Ritchie Havens
Before August 15, 1969, if you asked anyone about Richie Havens, they'd say, "Oh, yes, the guy who uses his thumb."
But after August 15, 1969, everyone would say, "Oh, yes, the opening act at Woodstock."
And just what, you ask, was Woodstock?
Well, you might say it was where Winston Churchill was born. That was on 1874. Of course, we all know Winston as the English prime minister who liked wearing pink silk underwear. But Winston's Woodstock is not our Woodstock.
Instead OUR Woodstock was the most famous rock festival in history. Or maybe even the most famous festival period - including the Festival of the Field of the Cloth of Gold organized by Hank and Frank.
Of course, Woodstock was not at Woodstock, Oxfordshire, UK or Woodstock, Ontario or Woodstock, New South Wales. It wasn't even at Woodstock, for crying out loud! Instead Woodstock "happened" on the farm of Max Yasgur near the town of Bethel. That's in New York, not Israel.
Enough has been written about the Rock Festival That Didn't End All Rock Festivals so that only a simple summary is needed here. The outdoor concert had been planned by a group of promoters, and it was going to be an extravaganza (as they used to call them). There would be multiple acts, and the show would last three days with an expected turnout of 200,000.
Unfortunately the sheer size of the enterprise scared a lot of the commercial people off and that included the food vendors. Worse, instead of 200,000, it was more like 400,000 people who came a-knocking at the gates. The traffic shut down the New York turnpike and there were so many people that they literally broke down the fences and just walked in.
Today the festival is remembered as Three Days of Love and Music but some that were actually there remembered it was more like Three Days of Mud not to mention no food and no way to leave. Three people were reported to have died and the area was declared a disaster area. Although there have been "Woodstock Anniversary" concerts from time to time, they haven't always run smoothly and the last one planned had to be canceled.
That said, Woodstock is still looked on as one of the pivotal points of American history and was when the counter culture became mainstream. For the next decade the "hippie" motif dominated everything. Kids quit wanting to be like adults and adults started dressing like kids. Business executives began sporting "Beatle" haircuts, and everyday dialect included now outdated but then "cool" phrases like "getting it all together", feeling "spaced out", and voicing approbation by quoting Shakespeare's "right on!"
But most of all rock music became high art. The stars began receiving prestigious awards and entertained at the White House. The Premiere of the Soviet Union was seen dancing to a rock band. Even quiz programs - the quintessential hallmark of American culture - began having "flower power" set designs. Eventually a rock and roller even won the Nobel Prize for Literature. And Richie was the opening act at Woodstock.
Yes, Richie's technique did involve fretting the lower strings on the guitar with his thumb. And no, Ritchie wasn't the only famous musician to play the guitar the "wrong" way. It may not be actually common, but some top notch guitarists have adopted this technique including Glenn Campbell and Merle Travis. In fact, you can sometimes catch a surprising number of players slipping in el pulgar izquierdo, particularly if they use an open tuning - that is, the strings are tuned to play a chord without pressing any strings. To get the sound of some of the great bluesmen that's what you have to do. For instance, if you want to fret the first and sixth string leaving the others open, that's the easiest way to do it.
The tuning Richie used from sixth string (lowest) to first (highest) was D2 A2 D3 F3# A4 D4 in scientific notation. This is not the "standard tuning" that Andres Segovia used which is E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 where E2 is 329.63 cycles per second or hertz and E4 is 82.41 cps. A caveat is that when using standard music notation on the treble clef, guitar music is written an octave higher than the notes come out. What sounds as concert pitch middle C - that is C4, the C one ledger line below the staff - is written as C5 on guitar, the C in the middle of the staff.
Actually Richie pointed out that you got his tuning by first setting the strings to an open E chord. That's simple enough. Just raise the fifth and four strings (A2 and D3) up one step and the third string, G3, up a half step. Now you have E2 B2 E3 G#3 B3 E4. Then and drop the pitch of each string by a full step. Hey, presto!, you have D2 A2 D3 F3# A4 D4.
As anyone who has fiddled around with guitar tunings knows, dropping the lowest E string to a D gives a fuller and more resonant sound. But best of all Richie said that with open tunings, you could start playing songs right away. Which is how he got started.
Richie was born in New York City and as many young New Yorkers coming of age in the 1950's (he was 18 in 1959), he gravitated to Greenwich Village. That was where the "beatniks" were hanging out. Although the Beats tended to adopt jazz as their preferred music, folk singers began budging in and soon they could be found swarming in and around Washington Square Park. If you were lucky you might even catch a presciently bearded Woodrow Wilson Guthrie playing guitar and singing with Ramblin' Jack Elliott. But the way Richie got started is NOT the way it's usually done.
Richie didn't intend to be a musician but concentrated on being a portrait artist. He had a natural ability and was asked by a gallery owner to do some charcoal drawings, a medium Richie found a bit difficult to control but soon got the hang of it. Not that Richie had no musical experience and when he was a teenager he had sung with a gospel group in the doo-wop style.
Doo-Wop, for those who haven't heard of it, is a manner of singing with close harmony (usually four part) and is - and we quote a dictionary here - "a style of rhythm and blues popularized in the 1950s and characterized by words and nonsense syllables sung in harmony by small groups supporting the melody of the song". Probably the most famous doo-wop hit was the Marcels singing the Rogers and Hart standard "Blue Moon". Everyone remembers how Fred Johnson kicked the song off:
Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom
Bom ba ba bom ba dang a dang dang
Ding a dong ding
Blue moon, blue moon, blue moon ...
Now as Richie was walking along in the Village he came across a group of kids - between ten and fourteen years old - singing doo-wop a-capella. He thought they were great but needed some musical backing. Since he didn't know how to play the guitar, he borrowed one from a friend and tuned it to an open D. That way he could play different chords simply by pressing all the strings down with his thumb.
Richie and the kids practiced together for a bit and then hit the streets. Richie set the open guitar case on the sidewalk and in their first performance they picked up $150. The next set landed them $250. We're talking 1960's dollars here. He told the kids that was what they were capable of.
By the way, it wasn't just to the kids that Richie gave career advice. He once went to a club and saw a guitarist doing all sorts of musical acrobatics including playing the instrument with his teeth. After the show he walked up and told the young man he should quit playing back-up and start his own group. Evidently Richie's advice carried the day and Jimi Hendrix later did quite well.
But working with the kids also got Richie into music as a serious avocation. Soon he swapped his paper and charcoal for his guitar and his unique playing style quickly attracted attention. Moving from the street corners to the clubs he was tapped on the shoulder by the famed music promoter Albert Grossman. Albert was known for being able to pull the right strings and moving his clients to commercial success. And yes, Richie's first album Mixed Bag was released in 1966 and sold well. He then began hitting the major television shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Steve Allen, Dick Cavett, and yes, Johnny Carson. He even made the really big shew with Ed Sullivan.
After Woodstock Richie didn't let grass grow under his feet. He performed either solo or in concerts or at festivals in connection other bands and singers. And we're talking big names: Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, The Chieftains, Chuck Berry, Lou Reed, Jerry Lee Lewis, Manfred Mann, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beach Boys, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Melanie, Sha-na-na, the Allman Brothers Band, Johnny River, John Lee Hooker, Doc Watson, Rosanne Cash, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Winter, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bruce Springsteen, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Tom Paxton, Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, and Emmylou Harris.
You get the impression from his autobiography that Richie didn't worry much about where he stood in the hierarchy of celebrity and was just happy enough to be able to make a living by performing. He continued to sing wherever he could. It didn't matter if he was performing in a high school auditorium in Pennsylvania one night or in Las Vegas on another.
Yes, Richie did play Las Vegas and he once appeared at the Riviera Hotel as the act before Liza Minnelli. The offer surprised him as it seemingly came out of the blue. But it had been sent by Liza's musical director, Bill LaVorgna, who just happened to have been Richie's drummer on Mixed Bag.
