Michigan's Woodstock: Sherwood Forest #20042

The story of Sherwood Forest (Davison, Michigan) is an improbable one that is part of Rock and Roll History.  In the 1960's and 70's the popular Michigan music festival venue helped launch the careers of many of Michigan's emerging Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.  Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Alice Cooper, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Ted Nugent, MC5, Sammie Hagar, REO Speedwagon, George Clinton, Blue Oyster Cult, Big Brother and the Holding Company,  and Chuck Berry all performed at Sherwood Forest.  Bob Seger and Stevie Wonder in particular played frequently at the venue. throughout the 1960's.  Sherwood Forest attracted as many as 14,000 concertgoers for its festival-like events.  It was a place more akin to Woodstock than the tin roof pavilions of today's era.  Dean Sherwood, whose father Don with the help of his children and a unconventional promoter and djay, Peter C. Cavanaugh,  turned his 200 acre dairy farm into a garden of eden, replete with picnic pavilions, a dance hall, an outdoor performance state, carnival rides and sleigh rides.  The Sherwoods' developed a family venue that became the unlikely place where tens of thousands of young people gathered to enjoy a celebration of Wild Wednesdays and Super Sundays.  They created a place for thousands of kids to gather for a $2.00 admission fee or $4.00 per vehicle.  Those who attended these events were treated to emerging artists who honed their craft on the stages of Sherwood Forest.  Today that list of performers includes many members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!  Southeastern Michigan in the 1960's and 1970's was a hot bed for the best rock and roll in the world.  It was where those Hall of Famers got their start.  Sherwood Forest hosted future stars as they developed performance skills and developed a loyal fan base.  Dean Sherwood shares his story of Sherwood Forest.  He grew up watching these great performers.  From his vantage point he is able to tell a few stories about his parents and their vision as well as encountering these young artists.   For thousands of Flint area baby boomers, Sherwood Forest holds many memories of fun and a great place to visit.  It was much more than a corporate pavilion of today.  Many in their 60's and 70's today, still tell stories of the Age of Aquarius and their version of attending Woodstock Music Festival which was found in Davison, Michigan at Sherwood Forest. Radio Free Flint will also post a YouTube video of this interview at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7RggWQolcVMxGiWBQJL1kWfiYtuZ_cc You can find this podcast at https://www.radiofreeflint.media/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/radiofreeflint/message

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