39 Years Ago Today…

The Rolling Stones played a free festival at Altamont in California, along with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Rolling Stones fan Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death as the group played “Under My Thumb” by Hell’s Angels who’d been hired to police the event. It’s claimed Hunter was waving a revolver. One other man drowned, two men were killed by in a hit-and run accident and two babies were born. The Dead wrote “New Speedway Boogie” as a response to the incident.

Here’s footage from Gimme Shelter of the incident:

And the Dead’s response from Festival Express: