Meet The Iconic Couple From The Woodstock Album Co – Tymoff
One of the most famous pictures in music history features the carefree embrace of Nick and Bobbi Ercoline, a modest young couple, at the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Their picture appeared on the Woodstock album cover, where it became a representation of the festival’s love, peace, and harmony.
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Table of Contents
Their Trip to Woodstock
The following are the main points of Nick and Bobbi Ercoline’s 1969 trip to Woodstock:
At first, 20-year-olds Nick and Bobbi had no intention of going to Woodstock. On the other hand, they made the rash decision to go after hearing on the radio about the large crowds and disturbance.
Nick and Bobbi, along by a few pals, including Jim “Corky” Corcoran, climbed into Corcoran’s mother’s station wagon early on August 15, 1969, and headed for the Bethel, New York, festival site.
Due to roadblocks, they were unable to travel all the way to the event grounds. So they left the car and went on foot, finally coming upon a blanket that had been left behind and which Bobbi ended up using during the festival.
They once picked up Herbie, a man who was experiencing a horrible acid trip, and he gave them the plastic staff that looks like a butterfly in the famous picture.
Nick and Bobbi had not planned to go, but they ended up in one of the most famous photos of Woodstock when photographer Burk Uzzle caught them in an impromptu hug on the grounds of the festival.
The Unplanned Picture Shoot
Burk Uzzle, the photographer, caught an entirely impromptu and spontaneous scene that led to the famous picture of Nick and Bobbi Ercoline on the Woodstock record cover:
At Woodstock, Uzzle was working as a freelancer for the Magnum agency and had only brought black and white film. In order to snap the picture of Nick and Bobbi, he had to borrow colour film from a friend.
August 17, 1969, was a Sunday. At about 4:30 a.m., Uzzle woke up and began to make his way through the crowd. About fifteen feet away, he saw Nick and Bobbi, who were dating at the time, sharing an embrace on a hillside.
The flag, the hill’s curve, and just enough of the nearby people were included by Uzzle when composing the image. Without Nick and Bobbi knowing, he snapped the picture.
The pair was unaware that the picture had been shot. “Honestly, I do not even recall the picture being shot,” admitted Nick afterward. Bobbi could hardly recall the incident at all.
The pair was unaware that the picture had been shot. “Honestly, I do not even recall the picture being shot,” admitted Nick afterward. Bobbi could hardly recall the incident at all.
Which lesser-known tales from the Woodstock festival are there?
The following are some lesser-known tales and details regarding the 1969 Woodstock festival:
- At the time, Melanie Safka, a 19-year-old folk singer, was not very well-known. She had to sing to the security guards to persuade them that she was scheduled to play because she lacked an artist VIP ticket.
- In the midst of a thunderstorm, Joan Baez played, and fans chanted, “No rain! No rain!” for hours.
- Ten Years After singer Alvin Lee is said to have disregarded concerns that he might get electrocuted and instead decided to perform outside in the rain. There are rumours that he claimed, “We will sell a lot of records if I get electrocuted at Woodstock.”
- Security was handled by a man who went by “Wavy Gravy” and was dressed like Smokey the Bear. According to reports, he threatened attendees who were having fun with “fizzy water and custard tarts.”
- Bikers and members of a commune in New Mexico made up Wavy Gravy’s “Please Force,” which was paid by no one at all to police the event.
- A few attendees choose to see the legendary acts without clothes on.
- Word on the street is Homemade wine in jars was distributed freely.
Numerous individuals who were there at the festival assert that they were unaware of the sheer number of attendees. Many quotes from face-to-face interviews taken during the festival put the number closer to tens of thousands than hundreds of thousands.
What Effect Did the Festival’s Site on a Dairy Farm Have on Logistics?
The Woodstock festival’s site in Bethel, New York on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm had a big effect on the planning behind the scenes:
Securing the Site
The festival’s organizers had to work quickly to find a new location when their original plan to hold it in the town of Wallkill fell through. By agreeing to host the festival on his 600-acre farm, Yasgur, a local dairy farmer, prevented the event from being cancelled.
Accommodating the Massive Crowds
Yasgur’s property offered plenty of open space for the enormous gatherings, which were thought to number around 450,000. The festival was able to grow beyond its initial projected capacity because of the undulating hills and fields.
Challenges with Infrastructure
Yasgur’s property offered plenty of open space for the enormous gatherings, which were thought to number around 450,000. The festival was able to grow beyond its initial projected capacity because of the undulating hills and fields.
Damage to the Land
The farm’s fields became a sea of muck due to the large number of visitors and the rainy weather, seriously damaging the soil. Yasgur later claimed that it took months to clean up the “mess” the festival had created on his land.
Relationship with the Local Community
Some locals disagreed with Yasgur’s choice to organize the event because they feared it would disrupt their small rural village. After the festival, this tense relationship with the town of Bethel persisted.
Relationship with the Local Community
Some locals disagreed with Yasgur’s choice to organize the event because they feared it would disrupt their small rural village. After the festival, this tense relationship with the town of Bethel persisted.
Yasgur’s property offered the open space required to stage the fabled Woodstock festival, but its rustic, agricultural setting also posed significant logistical obstacles that the planners had to quickly get past. The festival had a profound and enduring effect on the area and the locals.
Becoming Unintentional Icons
Unintentionally, Nick and Bobbi Ercoline—the couple immortalized in the classic embrace on the Woodstock album cover—became symbols of both the 1960s counterculture movement and the festival:
Photographer Burk Uzzle captured the candid moment of Nick and Bobbi, who were 20 years old at the time, at the festival. When the couple saw the picture on the album cover the next year, they were astonished because they were unaware that it had been taken.
Their picture on the Woodstock album cover instantly became a representation of the love, peace, and unity of the event. It was a symbol of a generation that questioned the status quo and transcended both distance and time.
After a period of trying to accept their newfound celebrity, Nick and Bobbi came to embrace their status as Woodstock icons. They took part in projects to maintain the festival’s heritage, appeared in public, and conducted interviews.
Amidst the Woodstock 50th anniversary festivities in 2019, Nick and Bobbi revealed their incredible love story to the world. They never lost their gratitude for the encounter and the chance to take part in such an important turning point in American history.
At the age of 73, Bobbi Ercoline passed away in March 2023. She was known for her generosity and her support of organizations close to her heart. Generations after her on the Woodstock record cover are still enthralled and inspired.
Thus, despite the fact that Nick and Bobbi never pursued fame, their unplanned embrace at Woodstock cemented their status as historical figures and symbolized the resilience of the counterculture movement as well as the strength of love and unity.
In conclusion, Burk Uzzle captured the famous picture during a completely impromptu and spontaneous moment that subsequently turned into one of the most identifiable depictions of the Woodstock event and the 1960s counterculture. Even though Woodstock is best recognized for its legendary music acts and message of love and peace, there were a lot of lesser-known oddities, personalities, and tales that came out of the chaotic yet amazing event.