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February 15, 2007Richie Havens' distinctive voice has carried him to international renown throughout his 40-year career. Hailing from Brooklyn and first exercising his craft as part of the Greenwich Village folk-music collective, Havens became famous for his performance at the 1969 Woodstock festival, during which he played to repeat ovations. He signed to Verve in the late '60s, recording a number of studio albums and winning acclaim for his inspired cover songs. Havens parlayed this success into his own record label, Stormy Forest, in 1970.

Havens' career has re-ignited since 2000, when he re-activated Stormy Forest and was presented with a host of new collaborative projects. He's since released two albums, 2002's Wishing Well and 2004's Grace of the Sun, which have showcased the guitarist's characteristically rich and illuminative sound. In 2003, the National Music Council gave Havens the American Eagle Award for his career-long contributions to American musical heritage, calling him "a rare and inspiring voice of eloquence, integrity, and social responsibility."