Farm Aid Memories: 1985 Pine Knob Music Theater (Detroit)

Farm Aid 2020

The 35th annual Farm Aid concert will be this Saturday, September 26.  The Farm Aid 2020 lineup (announced earlier) for the annual concert will be a "virtual concert" this year.

Willie Nelson Farm Aid interview - 

Detroit Free Press, Sept 20, 1985 by Jim McKelvey

(Click photo to enlarge)

This week we'll feature some Farm Aid  memories from the past.  Today's edition goes back to the 1985 Farm Aid concert and a preview article "Willie Nelson Farm Aid Interview" on the front page of Detroit Free Press on Sept 20, 1985 by Jim McKelvey.  Here are Jim's memories of that day:

Was talking backstage with Neil Young after the Grey Riders show at Meadowbrook in Rochester, Michigan that featured Hargus "Pig" Robbins.

Got back there first and sat down with Neil to talk about his dad's book "Neil & Me" that I was in also. We are talking intensely eye to eye so I don't notice a crowd of thirty people forming all around us in a circle around the table.

Was at the show to review it from weekly Variety in New York City and handled all the access for me.

After about 15 or 20 minutes Neil picks up my tape recorder and says, "I'm going to arrange an interview for you with Willie Nelson and if you don't get it published I'll never talk to you again." With that he got up and walked to his bus to leave. Kind of felt bad for the other writers who wanted to talk to him to be honest.

Sure enough, the very next morning I got a call with the date and time to meet Willie Nelson after a show at Pine Knob Music Theater on his bus.

Got there at 10:30 p.m. and it was a tad foggy when I entered the bus but we then talked till 2:00 a.m. with quotes used in a front page article from the interview. Had been a Detroit Free Press paperboy so when my parents opened the paper that day seeing my name on a front page article they called me immediately to hear all about it.

 Thanks for sharing Jim!  Great Farm Aid Memories.

More on highlights from last year's Farm Aid 2019 at Alpine Valley, Wisconsin .

Willie Nelson Joined by Farm Aid Friends
Farm Aid 2019 at Alpine Valley, Wisconsin
photo by thrashette
(Click photo to enlarge)

Farm Aid Board: Pre-concert Press Conference

Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young & Dave Matthews

Farm Aid 2019 at Alpine Valley, Wisconsin
 photo by thrashette
(Click photo to enlarge)

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