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American folk singer Richie Havens sadly died of a heart attack at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey earlier today. He was 72.

Havens was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 21, 1941. He moved to Greenwich Village at the age of 20 to perform poetry and learn how to play folk music. His first album, “A Richie Havens Record,” was released in 1965 and he remained an active live and studio performer for the next four decades.

The singer’s most famous moment was opening the Woodstock Festival on August 15, 1969, which was scheduled to be a four song set but turned into 2 hours 45 minutes because other artists were delayed. His set finished with “Freedom,” which was an improvised version of the “Motherless Child” spiritual.

“Freedom” (Live at Woodstock) – Richie Havens

“I Can’t Make it Any More” (Live at Woodstock) – Richie Havens

Havens released more than 25 albums during his long career, the most successful of which was 1971’s Alarm Clock, which featured his hit cover of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”.

Richie Havens – “Here Comes the Sun”

Another major career highlight came in 1993 when Havens performed at the inauguration of US President Bill Clinton.

Havens last album was “Nobody Left to Crown” (2008). He underwent kidney surgery in 2010 and announced his retirement from live performing last year due to ill health.

Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash has issued a statement paying tribute to Havens:

“Richie Havens was one of the nicest most generous and pure individuals I have ever met. When I was a young sprite in Greenwich Village, we used to have breakfast together at the diner on 6th Avenue next to The Waverly Theatre. He was very wise in the ways of our calling. He always caught fire every time he played. 50 years after hearing Handsome Johnny for the first time and being blown away by Richie’s magic, he sang that same song the last time I saw him, and it had exactly the same fire and passion and effect on me as when I first heard that unique Richie Havens ‘thing’ –that can never be replicated.”

Stills’ reference to Havens’ uniqueness is on the money. He was a highly original and distinctive performer, with an unusual, percussive guitar style and rhythmic vocal delivery. No one else sounds quite like Richie Havens.

Havens is survived by four daughters and five grandchildren.