I believe I inherited my sense of music from my father. My father was an ear piano player; he could just hear something and play it. Richie Havens earfatherhear Change image and share on social
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. Richie Havens 60scongadrum Change image and share on social
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. Richie Havens directiongearheaven Change image and share on social
You can't even kill yourself if it isn't your time to go. People have no control whatsoever over what happens to them, and they are beginning to realize this. The future lies in the time of living. Your doing something will get you into tomorrow, if you want to call it tomorrow. If you want to make those distinctions at all. Richie Havens begincallcontrol share on social
Live Aid was a baby Woodstock, a child of Woodstock, which I call Globalstock. Richie Havens aidbabycall Change image and share on social
Everything I want to do, and to accomplish, is on the other side of the universe. That's peace of mind, energy, freedom. And I'm making myself ready to go, joyfully and willingly. I think I'm ready to be everybody's friend, and to do anything for anybody. It's heavy. Richie Havens accomplishenergyfreedom share on social
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. Richie Havens brooklyndookeep share on social
I eat once a day if I remember, and I try never to go to sleep. Richie Havens dayeatremember Change image and share on social
We had been reading about these beatniks who hung out or lived in Greenwich Village, and we wanted to find out what a 'beatnik' was, and so a friend and I went right to the source. What we learned, of course, was that beatniks were mostly artists. Richie Havens artistbeatnikfind share on social
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.' Richie Havens artistbigbill share on social