Singer made his name on the Woodstock stage
GUITARIST, SINGER
21-1-1941 - 22-4-2013
Richie Havens, who marshalled a craggy voice, a percussive guitar and a soulful sensibility to play his way into musical immortality at Woodstock in 1969, improvising the song Freedom on the fly, has died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was 72. The cause was a heart attack, his agent said.
Havens embodied the spirit of the '60s — espousing peace and love, hanging out in Greenwich Village and playing gigs from the Isle of Wight to the Fillmore (both East and West) to Carnegie Hall. He surfaced only in the mid-1960s, but before the end of the decade many rock musicians were citing him as an influence. His rendition of
Handsome Johnny became an anti-Vietnam War anthem.
Kidney surgery forced him to stop touring last year, but he moved beyond his '60s triumphs to record more than two dozen albums, act in movies, champion environmental education and perform in 1993 at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
For the baby-boomer generation, he will live forever on the stage of the Woodstock festival, which he had the honour to open because the folk-rock band Sweetwater, the scheduled opening act, was stuck in traffic. Havens and his guitarist and drummer arrived by helicopter. They had been scheduled to go on fifth.
Havens started with Minstrel From Gault a few minutes after 5pm on August 15, 1969. He was originally supposed to play four songs, but other performers were late, so he played on. Havens played 10 songs, including Beatles songs. His impassioned improvisation was pitch-perfect for the generation watching him, most of whom saw it later in a documentary on the festival. His clarion encore, Freedom — made up on the spot and interspersed with the spiritual Motherless Child — sounded a powerful if wistful note.
"Freedom came from a totally spontaneous place," Havens said.
Richard Pierce Havens was born on January 21, 1941, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up. He was the eldest of nine children. His father made Formica tables for a living and played piano with various bands. His mother worked for a book-bindery.
In 1971, he released the only single that would put him in the Top 20, a soulful rendition of George Harrison's Here Comes the Sun.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Richie Havens was an American guitarist and singer known for his craggy voice, percussive guitar style and soulful performances. He came to prominence in the mid-1960s, recorded more than two dozen albums, acted in movies, championed environmental education and became a cultural icon for the baby‑boomer generation after his unforgettable Woodstock performance.
Havens opened Woodstock on August 15, 1969, after the scheduled opener was delayed. He arrived by helicopter and, instead of the four songs planned, played a 10‑song set that included Beatles covers. He improvised the encore 'Freedom' on the spot, weaving in the spiritual 'Motherless Child,' which became the defining moment of his Woodstock performance.
'Freedom' was a spontaneous improvisation Havens created during his Woodstock encore. He described it as coming from 'a totally spontaneous place,' and the song—interspersed with the spiritual 'Motherless Child'—struck a powerful chord with the generation watching and later viewing the festival documentary.
Richie Havens died on April 22, 2013, at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey. His agent said the cause of death was a heart attack; he was 72 years old.
Yes. In 1971 Havens released his only Top 20 single—a soulful cover of George Harrison's 'Here Comes the Sun.' Over his career he recorded more than two dozen albums, expanding well beyond his 1960s triumphs.
Kidney surgery forced Richie Havens to stop touring the year before he died, according to the article.
Richard Pierce Havens was born on January 21, 1941, in the Bedford‑Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. He was the eldest of nine children. His father made Formica tables and played piano; his mother worked for a book‑bindery.
Havens embodied the spirit of the 1960s—espousing peace and love and performing across venues from Greenwich Village to Carnegie Hall and the Isle of Wight. His rendition of 'Handsome Johnny' became an anti‑Vietnam War anthem, and by the end of the decade many rock musicians cited him as an influence.
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