One of the regrettable aspects of aging is the steady stream of icons from my youth passing away.
Recently it appears there have been an elevated number of notable deaths: Margret Thatcher, Jonathan Winters, George Jones, Annette Funicello, Roger Ebert, Pat Summerall, Huell Howser and Patti Page just to name a few.
I do realize many of you younger readers might not recognize some of these names. However, take my word for it, in their time they were bright shining stars I truly cherish the fond memories and lament the passing of the impressive lineup mentioned above.
However, I intentionally eliminated one folk music icon that possesses a unique historical footnote at the top of his resume–Richie Havens, the man who opened Woodstock. Havens first became part of musical folklore during his impromptu opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Best known for his distinctive intense rhythmic guitar style and soulful renditions of pop and folk songs, Havens toured and recorded music for over 40 years before retiring from the road three years ago. On August 15, 1969, I was an Army Private stationed in Saigon, Vietnam. My buddies and I had no knowledge that a massive occasion in New York, known as Woodstock, was about to become the most celebrated concert in musical history.
The spectacle was billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.” It was conducted at Max Yasgar’s 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills, near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. Bethel is located 43 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock. Havens’ Woodstock appearance in 1969, which opened the three-day star-studded phenomenon, catapulted him into stardom and proved to be a major turning point in his career.
As the festival’s first performer, he 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.” The subsequent Woodstock movie release helped Havens reach a worldwide audience. A few days after the death of Havens, I dusted off my DVD of Woodstock, poured myself an adult beverage and settled back to view what I consider the greatest documentary movie ever filmed–Woodstock 3 Days of Peace & Music, The Director’s Cut.
I urge anyone who has not seen this documentary to make it a priority in the next few months. Treat yourself to an eye-opening look back at the 1960’s counterculture as it exploded onto the American scene.
This timeless classic graphically displays the larger-than-life, soon-to-be-famous rock bands, their hard-core music and the diverse tapestry of America’s youth who worshiped them and what they stood for.
What you will observe is an unflinchingly, unfiltered raw experience that will transport you to a time many consider the halcyon days of an American revolution. A bygone era producing the good, bad and often ugly of one of the most turbulent periods in our history.
It proved a time of extreme turmoil, with the Vietnam War raging, rampant unchecked drug use and a naïve youthful generation more than willing to take the advice from Timothy Leary, an aging psychologist who advocated the use of psychedelic drugs. His deadly advice echoed throughout the country–“turn on, tune in, drop out.” This entertaining, powerful in-your-face chronicle is well worth your time. It is the ultimate rock concert movie.
Settle back and become an eyewitness to the birth of a generation who enthusiastically adopted the cultural battle cries of “make love, not war” and “do your own thing.”