Richie found working with Liza was great. But the big surprise was when Bill told him that Elvis would like to meet him. Elvis???!!!!???? Shoot, Richie didn't even think that Elvis knew who he was. But when he waked into Elvis's dressing room (it was just before a concert), Elvis greeted him literally with open arms. He even asked Richie to walk with him to the stage.
But of all the accolades Richie received over his life, there's one more that must be mentioned. No, it wasn't a command performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre for the Queen Mother (like the Beatles). It's not performing at the White House for the President and the First Lady (like Pablo Casals or the Captain and Tennille). And although Richie did play at Carnegie Hall, there was a venue that was even higher.
In 1983 Richie joined the list of prestigious celebrities such as (and to skip this rather lengthy list click here) Wendy Wasserstein, Terry Crews, Peggy Fleming, Sofía Vergara, Tempestt Bledsoe, Helen Reddy, Royce O'Donnell, Ken Jennings, David Dinkins, Jodie Foster, Chris Barron, Lena Headey, Juanes, Amy Poehler, Jock Soto, Carol Channing, Phil Donahue, Sherri Shepherd, Sarah Jessica Parker, JC Chasez, Billy Dee Williams, Nicole Kidman, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, Martina Navratilova, James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Michael Landon, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Herbie Hancock, Celia Cruz, Joshua Bell, Zachary Quinto, Fred Newman, Louis Tomlinson, Kristen Bell, Matt Kemp, Wyclef Jean, Kevin Kline, J.R. Martinez, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Tony Bennett, Harvey Fierstein, Crystal Gayle, Eva Longoria, Rubén Blades, Paul Simon, Alessia Cara, Lupita Nyong'o, Ángel Corella, Marlee Matlin, Itzhak Perlman, Melissa Etheridge, Edgar Kendricks, Brian Williams, Jill Scott, Evan Strong, Sarah Anne, Melissa McCarthy, Gene Siskel, Andy Samberg, Blake Griffin, Robin Williams, Dwight Howard, Wendy Williams, Jack Miller, Aaron Neville, Joseph Simmons, Harry Belafonte, Niall Horan, Sonia Sotomayor, Julie Bowen, Chloe Kim, Hugh Jackman, Roosevelt Grier, Ed Helms, Patti LaBelle, Doug E. Doug, Idina Menzel, Jackie Robinson, Isabella Preston, James Taylor, Leon Bibb, Renée Fleming, Skylar Dunn, Tony Danza, Joey Fatone, Carol Burnett, Denyce Graves, Emma Stone, Richard Pryor, Marv Albert, Victor Borge, Andrea Bocelli, Reggie Bush, Lisa Bonet, Nancy Kaplan, Paula Patton, Matthew Fox, Linda Ronstadt, George Lopez, Kat Dennings, Barbara Bush, Larry King, Kunal Nayyar, Pau Gasol, Jackson Frazer, Norah Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mark Ingram, Maria Menounos, Laurie Hernandez, Justin Timberlake, MC Lyte, Kadeem Hardison, Jon Hamm, Smokey Robinson, John Legend, Burt Lancaster, Jay Leno, Batty, Diana Krall, Joseph Marley, Elvis Costello, Samantha Tuffarelli, Brendan Fraser, Julianne Moore, Ruben Studdard, Frank Caldeiro, Little Richard, Danielle Kotch, Zayn Malik, John Candy, Michael Cooney, Lourdes Lopez, Cher, Megan Mullally, Whitman Mayo, Troy Polamalu, Sia, Maya Rudolph, Henry Cavill, Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, Harry Styles, Christopher Meloni, Gloria Estefan, Sean Landeta, Bruno Mars, Jim Nabors, Chance the Rapper, Tessa Frascogna, Lauren Graham, Don Cheadle, Conan O'Brien, Al Roker, Rhea Perlman, Maren Morris, Mookie Wilson, Matthew Schwartz, Diane Schuur, Lea Salonga, María Torres C., Joe Williams, Liev Schreiber, James