Unearthed: A 22-Year-Old's Secret Video of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock

For decades, the official color film of Jimi Hendrix's legendary Monday morning set at Woodstock has been the definitive visual record of a moment that defined a generation. But a newly released video, titled Jimi Hendrix - Live at Woodstock: A Second Look, reveals a completely new, intimate perspective of the historic performance—all thanks to a daring college student and an incredible stroke of luck.

On August 21, 2026, the official Jimi Hendrix YouTube channel uploaded a staggering 1-hour-and-27-minute video, offering a raw, close-up view of the guitarist's legendary set.

The footage was captured by Albert Goodman, who was a 22-year-old drama student at Bard College at the time.

Sneaking Onto the Stage

Transportation issues kept Goodman away from the Bethel, New York festival site until Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, as the festival bled into an extra day and the sprawling crowds thinned out, it became clear the music would continue.

Armed with a hulking Sony CV 1/2" video rig and two previously recorded, open-reel videotapes, Goodman made a bold move. Shielded by a friend carrying a guitar, he left his tent and snuck right onto the stage. He managed to secure AC power for his equipment, set up his camera and tripod, and positioned himself a mere 15 feet from where Hendrix was about to make history.

Assuming Goodman was just another member of the massive official film crew swarming the festival, nobody stopped him. He settled in right behind percussionist Juma Sultan and hit record.

A Hitchhiker's Coincidence

The story of the tapes didn't end when Hendrix walked off the stage. In the days following the festival, Goodman was hitchhiking when a driver pulled over to pick him up.

As they chatted about Woodstock, Goodman detailed his unbelievable luck in videotaping Hendrix's performance from the stage. In a massive twist of fate, the driver revealed he was friends with the people who worked at the house Hendrix was renting nearby. An appointment was quickly made.

Goodman lugged his heavy video machine to the rented house, where he actually sat down with Jimi Hendrix to screen the footage. Hendrix reportedly enjoyed the opportunity to review his performance. When the session concluded, Hendrix thanked the young videographer.

Restored for the Public

Goodman packed his tapes away, safely storing them for three decades before finally making them available to the Hendrix family.

Because of the inherent technical limitations of the early Sony CV video format, the original tape suffered from occasional signal dropouts. For its newly minted public release on YouTube, producers have seamlessly substituted those pronounced glitches with still photography to maintain the flow of the legendary performance.

The newly surfaced release offers fans an unprecedented, unvarnished look at Hendrix's genius, immortalizing a once-in-a-lifetime set captured by a college student who was simply in the right place, at the exact right time.