Richie Havens, the folk singer and guitarist who famously opened the Woodstock Festival in 1969, died this morning from a sudden heart attack. He was 72.
Havens was born in Brooklyn, New York and relocated to Greenwich Village in his early twenties. He released his first album, A Richie Havens Record, in 1965; by 1967, he had signed with Verve of MGM Records to release his breakthrough third album, Mixed Bag. He released Something Else Again in 1968 and Richard P. Havens, 1983 in 1969, both of which landed on the Billboard Top 200 chart and built his reputation as an impressive live performer.
Havens famously opened the Woodstock Festival in 1969 with a long, impromptu set. He recorded over a dozen albums during his career and performed at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. A public memorial for Havens will be announced at a later date.
i first heard of richie havens via a compilation album put out many years ago, and picked up 4-5 albums within a few months after that. looks like i'll be spinning a couple this week.
