived in Carroll County, VA and I had never seen that many people in one place. First time I got to see Bonnie Raitt. It was great! We helped so many folks to get to and from the festival and saw some that had been driving in circles for hours trying to find the way back to the main roads. One of my most memorable times ever.
Selena King

The festival that stands out above the rest was Stompin 76. Wow! I traveled there with 3 friends from NJ in a VW van, of course. We got there late at night. I remember seeing all the Pagans when we pulled into the grounds. We got stuck on the road close to the river and that is where we wound up camping. Not only was the music line up fantastic but since my boyfriend was a musician, I listened to many great jam sessions.
Donna Segalla Steele

We got there Thursday night about midnight and set up – wasn’t a level spot anywhere, so I set my tent up so I would roll down against the side and not slide out the door. Each morning the PA would fire up with “Let Your Love Flow” by the Bellamy Bros. (anyone else remember that?). The creek that fed into the river was the place to be – everyone each morning. White Lightning was $4 a cup (dispensed via 16 oz Dairy Queen cups as I remember it) what a heavy head after THAT. Yep, that was SOME time.
Clark Robbins

Thanks to the throngs of wild, adventurous people who make the trek to Stompin 76, all of you who are still alive, and those of you who contacted me over the past years since the internet emerged. A BIG THANKS for all of the contributions to the Facebook page as well. It’s good we’ve finally rejoined virtually!

It’s great to hear your stories after all of these years. The web has provided us with a virtual gathering farm once more. Those raw days back then, we were all so young, so carefree. Stompin was the biggest party that year and in retrospect one of the biggest outdoor camping festivals in modern American music history. You were all parking and camping all over that poor county (Carroll). The State Police Commandant flew in on his helicopter just to let me know that my customers were parking on his interstate 11 miles away and walking in. He wanted to know what I was going to do about it. I didn’t have a good answer so he left saying “you are pathetic”.

This is to commemorate that classic bluegrass festival, the people that ventured there, and to stir the spirit once more so that those vivid (or blurred) memories of Stompin 76 linger for many, many years to come!

For 3 days in August 1976, 8 mi. north of Galax, Va., on Lawson’s Farm, we called the New River Jam Site, just a stone’s throw from the North Carolina border, bluegrass and blues abounded. Outdoor Music festival lovers and youngins that just wanted to celebrate in that magical summer from all parts gathered for those historic 3 days. Stompin 76 was the bluegrass festival that made bluegrass cool and exposed it to an entire eastern nation’s youth that year.

Boyd Lawson’s 425 acre farm was the historic site for the event. Thanks to his hospitality and the kindness of his wife “she made really tasty ham biscuits”, their land will live in infamy. Located off Route 58 about 8 miles North of Galax. The new owners request that you do not try and visit.

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
~Berthold Auerbach

Still Stompin, the memories return

David H. Irving III

A bunch of us traveled from Lexington, Va., only several hours down the road. I was 19 at the time and this was the first sizable concert I had attended. Like many others, I remember arriving late Thursday evening and only being able to get as close as several miles from the stage.  We ended up camping in a cow pasture on the side of a hill. I had borrowed an old canvas cabin tent from a co-worker.  Little did I know that after setting up the tent, that was the last time I would see it until Sunday.  Friday became a blur rather quickly.  However, I do remember hanging out by the main road in, on the edge of a creek, for quite a while. 

This was the same location that the double-decker red London bus was parked with the gallon glass jar full of Quaaludes on the dash with a sign that, I believe, said Ludes 25 cents.  Anyway the creek was looking rather inviting and upon a dare I decided to do a shallow dive.  Needless to say, although rather successful, more like a belly flop, I soon felt the rocks on the creek bottom (4 inches deep) dragging down my chest. Good thing it was refreshing, as the cool water seemed to mask the pain of the bloody scratches that soon developed.  What ever I was drinking and ingesting that day also numbed the pain.  GOOD TIMES!  I remember the Pagans had pretty much taken over the Port-a-John area, I believe the brand was Here’s Johnny, if my memory is correct.  You had to walk through the Pagans to take a leak, past the big guy sporting the 3 1/2 foot tall, 25 pound adjustable crescent wrench.  I think the rain began sometime Saturday. 

I remember loosing one shoe, spraining an ankle. Although I was very drunk, I saw a Va. State Trooper car approaching and decided to use my remaining charm and pitiful condition to hitch a ride the remaining 2 miles to the stage area. Unbelievable to me, he said “sure, hop in”.  As we traveled down the road I can’t forget the sympathetic looks from those walking along the road thinking I had been arrested. I believe Saturday night I found a dry spot to sleep under the stage along with many others. Great weekend.  I wish I could remember more of the music, but like I said, pretty hazy that weekend. 

