Farm Aid Concert to Be Held This Saturday

The year was 1985 when Willie Nelson was joined by Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Neil Young for the first Farm Aid Concert which was held at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

The concert idea came from Dylan and was established to benefit American farmers who were struggling and in danger of losing their farms through mortgage debt.
Some 80,000 people were on hand to hear the four men play along with B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel and others.

If I recall, several Quincy people were involved with putting the event on in Champaign that year. Where you one of them? The initial concert raised over $9 million for farmers in 1985.

This year will mark the 32nd anniversary of Farm Aid which will be held on September 16 outside of Pittsburgh in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Mathews among others.

As time goes by, it seems we hear less and less about Farm Aid.  Over the years, the event has been successful enough to raise over $50 million.