About Richie Havens
Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar style (often in open tunings). He was the opening act at Woodstock, sang many jingles for television commercials, and was also the voice of the GeoSafari toys. Two of those albums were unauthorized and were released by Douglas Records (or Douglas International): Electric Havens (released June 1, 1968) and Richie Havens Record (1969). Havens released his first single, "No Opportunity Necessary", in 1967, later covered by Yes in their second album Time and a Word. After cutting two records for Douglas Records, he signed on with Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman and landed a record deal with the Verve Folkways (later Verve Forecast) label. Something Else Again (1968) became his first album to hit the Billboard charts, and it pulled Mixed Bag back onto the charts.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.