45 Years Ago Today -- Ritchie Havens "Freedom"

[KurtNYC]

As the (Woodstock) festival's first performer, (Havens) held the crowd for nearly three hours. In part, Havens was told to continue playing, because many artists scheduled to perform after him were delayed in reaching the festival location with highways at a virtual standstill. He was called back for several encores. Having run out of tunes, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual Motherless Child that became Freedom.

-Wikipedia

ETA:

His performance of “Freedom/Motherless Child” embodied the sense of frustration at the strictures of the social status quo and looming liberation being felt by blacks and whites, men and women during an era of tremendous sociopolitical turmoil.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/22/entertainment/la-et-ms-richie-havens-dead-woodstock-folk-freedom-20130422

His ashes were scattered over the Bethel site on August 18, 2013, the anniversary of the last day of the festival.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/richie-havens-ashes-scattered-at-woodstock-20130819

[cyberswede]

1. K&R!

One of my favorites from the Woodstock movie.

[WillyT]

2. K & R !!!

[Granny M]

3. Loved Richie Havens.

Thanks for posting.

[wilt the stilt]

4. I was there but not for Ritchie

I came in that night. It was a special time.

[KurtNYC]

5. I saw him in 1989

He showed how powerful one person and one guitar can be.

Between songs he said "I remember watching "Superman" as a child and they say in the opening that Superman fights for 'truth, justice and the American way' and it confused me because I thought truth and justice WERE the American way."