Gandolfini, Maduka Steady, Jeremy Irons, Walt Frazier, Maurice Hines, Ziggy Marley, Jason Taylor, John Cho, Jake Gyllenhaal, Liam Payne, Keith Hernandez, Dax Shepard, Jim Parsons, Mindy Kaling, Annette Bening, Nina Simone, Marilyn Horne, Nathan Lane, Rosemary Clooney, Mila Kunis, George Benson, Seiji Ozawa, Seth Rogen, Tyne Daly, Dan Zanes, Phoebe Cates, Ben Stiller, Leslie Feist, Fran Drescher, Dai Xi, Joe Namath, Suzanne Farrell, Lorna Feijoo, David Beckham, Charlize Theron, Rico Rodriguez, Amy Ryan, Joe Mangrum, Candice Bergen, Jason Biggs, Howard Johnson, Drew Brees, Lara Spencer, Joel McHale, Maria Conchita Alonso, Robert MacNeil, Maggie Gyllenhaal, William Kucmierowski, Erykah Badu, Casey Affleck, Ken Jeong, Romeo Santos, Susan Sarandon, Dave Matthews, Sutton Foster, Marc Valitutto, Chris Kirkpatrick, Ed Lipton, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Colin Farrell, Samuel Ramey, Danny Glover, Colbie Caillat, Liam Neeson, Carl Banks, Gustavo Dudamel, Alison Krauss, Glenn Close, Lance Bass, Patrick Stewart, Roger Ebert, Tristan Carrasco, Wayne Brady, Eric Stonestreet, Lou Rawls, Venus Williams, Tim Conway, Arica Himmel, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Flip Wilson, Julius Erving, Janelle Monáe, Vanessa Williams, Jack Black, Pat Paulsen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jean Marsh, Joe Torre, Tim Robbins, Craig Ferguson, Wynonna Judd, José Feliciano, Michelle Monaghan, Bo Jackson, Lillie Ricciardi, Miri Ben-Ari, Geena Davis, Jerry O'Connell, Pooja Narang, Ellen DeGeneres, Lorena Feijóo, Trisha Yearwood, Dan Blocker, Naomi Watts, Clive Thompson, Debra Messing, Carmelo Anthony, Berkeley Melvin, Steve Carell, Jimmy Kimmel, Paul Rudd, Jason Bateman, Julia Roberts, Jeff Gordon, John Krasinski, Kara DioGuardi, Ty Burrell, Stevie Wonder, Wynton Marsalis, Johnny Galecki, Bobby McFerrin, Zach Braff, Gordon Jackson, Dick Barnett, James Galway, Ray Barretto, Viola Davis, Michael Gregory Fung, Lorne Greene, Patricia Arquette, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Katie Lee Hill, Sally Ride, Amy Adams, Stephen Marley, Ron Darling, Buzz Aldrin, Adam Sandler, Matt Lauer, Karl Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Mike Messer, Randy Travis, Blair Underwood, Whoopi Goldberg, Dave Winfield, Amar'e Stoudemire, Elisabeth Shermane, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Isiah Thomas, Katie Couric, Michelle Obama, B.B. King, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Loretta Lynn, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, Lena Horne, Carly Simon, Mahalia Jackson, Pete Seeger, and Kermit the Frog. (To return to the top of the list click here).
Yes. Richie was on Sesame Street.
References and Further Reading
They Can't Hide Us Anymore, Richie Havens and Steve Davidowitz (Foreword by James Earl Jones), Avon, 1999.
Richie Havens Concert History, Concert Archives.
"Guitarists Who Play Chords With Their Thumb", Shawn Bradshaw, Cyber Fret.
"Richie Havens", Internet Movie Data Base.
"The Strange New Love Land of the Hippies", Loudan Wainwright, The View from Here, Life Magazine, March 31, 1967, pp. 15-16.
"The Big Woodstock Rock Trip", Life Magazine, August 29, 1969, pp. 14B-22.
"Winston Churchill: Winston Churchill", Lapham's Quarterly.
"Wear Pink Underwear like Churchill, and Nine Other Principles of Defense Entrepreneurship", M. L. Cavanaugh, Modern War Institute at West Point, August 8, 2017.
"doo-wop", Merriam Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster.