# RIP, Richie Havens! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434 "2013-04-22T21:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/1 "2013-04-22T21:10:28Z")
Such a beautiful, distinctive voice and a guy who really knew how to make a guitar spray wood chips. [Richie Havens, dead at 72](http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1559103/richie-havens-folk-and-woodstock-legend-dead-at-72) [Back in the Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBbXKsKXyNU) [koeeoaddi’s favorite cover, …ever!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql3UfdwKJAs) You will be missed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/2 "2013-04-22T21:31:40Z")
Freakin’ incredible opening performance at Woodstock. Whole thing could have fallen apart without that. There’s another star in the sky tonight. Peace Richie. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/3 "2013-04-22T21:36:21Z")
Ack. Sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/4 "2013-04-22T21:39:20Z")
Drag. I got to see him once at an otherwise terrible concert headlined by the 1980’s Turtles. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/5 "2013-04-22T21:43:58Z")
I love his cover of the Underground Railroad song [Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBOP8t2hlFQ&feature=share), especially his guitar work. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/6 "2013-04-22T21:48:12Z")
Big loss. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/7 "2013-04-22T22:43:15Z")
He came to my university back in the day for a concert. Very talented guy, great show - but I do recall he was a bit, uh - chatty. Seemed to want to talk a tad bit more than he wanted to sing - at least at that concert and that night. But when he did get around to singing, he blew the audience away! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/8 "2013-04-22T22:46:28Z")
lively performer. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/9 "2013-04-22T23:09:39Z")
A huge loss. I was fortunate to see him at a small theater here in Santa Barbara around four years ago. He put on one hell of a performance. So much power from one man and an acoustic guitar. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/10 "2013-04-22T23:18:35Z")
So sorry to hear this news, which truly marks the passing of an era. > [@hajario](#): > > I was fortunate to see him at a small theater here in Santa Barbara around four years ago. He put on one hell of a performance. So much power from one man and an acoustic guitar. Wow, I missed that performance. Glad you got to see him. Nice cover, **koeeoaddi**. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/11 "2013-04-22T23:20:54Z")
Richie fought the good fight back in the day. RIP brother. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/12 "2013-04-22T23:23:23Z")
Ah, man wish he could have bought another twenty years. I find myself getting a little sad now when anybody goes before 90. Such a soulful voice with that distinctive percussive strumming. RIP Mr. Havens. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/13 "2013-04-22T23:24:49Z")
Saw him a few times in some small solo acoustic shows and a couple of festivals. I love his voice. Godspeed to him. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/14 "2013-04-23T00:01:20Z")
It’s funny - I saw the title and thought that it would be an old guy from the 40’s or 50’s. Then I realized how old I am, and how old 72 is now. 10 years younger than my parents would be if they were still alive. Sometimes your own aging can sneak up on you in funny ways. StG ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/15 "2013-04-23T03:32:03Z")
I thought he died in the plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/16 "2013-04-23T10:36:40Z")
…that was Richie Valens. Be a high flyin’ bird, Richie Havens. Monday Chrissy Amphlett, Tuesday Richie Havens. Must be a great gig somewhere. What a strange and sad week. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/17 "2013-04-23T12:01:55Z")
Seems nowadays when you see an artist’s face that you really admire on the news, it’s usually for the saddest of reasons. So it was yet again last night. Thanks, Richie, for some truly iconic performances. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/18 "2013-04-23T13:19:45Z")
By a weird coincidence, I just happened to be listening to “Mixed Bag” yesterday afternoon when I heard the news. But it is one of my favorite records and I do listen to it a lot. According to the AV Club obit, Havens was a prolific jingle writer and composed the “fabric of our lives” theme! Never knew that! ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/19 "2013-04-23T16:00:58Z")
Damn. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-richie-havens/656434/20 "2013-04-29T02:16:59Z")
I think that the Woodstock documentary/music movie could not have had a better start than to have Richie Havens as the first performer.