Background
Richard Pierce “Richie” Havens was born on January 21, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Richard Havens, a maker of formica tables, and Mildred Havens, bookbinder.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Folk singers Pete Seeger and Richie Havens rehearse backstage before performing at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, a concert produced by folk music impresario Harold Leventhal, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Tom Paxton, Odetta, Richie Havens, and Jack Elliott perform at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, a concert produced by folk music impresario Harold Leventhal, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
Folk singer Richie Havens performs for the masses at the free Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The festival took place on Max Yasgur's dairy farm, which he rented to event organizers for $75,000. About 450,000 people attended the three-day concert, which turned into chaos due to the crowds, heavy rains, and traffic jams. It is nonetheless romantically remembered as a symbol of the liberal spirit of the hippie generation.
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
Recording artist Richie Havens attends the Clearwater Benefit Concert celebrating Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009 in New York City.
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Musician Richie Havens answers questions at a press conference for the opening of The Museum at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which explores the unique experience of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, May 28, 2008 in Bethel, New York.
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
Richie Havens, John Mellencamp and Steve Earl backstage at the Clearwater benefit concert celebrating Pete Seeger's 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009 in New York City.
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
Richie Havens, Kris Kristofferson and Warren Haynes backstage at the Clearwater benefit concert celebrating Pete Seeger's 90th birthday at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009 in New York City.
Richie Havens posed in Amsterdam, Holland in 1970.
American musician Richie Havens performs onstage at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in Bethel, New York, August 15, 1969.
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Richie Havens performs during Day 3 of the Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park on August 1 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Kris Kristofferson, Jessica Lynch and Richie Havens.
Richie Havens and Kris Kristofferson during American Indian College Fund "Flame of Hope" 2005 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, New York, United States.
Richie Havens during 38th Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell - Richie Havens at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
Richie Havens during 6th Annual Jammy Awards - Show and Backstage at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States.
Richie Havens performs on stage at Crystal Palace, London, 3rd June 1972.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Folk singers Pete Seeger and Richie Havens rehearse backstage before performing at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, a concert produced by folk music impresario Harold Leventhal, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
Richie Havens, Richard B. Williams, President of the American Indian College Fund and Kris Kristofferson.
Folk singer Richie Havens backstage at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village on October 4, 1967 in New York City, New York.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Richie Havens during The Music of Joni Mitchell at Carnegie Hall - February 1, 2006
Musician Richie Havens attends Models Night Party on October 28, 1980 at Magique in New York City.
Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens performs at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965 in Newport, Rhode Island.
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American folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens performing at the Crystal Palace Garden Party 3 at Crystal Palace Bowl, London, 3rd June 1972.
Singer-songwriter Richie Havens at UCLA on June 5, 1993 in Los Angeles, California.
Folk singer Richie Havens poses for a portrait in July 1970 in New York City, New York.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Folk singer Richie Havens performs at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, a concert produced by folk music impresario Harold Leventhal, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Tom Paxton, Odetta, Richie Havens, and Jack Elliott perform at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, a concert produced by folk music impresario Harold Leventhal, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
Folk singer Richie Havens performs at a concert and memorial for the recently slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King on April 5th, 1968 in Central Park, New York City, New York.
Portrait of American rock and funk musician Richie Havens (1941 - 2013) (center) poses with his parents, Richard and Mildred, at their home in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, 1971.
Publicity still portrait of American musician and actor Richie Havens, New York, New York, 1970.
Actor Richard Pryor (right) and singer Richie Havens in a scene from the movie "Greased Lightning" which was released in July, 1977.
Richie Havens performs on stage, circa 1975.
Richie Havens sings while he plays his guitar during a celebration for the end of the Vietnam War in New York's Central Park.
Folk singer Richie Havens performs for the masses at the free Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The festival took place on Max Yasgur's dairy farm, which he rented to event organizers for $75,000. About 450,000 people attended the three-day concert, which turned into chaos due to the crowds, heavy rains, and traffic jams. It is nonetheless romantically remembered as a symbol of the liberal spirit of the hippie generation.
Richie Havens circa the 1970s.
(The singer-songwriter offers a glimpse of the creativity ...)
The singer-songwriter offers a glimpse of the creativity and social conscience of the 1960s and describes his musical career and dedication to the causes of conservation, children's rights, and peace.
https://www.amazon.com/They-Cant-Hide-Us-Anymore/dp/0380977184/?tag=2022091-20
2000
Richard Pierce “Richie” Havens was born on January 21, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Richard Havens, a maker of formica tables, and Mildred Havens, bookbinder.
Havens began his music career long before his debut at Woodstock. By the age of fourteen, he already had an established history of singing backup to doo-wop groups and had debuted with the McCrea Gospel Singers, a native Brooklyn ensemble. He also taught himself the guitar, which he adapted to his own personal preferences.
By 1962, Havens had negotiated a recording contract with Warner Bros. Havens’ reputation as a solo performer soon spread beyond the Village folk circles. After cutting two records for Douglas Records, he signed on with Bob Dylan‘s manager, Albert Grossman, and landed a record deal with the Verve Forecast label. In 1967, his album Mixed Bag, recorded for Verve Folkways, accelerated his pop career. By 1969, Havens had released five more albums. Something Else Again (1968) became his first album to hit the Billboard chart and also pulled Mixed Bag back onto the charts. In 1972, three years after his performance at Woodstock, he appeared on stage in the London debut of the rock opera Tommy.
In the late ’60s, as Havens rose to stardom, producer Alan Douglas took the original solo demos and overdubbed them with electric instruments. The albums were pulled from circulation and are hard to find today. The eight-song set is oriented toward the kind of traditional material that he was likely doing in clubs around that time, such as “Oxford Town”, “C. C. Rider”, and “900 Miles From Home” as well as an early Dylan cover, “Boots & Spanish Leather”.
Following the success of his Woodstock performance, Havens started his own record label, Stormy Forest, and released Stonehenge in 1970. Later that year came Alarm Clock, which included the George Harrison-penned hit single, “Here Comes the Sun“. This was Havens’ first album to reach Billboard’s Top 30 Chart. Stormy Forest went on to release four more of his albums: The Great Blind Degree (1971), Live On Stage (1972), Portfolio (1973), and Mixed Bag II (1974). Memorable television appearances included performances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Havens also branched out into acting during the 1970s. He was featured in the original 1972 stage presentation of The Who’s Tommy, and appeared as Othello in the 1974 film Catch My Soul. He also appeared in Greased Lightning alongside Richard Pryor in 1977. In 1987, he landed a role in the Bob Dylan vehicle Hearts of Fire.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Havens continued a world-touring schedule and a steady release of albums. The release of the 1993 Resume, The Best Of Richie Havens Rhino collected his late 1960s and early 1970s recordings. In 1982, Havens composed and performed a promotional slogan for NBC‘s 1982-83 television season entitled, We’re NBC, Just Watch Us Now. He also performed slogans for CBS and ABC, and recorded commercials for Amtrak, singing the slogan “There’s something about a train that’s magic.”
In 1993, Havens performed at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Among the selections was the “Cotton” song, made famous by a series of television ads in the early 1990s. In 1999, Havens played at the Tibetan Freedom Concert for an audience of more than 100,000. Havens also played a small role as a character named Daze in a 1990 film named Street Hunter starring John Leguizamo.
In 2000, Havens teamed with the electronic music duo Groove Armada for the retro 1970s-style song, “Hands of Time”. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the film Collateral starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx; the same song was also used in the films Domino starring Keira Knightley, and Tell No One with François Cluzet.
In 2000, Havens published They Can’t Hide Us Anymore, an autobiography co-written with Steve Davidowitz. He maintained his status as a folk icon and continued to tour. In 2002, he released Wishing Well, followed by the 2004 album Grace of the Sun.
In 2007, Havens appeared as “Old Man Arvin” in the Todd Haynes film I’m Not There. In a classic front-porch jam scene, he is shown singing the Bob Dylan song “Tombstone Blues” with Marcus Carl Franklin and Tyrone Benskin. Havens’ version of the song also appears on the I’m Not There soundtrack. Havens was invited to perform at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony. He played “Freedom” in tribute to his fan and jury president, Sean Penn. He also performed at the London, Ontario, Blues Festival in July 2008.
In March 2008, Havens released a new studio album entitled, Nobody Left To Crown. The first single release was the country-tinged “The Key”. Havens appeared in the acclaimed 2009 film Soundtrack for a Revolution, which provided a general history of the modern Civil Rights Movement, and had modern artists performing many of the era’s musical classics. In the film, Havens performed a haunting rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. On May 3, 2009, Havens performed at the fundraising concert in honor of Pete Seeger‘s 90th birthday. In June 2009, he performed at the fifth annual Mountain Jam Festival. The event, hosted by Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, was held at the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort in Hunter, New York. As is the tradition, the festival took place on the weekend following Memorial Day. On June 20, 2009, Havens performed at the Clearwater Festival. On July 4, 2009, he performed at the Woodstock Tribute festival in Ramsey, New Jersey. On August 8, 2010, he performed at Musikfest 2010 at Foy Hall at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
On March 20, 2012, Havens announced on his Facebook page that he would stop touring after 45 years due to health concerns. On April 22, 2013, Earth Day, Havens died of a heart attack at home in Jersey City, New Jersey.
(The singer-songwriter offers a glimpse of the creativity ...)
2000Havens devoted his energies to educating young people about ecological issues. In the mid-1970s, he co-founded the Northwind Undersea Institute, an oceanographic children’s museum on City Island in the Bronx. That, in turn, led to the creation of the Natural Guard, an organization Havens describes as “a way of helping kids learn that they can have a hands-on role in affecting the environment. Children study the land, water, and air in their own communities and see how they can make positive changes from something as simple as planting a garden in an abandoned lot.” In July 1978, he also was a featured performer at the Benefit Concert for The Longest Walk, an American Indian spiritual walk from Alcatraz to Washington D.C. affirming treaty rights, as a result of legislation that had been introduced to abrogate Indian treaties.
Quotations:
"Woodstock happened in August 1969, long before the Internet and mobile phones made it possible to communicate instantly with anyone, anywhere. It was a time when we werent able to witness world events or the horrors of war live on 24-hour news channels."
"I opened the Woodstock Festival even though I was supposed to be fifth. I said, 'What am I doing here? No, no, not me, not first!' I had to go on stage because there was no one else to go on first - the concert was already two-and-a-half hours late."
"Though it's frequently portrayed as this crazy, unbridled festival of rain-soaked, stoned hippies dancing in the mud, Woodstock was obviously much more than that - or we wouldn't still be talking about it in 2009. People of all ages and colors came together in the fields of Max Yasgur's farm."
"Woodstock was both a peaceful protest and a global celebration."
"I haven't seen my face since I started growing my beard, which was when I was a teenager, almost; I never shaved. So I don't really know what I look like."
"I started out by myself, but it eventually turned into a trio by the mid-'60s - a conga drum and another guitarist. And that's been mostly what I've worked with most of the time."
"Everything I want to do, and to accomplish, is on the other side of the universe. That's peace of mind, energy, freedom. And I'm making myself ready to go, joyfully and willingly. I think I'm ready to be everybody's friend, and to do anything for anybody. It's heavy."
Havens found it awkward to play guitar with standard figurings because of his outsized hands. As a result, he began using an open D tuning, barring all or most of the strings with his thumb from above and strumming ferociously.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Richie Havens among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Quotes from others about the person
“Because of traffic problems, none of the early acts arrived on time, the concert was nearly three hours late, and Havens was the first performer to appear before the festive throng.” - Simon Glickman, Contemporary Musicians contributor
“Havens has survived numerous shifts in musical fashion and has continued to reach audiences with his rhythmic guitar strumming and husky, impassioned vocals. In addition to numerous recordings on various labels, Havens has been responsible for several ecological education projects, sung jingles on award-winning television commercials, acted in films - and still found time to sculpt.”
“While Havens lacks the incendiary force that propelled Jimi Hendrix into rock’n’roll divinity, his blending of several musical styles, his social activism, and his genuine sense of humanity have made him an important cultural touchstone.” - Dan Bogey
Havens was married. His wife's name was Nancy. The couple had three children.