Richie Havens Memorial Service 2013-08-18

Richie Havens Memorial Service 2013-08-18

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

On April 22, 2013, Havens died of a heart attack at home in Jersey City, New Jersey, aged 72.

Douglas Martin wrote in his New York Times obituary that “Richie Havens, who marshaled a craggy voice, a percussive guitar and a soulful sensibility to play his way into musical immortality at Woodstock in 1969, improvising the song “Freedom” on the fly…”

Derek Schofield wrote in the Guardian, “Havens’s repertoire was always a mixture of his own compositions and covers of other songwriters: he had a special talent for interpreting other people’s songs, always delivered in his soulful, fiery and passionate vocal style with his attacking, urgent, rhythmic guitar accompaniment.”

Havens had requested that his cremated ashes be spread on that famous field. On August 18, 2013, the anniversary of that famous festival’s last day. his family arranged for friends, family, and fans to gather, sing, tell strories, and remember the literal and figurative strength the Richie had brought to all those who came near him.

My wife Joyce, and I were fortunate to attend this service that was as joyful as it was tearful.

Here are the pictures I took of that memorable day.