James Gurley, the lead guitarist with Janis Joplin's Band, Big Brother & the Holding Company, died Sunday December 20th, 2009, two days before his 70th birthday. The band's album Cheap Thrills was named as one of Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was on this album that the hits Piece of My Heart, Summertime, Combination of the Two and Ball and Chain are found and Gurley is credited as a co-writer on the track Oh, Sweet Mary. Throughout the life of the band, James Gurley was an influential and virtuosic leader.

Photographed by rock photographer, Jim Marshall

Arthur John Johnson (March 31, 1878 June 10, 1946), better known as Jack Johnson and nicknamed the Galveston Giant, was an American boxer and arguably the best heavyweight of his generation. He was the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World (1908-1915). In a documentary about his life, Ken Burns notes: "For more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous, and the most notorious African-American on Earth".

The festival was so much larger and more popular than the year before due to the performance of Bob Dylan. He was reluctant to perform his comeback show on this unknown island until the promoters showed him a short video of the Island's cultural and literary heritage. This appealed to Dylan's artistic sensibilities as he was enthusiatic about performing in Tennyson country. Prior to the festival Bob Dylan and The Band rehearsed at Forelands Farm in Bembridge, and were joined by The Beatles minus Paul McCartney.

Illustration of animals at a wild, debaucherous party!