Editor's note: Bert Sommer, one of the first performers to hit the stage at the original Woodstock in 1969, spent the final years of his life in Albany. On Tuesday, organizers released the list of performers expected at this summer's 50th anniversary of the iconic festival. This obituary was originally published on July 26, 1990.

Bert Sommer, 41, a local singer-songwriter whose first professional gig was in front of 300,000 people at Woodstock, died Monday at Samaritan Hospital in Troy.

A native of Bayside, Queens, Sommer moved to Albany seven years ago and was in ill health for some time. He had been in and out of the hospital since January and died of respiratory failure. He had resided at Red Oaks Drive in Colonie since January.

In a Times Union interview last year, Sommer reminisced of his moment of fame on Max Yasgur's farm.

He said the concert's promoters encouraged him to take the stage to open the three-day concert, but he refused.

He later appeared Friday, Aug. 15, 1969, as the fourth act and brought the multitude to its feet with his cover of Simon and Garfunkel's ballad "America."

"A standing ovation. It was really intense. As far as you could see, they were standing up. It was really something," Sommer said.

His professional career actually began in 1968, when he opened in the original cast of "Hair" in Los Angeles. He played Claude and Woolf in the hit musical until moving to New York City in early 1969 to record his first album.

He later joined the New York production of "Hair" and shared the first lead role with Keith Carradine.

Sommer recorded a total of five albums, including the Top 10 single "We're All Playing in the Same Band," and also appeared on television as part of Kaptain Kool and the Kongs.

Recently, he appeared at Quintessence restaurant in Albany, where he sang and played guitar and keyboards. His last performance was at Billy's in Troy on June 11.

Performing with him at his last gig was longtime friend Johnny Rabb, who met Sommer in 1975. The two musicians performed and recorded together in Los Angeles and New York City before Rabb convinced Sommer to move to Albany.

Rabb, a veteran of the local music scene, spoke highly of Sommer's lyrical and musical ability, "He had amazing talent, a very, very strong voice," Rabb said.

Speaking of a recent conversation he had with other local musicians, Rabb sympathized with the problems of realizing too much success too soon.

"None of us could imagine having attained that sort of success - being involved with the two most important events of the late 1960s' generation," said Rabb, referring to "Hair" and Woodstock.

Sommer also touched on those thoughts in 1977 when he penned the lyrics: "I've had my troubles, I came up the hard way; You can't imagine the things I've seen; And all of my trials and my tribulations; Lord, it ain't been nothin' for someone like me."

Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Strutyhski Sommer; a son, Jesse Sommer of Manhattan; and a sister, Petra Jason of Miami, Fla.