CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Richie Havens

Zankel Hall
Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 8:30 PM

Richie Havens, Vocals

Program is approximately 90 minutes, and will be performed without intermission

Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with WFUV.

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More than 40 years after making a name for himself in the Greenwich Village folk scene, Richie Havens still enjoys a devoted following for the gospel fervor of his richly melodic and politically incisive songs. A review of his most recent album proclaimed him “a unique exponent of folksy soulfulness” (Independent).

Richie Havens, Vocals
Richie Havens, Vocals

Gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music, Richie Havens has a soulful singing style that remains unique and ageless, just as it was when he first emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s. It's a voice that has inspired and electrified audiences from Woodstock in 1969 to President Clinton's inauguration in 1993—coming full circle in 2009 with the 40th Woodstock Anniversary celebration.

For four decades, Havens has used his music to convey messages of brotherhood and personal freedom. With more than 25 albums released and a touring schedule that would kill many younger artists, he continues to view his calling as a higher one. As he told The Denver Post, "I really sing songs that move me. I'm not in show business; I'm in the communications business. That's what it's about for me."

Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children. At the age of 20, he left Brooklyn to seek out the artistic stimulation of Greenwich Village. "I saw the Village as a place to escape to in order to express yourself," Havens recalls. "I had first gone there during the beatnik days of the 1950s to perform poetry, then I drew portraits for two years and stayed up all night listening to folk music in the clubs. It took a while before I thought of picking up a guitar."

Havens's reputation as a solo performer soon spread beyond the Village folk circles. After joining forces with legendary manager Albert Grossman, Havens landed his first record deal with the Verve label, which released Mixed Bag in 1967. This auspicious debut album featured standout tracks like "Handsome Johnny" (co-written by Havens and future Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr.), "Follow," and the striking version of Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" that earned Havens the reputation of being a premier interpreter of Dylan's material. By 1969, he had released five more albums.

But it was his reputation as a live performer that first earned him widespread notice, and his Woodstock appearance proved to be a major turning point in Havens's career.

Nobody Left to Crown—Havens's most recent recording, released in 2008 on Verve Records, attests that he has never been more relevant than he is today. A sense of timelessness rings throughout Nobody Left to Crown, as though the passing years have only strengthened the meaning of his soul-filled folk rock.

For 2010, Havens's musical journey continues with the recording of his next studio album, tour dates throughout the world—including a performance at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival—and more. Also in 2010, look for Havens' highly anticipated studio collaboration on the Preservation Hall benefit album, Preservation, on which Havens performs "Trouble in Mind" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.