What is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma? Michael Lang's cause of death explored as tributes pour in for Woodstock festival co-founder

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair's co-creator, Michael Lang, recently passed away on January 8. He was 77 years old at the time of his death.

Lang died at New York City’s Sloan Kettering Hospital from a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The news was confirmed by his representative and family friend Michael Pagnotta.

Michael Lang’s cause of death

The concert promoter was suffering from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which led to his death.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma refers to a kind of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system which is the human body’s germ-fighting immune system. In this situation, white blood cells grow abnormally and could form tumors across the body.

It is a general category of lymphoma and several subtypes are included under this. The most common among them are large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.

Common signs and symptoms include swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin, abdominal pain and swelling, chest pain, fever, night sweats, coughing, trouble breathing, weight loss, and fatigue.

Life and career of Michael Lang

Born on December 11, 1944, Michael Lang dropped out of New York University in 1967 and produced the Miami Pop Festival in 1968.

Lang met Artie Kornfeld in Woodstock, New York, and planned to open a recording studio. Michael then planned the Woodstock Festival with John P. Roberts and Joel Rosenman, which was held on Max Yasgur’s farm in New York from August 15 to August 18, 1969.

The Brooklyn, New York native was seen in the documentary film, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music in 1970. He then produced two music festivals, Woodstock ’94 and Woodstock ’99.

Michael was the owner and operator of Just Sunshine Records, which produced and released several albums by different musical artists. He managed many successful international recording artists like Tarkan, Joe Cocker, Willie DeVille, and others.

Lang was the manager of Joe Cocker from 1969 and their relationship continued for 20 years. He was also an associate producer of the 1996 crime comedy film, Bottle Rocket.

Netizens pay tribute to Michael Lang on Twitter

Michael Lang’s concerts were one of the reasons why he was loved by the public. Social networking site Twitter was flooded with tributes as people heard the news of his death.

The artistic manager is survived by his wife Tamara, sons Harry and Laszlo, and daughters LariAnn, Shala, and Molly.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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