Richie Havens
at Woodstock 1969
Opening act of Woodstock who improvised "Freedom" when he ran out of material after multiple encores.
Richie Havens — Woodstock 1969
Richie Havens was the first act at Woodstock 1969, and the importance of that seemingly mundane scenario cannot be overstated.
Havens was not supposed to open the festival at all. Sweetwater had that slot, but got stuck in the same traffic on Route 17B that stranded four other scheduled acts on the way into Bethel. Havens' band had driven up from Manhattan that morning and had the least gear to unload, so festival organizers talked him into going on early with what was meant to be a short set. Once he was up there, the crowd would not let him leave.
The Brooklyn-born Havens began as a doo-wop and gospel singer who eventually gained stardom within the Greenwich Village folk music scene along with performers like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Havens is best known for his guitar playing — the percussion of his foot tapping coupled with a fretting style that is seen as unconventional. A wizard at applying his own style to the material of other artists, most recognizably Bob Dylan and The Beatles, the original set for the opening Woodstock session was mostly Beatles cover songs.
His song "Freedom" became the anthem for a generation when he ran out of material after demand for numerous encores. He began splicing the blues song "Motherless Child" with "Freedom," and when the particular cut of the song was put on the Woodstock documentary film, it instantly became an international hit. The ambient serenity coupled with the accidental beauty stays with those who have heard it, and the song remains a patchwork folk classic.
After Woodstock 1969, Havens' album "Alarm Clock" was his first to reach the Billboard top 30, and from the album emerged his hit "Here Comes the Sun," an individually tailored cover of the Beatles' song. Under his own record label Stormy Forest, he released four more albums. Throughout his career of three decades, Havens is responsible for over 25 studio releases, appearances in numerous films, and being the only act other than Barbara Streisand to be asked for a second performance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Havens' icon as a folk star has not diminished as time elapses. He remained actively touring in his grab-bag, unique style where the task of predicting the style of the show is near impossible. Notable events include performing at the inauguration of Bill Clinton and performing at the Tibetan Freedom Concert.
Did Richie Havens Play "Here Comes the Sun" at Woodstock?
No. It is a common search and an understandable mix-up, but "Here Comes the Sun" was not part of his Woodstock set. The song did not enter his repertoire until 1971, when his cover of the George Harrison composition appeared on "Alarm Clock" and became his only U.S. singles chart hit. Some clips of that later performance circulate online mislabeled as footage from Woodstock, which is likely where the confusion comes from. His actual Day 1 set included Beatles covers, but the two on the list were "Hey Jude" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," both Lennon-McCartney songs. Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" was two years and one album away.
Richie Havens died on April 22, 2013, at age 72. See all Woodstock performers who have passed →