Photo: Heinrich Klaffs / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Richie Havens will always be, for me, the man who opened Woodstock and improvised a moment into history. His rhythmic open-tuned guitar and that weathered, soulful voice gave folk a pulse all its own, drawing on soul and rhythm and blues without ever feeling derivative. I love that he was both a counterculture icon and a working artist who voiced commercials and toys, refusing any false divide between art and craft. His version of Freedom still feels urgent decades later. Though he passed in 2013, the sheer spiritual generosity of his music keeps him very much alive to me.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Richie Havens
- Name (Japanese)
- リッチー・ヘブンス
- Reading
- りっちー・へぶんす
- Born
- January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Snake
- Origin
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- guitarist / singer / singer-songwriter / autobiographer / composer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Franklin K. Lane High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Richie Havens born?
January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013.
Where is Richie Havens from?
Richie Havens is from Brooklyn, New York, United States.
What does Richie Havens do?
Richie Havens works as guitarist, singer, singer-songwriter, autobiographer, composer.
Guitarist — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.