Woodstock opener Richie Havens dies

waltky · Apr 22, 2013

Gee, with Richie gone now, it kinda makes ya feel like a motherless child...

Woodstock icon Richie Havens dies at 72
22 April 2013 - Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the legendary 1969 Woodstock rock festival, has died of a heart attack at 72.

He died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, his agent, Roots Agency, told Reuters. Born in Brooklyn, New York, the musician was famous for his distinctive guitar and singing style. Recalling Woodstock, Havens once said: "Everything in my life, and so many others', is attached to that train.'' His improvised version of the gospel song Motherless Child evolved into Freedom at the festival and became an anthem of the 1960s hippie generation.

The Woodstock concert film captured his performance for posterity. More recently, the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's award-winning slavery-era film Django Unchained featured Havens singing a version of Freedom. Tributes to the singer have come in, with his contemporary and fellow singer Stephen Stills saying Havens "could never be replicated".

'Fiery, poignant'

Havens underwent kidney surgery in 2010 and he never recovered enough to perform concerts as he had in his heydey. He released more than 25 albums and other songs he recorded include versions of Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman and the Beatles' Here Comes the Sun. In 1993, he performed at US President Bill Clinton's inauguration.

Richie Havens is seen here on stage at Woodstock

His family said a public memorial would be announced later and asked for privacy in the meantime. "Beyond his music, those who have met Havens will remember his gentle and compassionate nature, his light humour and his powerful presence," it said in a statement. Roots Agency said Havens had been "gifted with one of the most recognisable voices in popular music". "His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless," it added.

'Fire every time'

Havens moved to New York City's Greenwich Village at the age of 20 to perform poetry, imbibe folk music and learn how to play the guitar. Stills said he remembered hanging out with him in the Village. "Richie Havens was one of the nicest, most generous and pure individuals I have ever met,'' he said in a statement. "When I was a young sprite in Greenwich Village, we used to have breakfast together at the diner on 6th Avenue next to The Waverly Theatre. "He was very wise in the ways of our calling. He always caught fire every time he played.''

Woodstock proved the turning point in Havens' career, thanks in part to scheduling chaos at the festival which featured headliners like Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin, Originally scheduled to go on fifth, he got bumped up because of travel delays. His performance continued for three hours because the next act had not shown up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22259627
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Mr_Truth · Apr 22, 2013

Richie Havens was a true man of peace who loved people. He was on NY radio many times during the 1960s and did an immense amount of charity work.

waltky · May 4, 2016

Granny says, "Dat's right - it gonna be like Woodstock all over again...

Rock legends to play US 'mega-festival'
Tue, 03 May 2016 - A festival featuring Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan is confirmed for the US in October.

Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan have been confirmed for the line-up of a US "mega-festival" this October. Called Desert Trip, the three-day event will take place at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California - the site of the Coachella music festival. Tickets start at $200 (£137) per day, rising to $1,599 (£1,097) for a three-day pass for the area near the stage. The Who, Roger Waters and Neil Young are also on the bill. Performances will start after sunset, with each artist playing a full set. Rumours about the show began to circulate last month, after the first weekend of Coachella.

The Who's Roger Daltrey later confirmed to BBC 6 Music that the festival was likely to go ahead, describing it as a once-in-a-lifetime line-up. "We have to face it, we are [at] the end of an era," the singer told 6 Music's Matt Everitt. "We're the last of our generation." "You can see from reading the obituaries lately that we [rock stars] don't make old bones very well, do we?"

Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Rolling Stones, The Who, Roger Waters and Bob Dylan

The LA Times said Dylan and the Stones were expected to open the festival with back-to-back performances on Friday, 7 October, with McCartney and Young playing the following night, and Waters and the Who concluding proceedings on 9 October. "I don't think any of us cares who goes on first," said Daltrey. "We've never worried about that. The music is all so different, that's not going to matter at all."

The gigs will be scheduled as follows:

* Friday, 7 October: The Rolling Stones, with Bob Dylan and His Band
* Saturday, 8 October: Paul McCartney with Neil Young + Promise of the Real
* Sunday, 9 October: Roger Waters with The Who.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36193750
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