Folk legend richie havens has passed away

[Intense]

FOLK LEGEND RICHIE HAVENS HAS PASSED AWAY

We're sad to report that folk legend Richie Havens has passed away today at the age of 72. The Brooklyn-bred singer/guitarist was perhaps best known for opening the legendary Woodstock Festival with a near three-hour performance which set the tone for the rest of the event.

Havens toured and recorded for decades until complications from kidney surgery left him unable to tour after 45 years in 2012. In addition to putting out 21 studio albums and touring the world numerous times, Havens also devoted much of his time to charity. In 1991 he won the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.

Here's the announcement from Havens' longtime representatives, The Roots Agency:

RICHIE HAVENS was gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since his historic appearance at Woodstock in 1969. For four decades, Havens used his music to convey passionate messages of brotherhood and personal freedom. Billboard Magazine writes, “This acoustic soul giant truly seems to be getting more inspiring and graceful with age.” From Woodstock to The Isle of Wight to Glastonbury to the Fillmore Auditorium to Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, Richie played the most legendary music festivals that ever were, and most of the world’s greatest concert venues. But even when performing in a Greenwich Village coffeehouse or a small club or regional theater, he was eternally grateful that people in any number turned up each time to hear him sing. More than anything, he feels incredibly blessed to have met so many of you along the way.

Richie Havens Dies at Age 72 on JamBase

He will be missed.

 

[asaratis]

FOLK LEGEND RICHIE HAVENS HAS PASSED AWAY

We're sad to report that folk legend Richie Havens has passed away today at the age of 72. The Brooklyn-bred singer/guitarist was perhaps best known for opening the legendary Woodstock Festival with a near three-hour performance which set the tone for the rest of the event.

Havens toured and recorded for decades until complications from kidney surgery left him unable to tour after 45 years in 2012. In addition to putting out 21 studio albums and touring the world numerous times, Havens also devoted much of his time to charity. In 1991 he won the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award.

Here's the announcement from Havens' longtime representatives, The Roots Agency:

RICHIE HAVENS was gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since his historic appearance at Woodstock in 1969. For four decades, Havens used his music to convey passionate messages of brotherhood and personal freedom. Billboard Magazine writes, “This acoustic soul giant truly seems to be getting more inspiring and graceful with age.” From Woodstock to The Isle of Wight to Glastonbury to the Fillmore Auditorium to Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, Richie played the most legendary music festivals that ever were, and most of the world’s greatest concert venues. But even when performing in a Greenwich Village coffeehouse or a small club or regional theater, he was eternally grateful that people in any number turned up each time to hear him sing. More than anything, he feels incredibly blessed to have met so many of you along the way.

Richie Havens Dies at Age 72 on JamBase

He will be missed.

R.I.P.

He spoke the universal language of music to a lot of folks.

 

[Starlight]

He was a Very humble and Talented Musician, and he will live on in his music. My Prayers and Sympathy to his family.

Rest In Peace

View attachment 25500

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Never heard of the guy.

 

[edthecynic]

Never heard of the guy.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UEx-nopqyA]That's the Way I See You - Richie Havens - YouTube[/ame]

 

[konradv]

Never heard of the guy.

Kids!

 

[tinydancer]

I just can't take any more dying. I swear I will lose it.

Richie was one of those players that sort of rocked folk. Oh and for you new kids on the block, he was a black folkie.

I loved the man.

This sucks. My heart is so broken. He was a songsmith. He wove words. Man this sucks.

 

[squinch]

We all are fortunate for the time we had listening to Richie Havens.
RIP, sir.

 

[WillowTree]

He sure had a pretty voice.

 

[Gracie]

 

[Connery]

I used to vacation in Provencetown, MA, I met him there. He was a hell of a nice guy. I share his sentiment about Greenwich Village, "I saw the Village as a place to escape to in order to express yourself".

R.I.P. Ritchie Havens

 

[TruthSeeker56]

Richie Haven's legendary performance at Woodstock lasted so long because the promoters had nobody else ready to go on stage after Havens.

Havens played ALL of his material, and then "winged it" from there, actually "inventing" songs on-the-fly in front of several hundred thousand people.

Rest In Peace, Richie. You will be never be forgotten by us "old-timers".

 

[tinydancer]

I used to vacation in Provencetown, MA, I met him there. He was a hell of a nice guy. I share his sentiment about Greenwich Village, "I saw the Village as a place to escape to in order to express yourself".

R.I.P. Ritchie Havens

I was 17 in LA.

I was waiting to have a man buy me. No option; needed the money. Haven's manager spotted me. Wouldn't let the deal go down.

Richie and his manager literally saved me from that life. Bless his soul.

 

[tinydancer]

Richie Haven's legendary performance at Woodstock lasted so long because the promoters had nobody else ready to go on stage after Havens.

Havens played ALL of his material, and then "winged it" from there, actually "inventing" songs on-the-fly in front of several hundred thousand people.

Rest In Peace, Richie. You will be never be forgotten by us "old-timers".

I don't know even where to go on Richie....I just don't know where to go.

 

[Ernie S.]

I was there to hear him open The Festival. Thankfully, at least one other USMB member was too.

 

[tinydancer]

I was there to hear him open The Festival. Thankfully, at least one other USMB member was too.

I didn't even know he was sick. This hurts bad.

 

[skye]

RIP Richie Havens


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1PHAHGgTM]Richie Havens - I dont wanna know - YouTube[/ame]

 

[boedicca]

Farewell Richie.

 

[editec]

I heard him live playing at the halfshell in Central Park.

Free concert, where he stood in for a band (can't even remember which one) that couldn't make it.

He was bloody amazing. Two bars into "Freedom" and he owned the crowd.

 

[tinydancer]

His voice to me was in the category of Neil Young (cinnamon girl and down by the river) Leonard Cohen (walk on the wild side). Richie had a crazy voice. Maybe the one thing that ties them all together is that they believed in their songs and sang from the heart.

So different from the mainstream. Sometimes I wonder how these guys and ladies like Janis got past the A&R department.

Thank the good Lord they did. Someone believed in them.