Richie Havens – American folk singer and guitarist died 22 April 2013 aged 72. He is best remembered for his intense and rhythmic guitar style and for his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. He was the festival’s first performer and as many of the other artists were held up in traffic jams on the roads approaching the festival site he had to entertain the crowd for nearly three hours and was called back again and again for encores. When he finally ran out of tunes he improvised a song based on the spiritual Motherless Child that became Freedom. The release of the Woodstock movie after this performance helped him reach a wider audience.
Born 21 January 1941- 22 April 2013
Richie Havens performing at Guilfest.
© Andrew Spiers/Lebrecht Music & Arts
Poster for several July 1967 concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, USA.
© Odile Noel/Lebrecht Music & Arts
