Though not known to many these days, Richie Havens was a legend in the 1960s and 70s.

I had the pleasure of opening for him in Cherry Hill, NJ, once and I think he talked and told stories more than he played. extremely entertaining and very personable.

It was around the time the International Space Station was getting going, and there was a lot of talk about traveling to other worlds (much more than there is these days).

He was very much "anti-tax" he told the crowd that the space station cost a lot of money and that they really didn't have to pay their taxes if they didn't want to. Then he said this:

"It seems to me that people think the future of mankind lies in space. Well I've got news for them, we're already in space."

Years later we had competing gigs here in Charlottesville one night, and I bumped into him at a restaurant afterwards. He remembered me well, even a couple of the songs I played, even though we didn't have much interaction at that first meeting.

He was his own person, and lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, starting Woodstock, the most famous music festival ever.

Wow. I just saw a caption on ABC News 24 on my tv, saying Richie Havens RIP. You forget how many amazing people it takes to make the world go around and a great many of them I'll maybe never even hear about.

"We're already in space" ... Classic

Wow, Greg amazing story and an amazing performer. When I taught just guitar, I used to tell my students jokingly, "don't put your thumb all the way over the neck like Ritchie Havens move it back and you'll have more room"- well that was his unique way of playing as well as his incredible burst of artistic emotion. No cookie-cutter, Rex file, auto-tuning here- just raw music the way it is meant to be played.

Here' the iconic song Greg referenced "Freedom" which opened Woodstock! He was a voice of a generation and an original thinker, which scares myopic conservatives. As one of the posts read "you have your freedom now Ritchie!" May he rest in peace knowing he changed the world.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA51wyl-9IE[/youtube]

great post Greg!
Dave Brosky

Richie was one of my favorite artists for many years. He sings on Peter Gabriels "Time of the turning" on the OVO album.

http://petergabriel.com/media/article/2846/richie-havens/

Amazing vocals. Sad that he is gone. RIP Richie. Well done.

//Jan


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