Spinner

Iconic Woodstock Couple Keeps Festival Spirit Alive

Forty years after the legendary festival in Bethel, N.Y., a photo of two lovebirds taken at Woodstock has become an iconic symbol of love. Having only met three months prior, the picture captures a young couple -- Nick and Bobbi Ercoline, both now 60 -- embracing underneath a dirty blanket, surrounded by exhausted concertgoers. To the Ercolines' surprise, the image became the cover of the 'Woodstock' album in 1970 and was featured on posters for the subsequent documentary film.

What resonates most about the photo is that it speaks to what many Woodstock veterans consider to be the true meaning of the festival -- not just music but a movement of peace, love and unity. In a recent interview with Spinner, Woodstock performer Richie Havens cited a Martin Luther King Jr. speech, saying "It's not him or him or him, it's all of us or nothing. That was our thing, that's what we went against the war with."

The couple themselves acknowledge the social significance of the now legendary picture. "It's an honest representation of a generation. When we look at that photo ... I see our generation," Nick told the NY Daily News.

Original Santana percussionist Michael Carabello witnessed firsthand how his generation came together for three days in 1969. "It was about the music and it was about everything else, but it was more about us getting along." Noting the hectic and exhausting nature of the festival (as evidenced by the background of the photo), Carabello told Spinner, "You know, you get so absorbed in it you just don't want to hear it anymore, you forget about it, so the only thing you can do is become a family. You just help one another out."

Certainly Woodstock has been romanticized over the years, but for many, the image of Nick and Bobbi wrapped in a blanket represents exactly what Carabello is talking about.

What's more, the couple has been together ever since.


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Peckerwood

The late GREAT Jimi Hendrix was not only at Woodstock...He was also in Vietnam and in the 101st airborne. He broke his ankle and was sent home. He didn't even know that Vietnam was a bad war. He had to be told by music promoters not to mention Vietnam unless it was in a negative way. All he wanted to do is play his guitar. RIP Jimi.

August 17 2009 at 7:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peckerwood

Didn't you hear about a little concert called Altamont later that same year where the Hell's Angels were hired by the Rolling stones as guards, and had their way with anyone they wanted, and murdered a black man, who pulled a gun out? Still it was groovy (well except for the murder, and mayhem part.)People can you feel it violence was everywhere.

August 17 2009 at 7:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carol Colomb

I was there. I was reminising a lot this weekend. I went with Dottie, Pete Sorentino, Sonny and I think one other person from Buffalo and was wondering if after all these years they were remembering me this week end like I was remembering them after all these years!!!

August 17 2009 at 3:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CULLEN DORN

My girlfriend and I had tickets for the Woodstock '69 concert. However, we broke up, and I took off instead to the desert of Arizona to witness a breakthrough with the Other Side in an Indian spiritual pow-wow seance. I stood there three days. August 16, 17, and 18th -- the same days Woodstock was celebrated perhaps for the same reasons ... peace on earth.

August 17 2009 at 10:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John

Wonder how many Soliers and Marines were killed in Vietnam during Woodstock??? wasn't around 400+ during the days of Woodstock. Man what memories nope never want to forget those days!!

August 17 2009 at 7:05 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peckerwood

Bobby Deal = Bobby Seale..sorry about the typo

August 17 2009 at 1:14 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peckerwood

You left out, Timothy leary, Bear Owsley Stanley, Charles Manson's dumb a** followers, and Kent State. Abbie Hoffman was okay most of what he said was in jest. The rest of the Chicago Seven minus BobbyDeale sold out and became "banksters" and the political gangsters who've been running this country.

August 16 2009 at 11:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peckerwood

lol..agree! And the Band Played On,(and on, and on.)

August 16 2009 at 11:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peckerwood

Mare said
"at 8-16-2009i did not go to this, but recall the era as i was 13 yrs odl at the time. could someone PLEASE tell me why todays kids ( not all) are so angry or voilent and some are just plain out of control and have no respect. The peace and love era was not all that, but alot more than i see today."_______________________
You'e right. It wasn't "all that" The media has turned it into some sort of God-like,Cosmic Wonderland. It was muddy and rainy. It stunk, because the bathroom facilities were so filthy. They trashed the area. Those kids on the cover(scrambled on hallucinagins) sold out their hippie ideals and became lawyers and politicians that ran this country into the ground. They gave birth to babies who probably had learning disabilites due to the LSD, and other drugs injested by their mother's while pregnant. And it's just gone downhill ever sense. On the West coast, during that same week the so-called 'Manson murders' took place. The Ted Kennedy and his Chappaquiddick fiasco happened that same summer. I'm glad to see this couple made it out of that overated media blitzed hippie dippie era still in tact. I was only 13 but my BIL was there and I'd probably get bounced off of AOL if I told you what he said about it.
jlhmc-

August 16 2009 at 10:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sue

sarah; you better talk to Jesse, or Jesse, you better talk to sarah.

August 16 2009 at 10:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply