Richie Havens

Richard Pierce Havens(January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.His music encompassed elements offolk,soul(both of which he frequentlycovered), andrhythm and blues.He had a rhythmic guitar style (often inopen tunings). He was the opening act atWoodstock,sang many jingles for television commercials, and was also the voice of theGeoSafaritoys.

Richie Havens
Havens in 1999
Background information
Birth name	Richard Pierce Havens
Born	(1941-01-21)January 21, 1941 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 22, 2013(2013-04-22)(aged 72) Jersey City,New Jersey,U.S.
Genres	Folk rock funk blues soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar,sitar
Years active	1965–2012
Labels	Douglas Records,Verve Forecast,MGM,A&M,Solar/Epic/SME,Rykodisc,Rhino
Website	richiehavens.com

Early life

Born inBedford–Stuyvesant,Brooklyn,New York City,New York,Havens was the oldest of nine children.He was of Native American (Blackfoot) descent on his father's side and of theBritish West Indieson his mother's.His grandfather was Blackfoot of theMontana/South Dakotaarea.

Havens's grandfather and great-uncle joinedBuffalo Bill's Wild West Show,moved to New York City thereafter, and settled on theShinnecock ReservationonLong Island.Havens's grandfather married, then moved to Brooklyn.

As a youth, Havens began organizing his neighborhood friends into a street cornerdoo-wopgroup. At age 16, he was performing with the McCrea Gospel Singers.

Career

Early career

At age 20, Havens left his hometown of Brooklyn, seeking artistic stimulation inGreenwich VillageinManhattan."I saw the Village as a place to escape to, in order to express yourself," he recalled. "I had first gone there during thebeatnikdays of the 1950s to perform poetry, then I drew portraits for two years and stayed up all night listening to folk music in the clubs. It took a while before I thought of picking up a guitar. "

Publicity photo released in 1974 by his management at theWilliam Morris Agency

Havens's solo performances quickly spread beyond the Village folk music circles.After cutting two records forDouglas Records,he signed on withBob Dylan's manager,Albert Grossman,and landed a record deal with theVerve Folkways (later Verve Forecast)label. Verve releasedMixed Bagin late 1966, which featured tracks such as "Handsome Johnny" (co-written by Havens and actorLouis Gossett Jr.), "Follow," and a coverof Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman".Havens released his first single, "No Opportunity Necessary", in 1967.

Something Else Again(1968) became his first album to hit theBillboardcharts,and it pulledMixed Bagback onto the charts. By 1969, he had released five albums. Two of those albums were unauthorized and were released by Douglas Records (or Douglas International):Electric Havens(released June 1, 1968)andRichie Havens Record(1969).

Woodstock and rise in fame

Havens, playing at Woodstock Music Festival 1969

Havens's live performances earned widespread notice. His opening 1969 appearance atWoodstockin a trio with Paul "Deano" Williams on guitar and singing backing vocals and Daniel Ben Zebulon on percussion catapulted him into stardom and was a major turning point in his career.Despite Havens's recollection that he performed for nearly three hours, the actual recording and setlist reflect that he played about fifty minutes.

Havens continued playing because the musicians after him were delayed by traffic, including the originally scheduled opening act,Sweetwater.Havens concluded his set by riffing off the old spiritual "Motherless Child".In an interview with Cliff Smith, for Music-Room, Havens explained:

I'd already played every song I knew and I was stalling, asking for more guitar and mic, trying to think of something else to play – and then it just came to me... The establishment was foolish enough to give us all this freedom and we used it in every way we could.

The subsequent Woodstock movie release helped Havens reach a worldwide audience. He also appeared two weeks later at theIsle of Wight Festival,in late August 1969.

Havens performing inHamburg,Germany, May 1972

Havens also began acting during the 1970s. He was featured in the original 1972 stage presentation of The Who'sTommy,as Othello in the 1974 filmCatch My Soul,inGreased LightningalongsideRichard Pryor,and in Bob Dylan'sHearts of Fire.

In July 1978, he was a featured performer at the Benefit Concert forThe Longest Walk,an American Indian spiritual walk fromAlcatrazto Washington, D.C. affirming treaty rights, as a result of legislation that had been introduced to abrogate Indian treaties.

Branching into other media

Havens continued to release music and tour during the 1980s and 90s. He made advertisements forNBC,CBSandABC,and commercials forAmtrakand forCoca-Cola.Havens also did corporate commercial work forMaxwell House CoffeeandFolgersas well as sang "The Fabric of Our Lives" theme for the cotton industry. In 1982, he appeared at the UK'sGlastonbury Festival,closing the show on the Sunday night.He has also made guest appearances onSesame Streetfrom 1974 to 1975.

On June 22, 1990, Richie Havens played at a packed Yankee Stadium concert in honor of Nelson Mandela who had come to New York for three days after Mandela’s release from the South African prison, Robben Island. Other performers at the concert wereJudy Collins,Tracy ChapmanandMighty Sparrow.

In 1993, Havens performed at theinaugurationof PresidentBill Clinton.Among the selections was the "Cotton" song, made famous by a series of television commercials from the early 1990s.In 1999, Havens played at theTibetan Freedom Concertfor an audience of more than 100,000.

The release of 1993'sResume, The Best of Richie Havens,onRhino Records,collected his late 1960s and early 1970s recordings.

Havens played a small role, as a character named Daze, in the filmStreet Hunter(1990), starringJohn Leguizamo.He played himself in "Rock of Ages", an episode of the TV sitcomMarried... with Children(Season 7, Episode 9).

Havens was the 20th living recipient of the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award, presented inSherborn,Massachusetts,on April 12, 1991.

Final years

In 2000, Havens teamed with theelectronic musicduoGroove Armadafor the retro 1970s-style song "Hands of Time".The song was featured on the soundtrack of the filmCollateral;that song was also used in the filmsDomino,A Lot Like Love,Tell No Oneand in theCold CaseepisodesThe Badlands&Street Money.Havens was also featured on "Little By Little" and "Healing" on the band's third album,Goodbye Country.

In 2000, he publishedThey Can't Hide Us Anymore,an autobiography co-written with Steve Davidowitz. Havens maintained his status as a folk icon and continued to tour. In 2002 he sang, uncredited, Dylan's "The Times They Are a Changin'" in the TV seriesThe West Wing(Season 4, Episode 7).Also in 2002, he releasedWishing Well,followed by the 2004 albumGrace of the Sun.

On February 15, 2003, Havens opened the unprecedented "The World Says No To War" in Iraq demonstration in New York City with his iconic "Freedom." As the U.S. stood on the precipice of a "Shock & Awe" attack on Iraq, tens of millions in more than 800 cities around the world marched against war, leading the New York Times to call these millions the "world's new superpower."

Havens playing at The Turning Point inPiermont, New York,January 4, 2009

On October 15, 2006, Havens was inducted into theLong Island Music Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Havens appeared as Old Man Arvin in theTodd HaynesfilmI'm Not There.In a front-porch jam scene, he is shown singing the Bob Dylan song "Tombstone Blues"withMarcus Carl FranklinandTyrone Benskin.Havens's version of the song also appears on theI'm Not Theresoundtrack. On August 17, 2007, Richie Havens played Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, returning on the 38th Anniversary of Woodstock with Arlo Guthrie.Times Herald-Record - http://www.recordonline.comIn February 2008, Havens performed atThe Jazz Caféin London.

Havens was invited to perform at the 2008Cannes Film Festivalopening ceremony. He played "Freedom" at the request of the jury presidentSean Penn.Havens also performed at theLondon, Ontario,Blues Festival in July 2008.

In March 2008, Havens released a new studio album,Nobody Left To Crown.The first single release was the country-tinged "The Key".On August 14, 2009, Richie returned for the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock to play the Bethel Woods Festival.Times Herald-Record - http://www.recordonline.com

Havens appeared in the acclaimed 2009 filmSoundtrack for a Revolution,which provided a general history of the modernCivil Rights Movementand featured modern artists performing many of the era's musical classics. In the film, Havens performed a haunting rendition of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"

Havens with journalist Phil Konstantin, on January 25, 2010

On May 3, 2009, Havens performed at the fundraising concert in honor ofPete Seeger's 90th birthday. In June 2009, he performed at the fifth annualMountain Jam Festival.The event, hosted byThe Allman Brothers BandandGov't MuleguitaristWarren Haynes,was held at theHunter Mountain Ski ResortinHunter, New York.As is the tradition, the festival took place on the weekend followingMemorial Day.

On June 20, 2009, Havens performed at theClearwater Festival.On July 4, 2009, he performed at the Woodstock Tribute festival inRamsey, New Jersey.On August 8, 2010, he performed atMusikfest2010, at Foy Hall atMoravian CollegeinBethlehem,Pennsylvania.

