Farm Aid’s 1985 Debut in Illinois Headlines Sept. 22’s Milestones in Music History

Farm Aid’s 1985 Debut in Illinois Headlines Sept. 22’s Milestones in Music History

This Day in Music History: September 22 On Sept. 22, 1985, music became a national megaphone for America’s family farmers. The first Farm Aid concert filled Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, with 80,000 people and brought together an unusually broad lineup that included Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Organized in only six weeks after Dyla…

On This Day in 1985, Van Halen Introduced Their New Frontman to 80,000 Fans at a Historic Willie Nelson Benefit Concert

Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen at Farm Aid 1985 Forty-one years ago today, Eddie Van Halen joined his band's new frontman on stage for the first time during a benefit concert.