Richie Havens News

"I start strumming my guitar and the word freedom comes out of my mouth as FREE-dom, FREE-dom, with a rhythm of its own.

It's been almost a month since singer Richie Havens died. He was one of the first musicians I interviewed - and one of the best.

Chris Kelly , one-half of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, died on May 1 at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at his home, the Fulton County medical examiner's office told CNN.

The LEAF event has always been about music and family. You can count on seeing great bands and performers, as well as many of the same faces in the crowd each spring and fall.

About two years ago, I was zipping into Borders on 33rd Street near Madison Square Garden on my lunch hour when I almost slammed into someone else entering the store.

Richie Havens and Sam Waymon were close friends. The 72 year old Havens, a folk singer and guitarist best known as the legendary opening act at Woodstock, suffered a fatal heart attack on April 21.

Sweating and strumming the guitar with artistic force, folk singer Richie Havens opened up Woodstock in '69 with a three-hour-long, 11-song set that culminated with " Freedom ." A star on the rise, the Brooklyn artist artist set the tone then and continued to do so throughout his extensive career, which not only included several chart-topping ... (more)

Resume: The Best of Richie Havens demonstrates why he should be remembered for more than being the opening act at one of the world's most famous music festivals.

RICHIE Havens, who died at the age of 72 on Monday from a heart attack, was an iconic figure of the 1960s counterculture, forever defined by his performance as the opening act of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Richie Havens passed away a few days ago at a relatively young 72, and even just a couple of years ago, when I saw him at Poisson Rouge , his voice was as strong as ever.

Folk singer Richie Havens, who died Monday at 72, was the opening act in 1969 at Woodstock, the historic counterculture music festival, catapulting him to fame and securing his status as an icon of the baby-boomer generation.