I enjoyed reminiscing back on the super festival I will never forget. Googling the event tonight, I found stompin76.com.
We went in caravan, all of us musicians with tents and trucks. I was 16 and in Awe of Doc Watson, Bonnie and everyone famous and not famous. The pickin’ jams at picnic table across the grounds was as talented as the ones on stage. Three that I traveled with are passed on now, Banjo, guitar and bass. I’ll share the story with my 26 year old so he’ll understand the roots of my music passions. Doc Watson was mesmerizing.
Thank you! Kathy Georganas.

15 yrs old at the time. Traveled down from PA in a four vehicle caravan. Couldn’t get any closer than a few miles from the music. Hiked to the music, when I came back my people moved camp. Didn’t see them for 3 days. Run ins with Hells Angels, Moonshine vendors, young ladies of questionable morals and flash floods. What a BIG time for a teenager. Signed, Turtle.

From Hal, Aug 4, 2017

So 40 years later I just found out, a band played at the start I didn’t even know of. I was not stoned, just running around putting our fires (figuratively) dealing with the Pagans and a missing security company.. Glen “Smiley” Martin wrote to me. . . ” I think … think … we were called “The Valley View Hog Roast Squirrel Gravy Band” … I think. “
Well like I said Hal, if I hadn’t seen the pic I wouldn’t have known I was even there. 🙂 Had to send in studio quality demo, stage diagram, etc. to get the gig.

I remember we were camped near the helicopter landing pad and after we arrived (don’t remember it being too difficult, but read later it was a huge mess, (Hal said – it was backed up to the interstate, HA HA HA!) I guess we got there early), anyway we setup camp and decided to walk around (troubadour-ing) playing some music. I remember being really thirsty and didn’t have water or beverages with me. I saw this person standing next to me with a mason jar full of, what I THOUGHT was water, he asked if I wanted a ‘hit’ … I thought that was strange, a ‘hit’ of water? Of course being as thirsty as I was I took a HUGE drink and dang near passed out right there.

For some reason that is one of the only memories I have, coincidentally don’t remember much after that drink for the whole time I was there.

Smiley got his bumper stickers 40 years later. Here’s the pic of his TVVHRSG band! I am the guy in the middle with banjo, blue t-shirt, jeans.

Hiya,
I played at Stompin 76 in a band called Rainbow Special. I forget the details now, but the leader of the band went on to be Kinky Freedman’s Guitar player. I went on to work at Opryland USA and with about a million other bands based out of Philadelphia. I remember we were right after Frank Wakefield, and shared a dressing trailer with Vassar Clements. I also was stuck for a while because I was storing my fiddle in John Hartford’s trailer, and he was inside with the doors locked bonking some girl. I had to wait until they were finished before I could get my Fiddle back. He and Ibecame life long friends, having met just a few years before Stompin 76. I guess around 1972.

I remember Dave Bromberg’s helicopter almost crashed. We were underneath! It wobbled wildly in the air over our heads in the high winds. Hartford told me later, in order to get out of there in the bad weather, he and Doug and Rodney Dillard hijacked a Winnebago and drove themselves out, since the helicopters were grounded Sunday.

I also remember a naked girl walking around with a biker guy carrying a huge truck wrench! Nobody even dared look at her! The Bikers had taken over. As we approached the stage to do our set, there was a line of bikers each holding out for us our choice of booze or pot or coke, or speed or even acid I think!

I may have some of the details mixed up, but that’s how I remember things. A Great concert and weekend. Plus I got to play fiddle for 50,000 plus people at one time. Pretty amazing experience. Thanks for having us.

Thanks Ted The Fiddler
www.tfiddler.com

Hal,
I promised you or someone a copy of the footage I shot on Super 8 in return for a helicopter ride out. I got the ride, I owe you a copy.
Thank you,
Hy Mayerson

(This Super 8 footage was not used in this site because its such a poor footage)

Hal,
A friend of mine and I opened Stompin 76 as “Baird and Keith.” We were both 17-years-old that year.
I hope life has been good to you since that amazing weekend. I’m still pickin down in Orlando, FL.
All the best,
Tracy “Keith” King

Hal,
I was there! Most likely the biggest party I ever attended. Some friends had arrived on Thurs. was able to drive in and set up camp as close as you could to the stage(better than 100 yds. away) I arrived on Fri. around noon and had to leave the car in a ditch and walk 1 hour in. I found my buddies.. somehow…and it was on from there. Most of what I can recall today involves consuming mass quantities of alcohol, smoking weed, lots of naked people in and near the New River and the creek that was close by Entertainment wise I recall Bonnie & John singing Angel from Montgomery…and that is about it. I was ready to leave Sunday.. went home and slept for 27 hours …Looking back i am glad to have witnessed and participated…and thankful that events like that only come once in a lifetime….Later
Roadhouse 2323

Hal,
I saw a program about outside concerts and it took me back the only outside three day fling I had ever went to. Stomp-in 76 was the first one I have ever attended in my life, I was 22 years old and didn’t know where life was going to take me. My second wife and I left Friday afternoon and got to the site after dark. We started in and went left, bad mistake. This was for four-wheel drives, I had a 63 Ford van and we were stuck. It wasn’t to bad, we ended up on a creek that led to the river. The only down fall was the long walk to the concert area and venders.

