The first Farm Aid concert was held on this day in 1985 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The event, which attracted more than 80,000 people, was held to raise money for family farmers throughout the country who were struggling with drastically falling land prices and the rise of large corporate farms.

More than 100 musical acts performed at the event, including The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson. Nelson, along with John Mellencamp and Neil Young, were key organizers of the first Farm Aid. More than $9 million was raised during the event.

Since 1985, Farm Aid concerts have been held across the country. The New World Music Theater (now Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre) in Tinley Park hosted Farm Aid ’97 and ’98 as well as the 20th anniversary concert in 2005.

Over the weekend, the 30th anniversary concert was held at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion in Chicago, drawing nearly 30,000 concertgoers and hosting Dave Matthews, Imagine Dragons, Willie Nelson and Chicagoan Mavis Staples. 

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Read more about Farm Aid and the mission behind the concerts