Motherless Child

Richie Havens had a heart attack and died today in New Jersey.  That's a damn shame, and on Earth Day of all days.  If his singular musical style over the last 40+ years wasn’t astounding enough, he dedicated much of his life to educating children about the importance of protecting the environment. His response when asked why?  "Children study the land, water, and air in their own communities and see how they can make positive changes from something as simple as planting a garden in an abandoned lot."  A straightforward grassroots approach that could literally alter the course of the planet if we were to all follow his example in our random small corners of the world.  If you’ve never heard of him or know him only as the opening act at Woodstock, look him up.  I don’t think I’ll spoon feed you this one.

R.I.P. old friend.  

Richard P. "Richie" Havens

21 January 1941 - 22 April 2013