Personal life

Health issues

In 2010, Havens underwent kidney surgery but did not recover fully enough to perform as he had before.In March 2012, he announced on hisFacebookpage that he would retire from touring after 45 years, due to health concerns.

Death

On April 22, 2013, Havens died of aheart attackat the age of 72.The BBC referred to him as a "Woodstock icon",whileStephen StillsofCrosby, Stills, Nash & Youngsaid Havens "could never be replicated".The Daily Telegraphstated Havens "made an indelible mark on contemporary music",while Douglas Martin ofThe New York Timesreported that Havens had "riveted Woodstock".

Pursuant to Havens's request, he was cremated, and his ashes were scattered from the air over the original site of the Woodstock Festival, in a ceremony held on August 18, 2013, the 44th anniversary of the festival's last day.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	US Top 200
1966	Mixed Bag	182
1968	Something Else Again	184
1968	Electric Havens	192
1969	The Richie Havens Record	–
1969	Richard P. Havens, 1983	80
1970	Stonehenge	155
1971	Alarm Clock	29
	The Great Blind Degree	126
1973	Portfolio	182
1974	Mixed Bag II	186
1976	The End Of The Beginning	157
1977	Mirage	–
1980	Connections	–
1984	Common Ground	–
1987	Simple Things	173
	Sings Beatles and Dylan	–
1991	Now	–
1994	Cuts to the Chase	–
2002	Wishing Well	–
2004	Grace of the Sun	–
2008	Nobody Left to Crown	–

Live albums

Year	Album	US Top 200
1972	Richie Havens on Stage	55
1990	Live at the Cellar Door	–
2015	Paris Live 1969	–

Compilations

Year	Album	US Top 200
1987	Collection	–
1993	Résumé: The Best of Richie Havens	–
1995	Classics	–
1999	Time	–
2000	The Millennium Collection	–
2004	Dreaming as One: The A&M Years	–
2005	High Flyin' Bird	–
2012	My Own Way	–

Singles

Year	Name	US BB	US CB
1967	"No Opportunity Necessary"	–	–
1969	"Rocky Raccoon"	–	92
	"Lady Madonna"	–	–
1970	"Handsome Johnny"	115	–
	"Alarm Clock"	–	–
1971	"Here Comes the Sun"	16	15
1972	"Freedom"	–	–
1973	"What About Me"	–	–
	"It Was a Very Good Year"	–	–
	"Eyesight to the Blind"	111	101
1976	"I'm Not in Love"	102	–
1977	"We All Wanna Boogie"	–	–
1980	"Going Back to My Roots"	–	–

Appearances

• A Long Time Comin'byThe Electric Flag– sitar and percussion (1968)
• Sesame Street(1970), He sings a remake of “Imagination Rain.” Music bySteve Zuckerman.Also appears singing several songs solo
• Please Don't Touch!bySteve Hackett(1978)
• Music and Songs from Starlight Express(1987) – performing "Light at the End of the Tunnel"and the"Starlight Sequence"
• Goya... a Life in Song– vocal and guitar performance on "Dog in the Quicksand".
• Songs of the Civil War(1991) – "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and "Give Us a Flag"
• OVObyPeter Gabriel(2000) (soundtrack of theMillennium DomeShow)
• "Freedom" onThe Best of The Jammy's Volume Onewith the Mutaytor
• "The Long Road" (duet withCliff Eberhardt) on 1990 albumThe Long Road
• "Gay Cavalier" (duet withPino Daniele) on 1983 albumCommon Ground
• Some Assembly RequiredbyAssembly of Dust's 2009
• Married... with Children(1992), "Rock of Ages" – guest appearance as himself
• "El Lugar (The Place)" by Francesco Bruno (1995), in which he appears as co-author and interpreter of the song
• Lifelines LivebyPeter, Paul and Mary(1996)
• Warriors of Virtue(1997) – "Inside of You"
• Goodbye CountrybyGroove Armada(2001) – "Little by Little" and "Healing"
• Lovebox (Groove Armada)byGroove Armada(2002) – "Hands of Time"
• OVObyPeter Gabriel(1999) – "The Time of the Turning", "Make Tomorrow" (vocals)
• WoodstockbyPortugal. The Man(2017) - "Number One" (archived vocals)

External links

• Official website
• Richie HavensatIMDb