Song:Here Comes The Sun
Album:Resume: The Best Of Richie Havens
Folksinger Richie Havens is best remembered for opening Woodstock with his fiery performance of Freedom. This made him a star and he had his only hit single with this 1971 cover of George Harrison's Here Comes The Sun. And though he occasionally writes his own songs, he is primarily known for his interpretations of songs written by others. He was born Jan. 21, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY and grew up singing in doo wop groups and at age 16 was with the McCrea Gospel Singers. He moved to Greenwich Village in 1961 and became a big part of the burgeoning folk music scene. He signed with Verve Forecast in 1967 and released five albums. But he was primarily known for his live performances and that's what got him the slot at Woodstock. The only reason Havens led off Woodstock is it was just him and his guitar. They didn't have to set anything up. He also played the Isle Of Wight festivals. Havens started his own Stormy Forest label and his 1971 album Alarm Clock had his cover of the George Harrison song Here Comes The Sun. It reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was his only hit single. His albums have sold steadily over the years and he's also done work in movies and TV. This Rhino comp is a good intro to his music. Havens has come full circle. He's back onm Verve Forecast and his latest CD Nobody Left To Crown was released in 2008. Here's Richie Havens performing Here Comes The Sun on German TV 1971.
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