There were so many people and the Pagans (motorcycle gang) were showing there asses. We stayed away from them and there were so many people that the ice, water, and other things were far and few between. We traded two hot beers for one cold one, people were selling lots of dope and other home made thing. The music was great and most people were found in the same place the next morning, time were go or we thought they were. There were some people from ?? its where they had the keypone out break in the river and killed a lot of fish. They were stuck with us, so we made the best of the little camp site. Every morning hundreds of people came down for baths, that was a crazy time. The water was cold and things were smaller, if you know what I mean. We were pulled out on Sunday, when someone got hurt in the water. I think the dates were Friday-Sunday I’m not sure, that’s a long time ago.

My name is David Cruise, see how things seem to go in circles.

Hal
Looking for something unrelated, I stumbled onto your Stompin 76 website. What a treat after 30 years. I drove to Galax from Washington DC with my brother in a ’62 rambler that broke down a half dozen times on the way. The last time was somewhere outside of Galax on Friday.

The roads were already almost impassable. We asked the mechanic how to get to the festival. He drew a little map of the back roads – a dirt road he said came out right at the festival site. After three or four hours of going 10 miles an hour on what seemed to be an old logging road, and quite sure that we were nowhere near the festival, possibly not even in Virginia, we came out on the backside of a gate (one of the gates?, the main gate? who knows.) Parked not more than fifty feet from the entrance- amazing – there must have been 50 or 75 thousand people there by that time.

A couple of hours to find the rest of the DC contingency. I was greeted with “hey, you’re alive, cool”. Turns out someone named Tom Carter was in the medical tent after indulging in too much of something (quualudes, I seem to remember) and that they had announced over the loudspeaker that anyone who knew him should go to the tent right away because he may have to be flown out. I asked them if anybody went – “oh, uh, yea, we were gonna get around to that…” Hey, what are friends for…

A comical start to the best festival of the decade – and I went to most of them – Union Grove, Shade Gap, Short Gap, Aunt Minnie’s, Gone Fishin’, don’t even remember half of them… I don’t dare recount most of the stories in a public forum – best left for late night reminiscing

Anyway, thanks for a great festival and for a lot of good memories the web site brings back.

Best of luck with your current endeavors,
Tom Carter

P.S. A buddy of mine still has the van he drove down there – replete with a half dozen Stompin bumper stickers on the back.

P.P.S. The Rambler never did start again – just left it there and
hitchhiked home. Do you still have it? Can I have it back?

Hey Hal:
Wanted to share a couple of my memories with you…
My buddy Nick and I drove our two vans down from Alexandria Va. Too bad he bought his wife. They women were just EVERYWHERE! We were active inner tubers at the time and we bought a bunch of tubes with us.

Saturday morning we got ready to do our tubing thing. There was a Winnebago next to us and this real honey of a girl from New Jersey. Janet was her name. She asked if she could come along…I said sure enough you can come along. We got to the river and she realized she didn’t have a swimsuit or shorts. So she just stripped on down to her skivvies…She was gorgeous! Anyway, we tubed our way down to the stage and had a blast that day and night. She stayed in my van that night. If you know what I mean…

She left Sunday Morning. I hooked up with her a couple of times after that. We were from different worlds though… Sunday, Budddy Nick and I were walking back from the concert and we picked up a bushel of corn and starting toting it back to camp. We came across 3 lovelies in their mini-truck. They felt sorry for us and gave us a ride back to our site. We ended up partying all night. I met the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She was a guitar picker and just the most perfect thing you could imagine. She stayed in my van that night. I tried hooking up with her after that. She was from College Park, MD. She never returned my calls and finally her mama told me “Give it up boy. She ain’t never gonna call you back”. I wept openly and said farewell to the angel.

As long as I’m breathing I will never ever forget Stompin 76.
Thanks Hal for one of THE best times of my life.
Jeff Kiser
Safety Harbor, FL

Hi Hal.
I came across your site trying to find info on Stompin 76 Great! I was there, seeing a flyer at a Grateful Dead concert in Hartford, Conn that year. So I hitchhiked down. I didn’t remember anything about the festival until I saw the poster. Thanks. What a lot of great acts! It was the Woodstock of bluegrass. I didn’t make Woodstock (though I tried to get there), but I made other festivals including Ozark music festival in 74, Stevens Point in Wisconsin in 70, Kickaboo Kreek in Hayworth ILL in 70 and a few pthers I can’t remember. I do remember having a great time at Stompin. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Al Astrella