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Quote by Richie Havens

“I believe we have a double in every country. There's something about that that is probably a commonness that we don't make note of. That maybe there's only a cast for so many faces, and we live everywhere.”

Quote by Richie Havens

Author

Richie Havens was an American singer-songwriter known for his unique musical style and live performances. Born on January 21, 1941, he passed away on April 22, 2013. Havens is best known for his iconic performance at the Woodstock Music Festival, where he was invited to take the stage without prior notice, performing for thousands of attendees. more

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“I came up in Brooklyn singing doo-wop music from the time I was 13 to the time I was 20. That music served a purpose of keeping a lot of people out of trouble, and also it was a passport from one neighborhood to another.”

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“The direction for my music is heaven, of course. We gear all things to the realm of heaven - which is the mind, the organized mind.”

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“I must have played every college and university at least three times, and that goes for most of the clubs. I'd be on the road six days a week, go home and change bags, and then be gone for another six days.”

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“I remember the first time I was booked into a jazz club. I was scared to death. I'm not a jazz artist. So I got to the club and spotted this big poster saying, 'Richie Havens, folk jazz artist.' Then I'd go to a rock club and I'm billed as a 'folk rock performer' and in the blues clubs I'd be a 'folk blues entertainer.'”

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“I saw the Village as a place you could escape to, to express yourself. When I first went there, I wrote and performed poetry. Then I drew portraits for a couple of years. It took a while before I thought about picking up a guitar.”

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“I started out by myself, but it eventually turned into a trio by the mid-'60s - a conga drum and another guitarist. And that's been mostly what I've worked with most of the time.”

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Author:Richie Havens

“I opened the Woodstock Festival even though I was supposed to be fifth. I said, 'What am I doing here? No, no, not me, not first!' I had to go on stage because there was no one else to go on first - the concert was already two-and-a-half hours late.”

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“I honor English majors. It's a dumb thing to major in. It leads nowhere. It's good to be dumb, it allows us to love something for no reason. That's the best kind of love.”

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Book:Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

Source: Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

“I'm going to live what I believe”

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“Cowardice is the greatest sin.”

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