It was the place where he became a major figure in music and now it will be his final resting place. The ashes of Richie Havens will be scattered at what was once Max Yasgur’s farm where the Woodstock festival was held in 1969.
It was Havens who opened the festival on Friday where he played a marathon set, running through his entire repertoire, at the request of promoters who were having trouble getting the next acts to the grounds through the huge traffic jams. His final song was an improvised version of Motherless Child that is now possibly his most famous work, Freedom. Havens went on to become an icon of the Woodstock generation.
Richie died in April.
The full statement from his official website:
On Sunday, August 18th the ashes of music legend Richie Havens will be scattered across Max Yasgur’s farm – the field where the Woodstock festival took place in 1969, and today the site of The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
This day of song and remembrance honoring Richie Havens is open to the public, and all are welcome. A ticket will be required for admission and will be made available for free.
Full details will be released soon.
