Woodstock Singer Richie Havens Dies At 72
Woodstock singer Richie Havens died on Monday at the age of 72. Havens, a folk musician, was well known for being an opening act at Woodstock in 1969.
The musician fashioned his career out of covering pop and folk tunes in a distinctively rhythmic style. He opened the watershed music festival wearing a dashiki and strumming on the open-tuned strings of his guitar.
Havens died Monday morning in his home of an apparent heart attack. The singer was born in Brooklyn in 1941 and moved to Greenwich Village in the early 1960s.
Once there, he released his first album, A Richie Havens Record, in 1965. Richie Havens often covered popular songs, remaking them with his gritty voice and unique strumming style. In doing so, he gave them an easily recognizable sound.
Havens signed with Albert Grossman, Bob Dylan’s manager, in 1967. He also landed a deal at that time with Verve Records. But his big break came at Woodstock when he played a lengthy opening set. His extrapolation of the spiritual Motherless Child was particularly memorable. The song became known as Freedom.
Richie Havens biggest radio hit came in 1970 with the release of a Beatles’ remake Here Comes the Sun. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In all, Havens released over two dozen albums and compilations. The most successful records were 1969’s Richard P. Havens, 1983, and Alarm Clock, which was released in 1971.
http://youtu.be/fA51wyl-9IE
Later on, Havens lent his voice to several television commercials. One such commercial was made for Cotton Incorporated. The folk singer performed the jingle The Fabric of Our Lives.
Richie Havens announced his retirement from live performing in 2012, citing health concerns as his reason. A statement from his publicist, Carrie Lombardi, read, “While his family greatly appreciates that Richie’s many fans are also mourning this loss, they do ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
A public memorial for Richie Havens is planned at a later date.
[Image via Heinrich Klaffs]
