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Richie Havens first rose to prominence in the same Greenwich Village folk scene that produced Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and he’s had a lengthy and distinguished career. The first performer at Woodstock, Havens is immortalized in the documentary of the same name, in which he closes his set with a fiery improvisation that combines “Motherless Child” with chanting and insistent cries of “Freedom!” throughout. Known mostly for his covers of popular songs by Dylan and the Beatles, among others, he brings a warm and passionate interpretation to everything he performs. John Lennon once said that Havens “plays a pretty funky guitar,” and his rhythmic style, often imitated, is a rich blend of percussiveness and melody. Still going strong after four decades, Havens is a dynamic and engaging performer, living proof that you don’t have to die before you get old.
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