35 years ago today (9/22/85) the first Farm Aid benefit concert was held before a crowd of 80,000 people at the Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois – the same summer that saw Live Aid. Organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, the event had been spurred on by Bob Dylan’s comments at Live Aid earlier in that year that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers. The line up of artists for Farm Aid included: Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels Band, John Denver, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, , Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Bonnie Raitt and Kenny Rogers. Watch Neil Young play “Hey Hey My My” at Farm Aid ’85
