Richie Havens dies

rajacat · « **on:** 22 Apr 2013, 10:03 pm »

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/22/arts/ap-us-obit-richie-havens.html?hp
http://www.richiehavens.com/official_site/home.html
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Original-Soundtrack-More-Woodstock/dp/tracks/B00274SHKM/ref=dp_tracks_all_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366668132&sr=8-2#disc_1

RIP Richie... you'll be missed.

SteveFord · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 10:07 pm »

Oh, Jeez, that's sad news.

rajacat · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 10:17 pm »

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 10:38 pm »

Sorry to read Richie passing, one from our generation.
RIP

PSB Guy · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 10:54 pm »

Sad. His rendition of "Freedom" at Woodstock really touched my heart the first time I heard it.

Cornelis

JerryM · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 11:12 pm »

One of the very best. RIP, Richie.

skifasterslc · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 11:21 pm »

I always enjoyed the passion in his music

putz · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Apr 2013, 11:53 pm »

Ruined my dinner when I heard it on the evening news.

Listening to Handsome Johnny. The RSD stuff can wait a day.

One of the truly decent people in the music business. He'll be missed.

It's a long hard road, hey, before we'll be free.

If all the things you see ain't
quite what they seem,
Then don't mind me 'cos I ain't nothin' but a dream .

thunderbrick · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 12:21 am »

Quote from: skifasterslc on 22 Apr 2013, 11:21 pm

I always enjoyed the passion in his music

+1! Photographed him at Towson University, roughly '70 or '71. Still have the negs somewhere.........

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 12:40 am »

Sad news indeed...

A kind and gentle soul...and one of my favorite artists.I remember meeting him in the early '70's at Folk City (N.Y.C.)...and having first seen him at Woodstock.

Do your self a favor...pick up his first album..."Mixed Bag"...either Cd or vinyl...and give it a good listen.It will lead you to more of his fine tunes...

Fly high Richie....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D91M4-zy5pQ

dB Cooper · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 01:18 am »

First live concert I attended was Richie Havens (hey thunderbrick, it was at Painters Mill IIRC).

RIP Richie.

Crimson · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 01:55 am »

RIP.

rpf · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 06:50 am »

I saw him a couple of times. A notable artist and man. RIP

simoon · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 08:49 pm »

Here is a great eulogy written by ex-Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett. Richie sang on Hackett's album, "Please Don't Touch".

A friend once described a Havens show as 'like watching the whole of humanity perform.'

He had the Voice of Ages, the look of an Old Testament prophet and a modern singer all rolled into one. Like Hendrix, his approach flew across boundaries of black and white music. If a song moved him he sang it, whether self-penned or written by the Beatles or Pink Floyd. Somehow whatever he chose immediately became the definitive version. He embodied music without props. His opening Woodstock was actually an accident. He told me he had a friend who owned a helicopter which made him the first artist on site when others couldn't get through. He gave that legendary performance of Motherless Child. The whole spectacle centred on the way he sang the word 'Freedom' with that extraordinary voice of velvet and leather. When I later worked with him on Please Don't Touch he learned two new songs in seconds flat but sounded like he'd been singing them forever. I felt privileged to have seen him live at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 singing into the night with a thunder storm raging. He just seemed to incorporate it into his act. He was the original rider on the storm. Thunder and lightning were his rhythm section.

Several years later we became friends. One evening after supporting Genesis at Earls Court he came to dinner and insisted on helping my mother to wash up. He had such a big heart in every way. All night I was dying to ask him if he would consider working with me. I was about to kick myself for missing the opportunity when he suddenly said 'Hey man, we should work together sometime...'

Some months down the line I was trying Transendental Meditation when I swear his voice popped into my head singing 'There are many things that I would rather do' from Icarus Ascending. I nervously phoned him up. He said 'I can hear it already. It sounds great man.' he was the conviction, the power and the glory... the most positive musical creative force it's ever been my privilege to work with.

The whole of humanity salutes you Richie. Thank you for being a friend to us all.
Steve Hackett

aragon63 · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 09:11 pm »

RIP

NPR story

rajacat · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Apr 2013, 10:42 pm »

Simoon,

That is a great eulogy. Thanks for sharing.

-Roy

2bigears · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 Apr 2013, 12:00 am »

Opened Woodstock with most GREATNESS..... They would not let him off the stage he was soooo good.. Ha
Play on dear Sir in the promised land ....

rooze · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 Apr 2013, 12:28 am »

I owned a live music venue in Door County WI a few years back and had the pleasure of hosting Richie for a 'meet and greet' event. He'd played a concert at a nearby open air venue and kindly agreed to come to my place after the gig and sign CD's, shake a few hands and have his photo taken with many of his admirers.

I have to confess that prior to this event I had little knowledge of Richie and his prior achievements.

I can say that in a very laid-back way the man was mesmerizing. He had such presence, both physically and in the serene and warm way in which he greeted people whom he'd never met before. He had such a calm and humble demeanor that one would never have guessed he'd had such a long and illustrious career. He was an absolute stalwart; having played a 2 hour set he came to my place and spent a further 2 hours or so entertaining his fans for no commercial reward at all. People were swarming over him and he just smiled, signed posters, posed with people for photos and never once complained, even though he was clearly exhausted from the concert earlier in the evening - truly a class act.

Here's a picture I took that night with Richie and two of my friends, Jim and his wife Dixie. It brings back very fond memories.

Rooze

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Apr 2013, 12:47 am »

Quote from: rooze on 24 Apr 2013, 12:28 am

I owned a live music venue in Door County WI a few years back and had the pleasure of hosting Richie for a 'meet and greet' event. He'd played a concert at a nearby open air venue and kindly agreed to come to my place after the gig and sign CD's, shake a few hands and have his photo taken with many of his admirers.

I have to confess that prior to this event I had little knowledge of Richie and his prior achievements.

I can say that in a very laid-back way the man was mesmerizing. He had such presence, both physically and in the serene and warm way in which he greeted people whom he'd never met before. He had such a calm and humble demeanor that one would never have guessed he'd had such a long and illustrious career. He was an absolute stalwart; having played a 2 hour set he came to my place and spent a further 2 hours or so entertaining his fans for no commercial reward at all. People were swarming over him and he just smiled, signed posters, posed with people for photos and never once complained, even though he was clearly exhausted from the concert earlier in the evening - truly a class act.

Here's a picture I took that night with Richie and two of my friends, Jim and his wife Dixie. It brings back very fond memories.

Rooze

Wow, sounds like you had an incredible evening. Awesome post Rooze

rooze · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Apr 2013, 01:05 am »

Quote from: SlushPuppy on 24 Apr 2013, 12:47 am

Wow, sounds like you had an incredible evening. Awesome post Rooze

Thanks SlushPuppy, it was a great night for sure. He played the concert with Harry Manx, another incredibly talented artist. Harry also came along to the 'meet and greet' and he was a lot of fun, a great guy!

Here's an old link to the event which took place in June 2009 and also includes a short summary of his career. http://www.ppulse.com/Articles-c-2009-06-12-87764.113117-Folk-Singer-Richie-Havens-Opens-Peg-Egan-PAC-2009-Season.html

We had a lot of cool musicians pass through the place, it was a blast while it lasted

Rooze