Richie Havens

Richie Havens was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Greenwich Village in 1961, where he became part of the folk scene. His 1967 album Mixed Bag featured versions of songs by Lennon and McCartney and Bob Dylan, as well as “Handsome Johnny”, written by Havens and Louis Gossett Jr.

In 1969, he opened the Woodstock festival with a long set that ended in “Freedom”. He kept recording and performing into the 2000s. He died in 2013.