Picture this: Aug. 10, 1974. You’re surrounded by 200,000 rock fans and are about to enjoy a day-long festival with a major lineup of up-and-coming bands. Welcome to Charlotte’s “Woodstock.”
Fifty-one years ago, August Jam became the largest concert in North Carolina’s history — and one of the largest in the country at the time.
WCNC legend Larry Sprinkle was working as a DJ for Big WAYS Radio and helped emcee the festival, along with prominent radio host Wolfman Jack.
“I’d emceed shows at the Coliseum, which is now Bojangles, and in Memphis, TN,” Sprinkle told CLTtoday. “But when I stood out on that stage and saw all those people, then took a microphone and said, ‘Are you ready to rock and roll?’ and thousands of people were screaming... There was nothing like it.”
Festival organizers expected upwards of 70,000 people to attend the event with headlining acts including the Allman Brothers Band, Foghat, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Black Oak Arkansas. Tickets were about $12 — the equivalent of about $78 today.
Fun fact: The Eagles were supposed to perform but ended up being a no-show.
“The Eagles are probably one of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll,” shared Sprinkle. “But at that time, they’d had several successful albums, but were not the top bill. Top billed for that particular event was the Allman Brothers Band.”
With big names like the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band, excitement was palpable, and everyone wanted a spot on the speedway.
“There was a group of people who actually pushed part of the fence down, and thousands of people got in free,” said Sprinkle. “Every spot at the Charlotte Motor Speedway had a person on it.”
The concert gave fans memories for years, many of which are shared on social media with other concert-goers.
That day may have started with a drizzle, but it ended with “Blue Sky.”
