Richie Havens once told an NPR interviewer that as a child his ambition was to meet everyone
in the world.His career as a performer took him around the world, including two stops in Bowling
Green.In 1975 six years after he improvised his anthem "Freedom" to open the Woodstock music
festival, he came to Bowling Green to open the Poe Ditch Music Festival.Commenting on a Sentinel-Tribune
article on the 35th anniversary of the festival, local resident Scott Gillespie recalled Havens
"lecturing the crowd about spiritual awareness and that kind of stuff the ’60s were known
for."Havens was gone before the downpour and subsequent disturbances took place.He returned to
perform at the 2006 Black Swamp Arts Festival.On hearing of his death Monday, Kelly Wicks, who booked
him for the arts festival recalled: "Great memories of his time in BG. A real star and true
gentleman. He connected with every person who met him at Black Swamp."In an interview with the
Sentinel-Tribune before his 2006 show, Havens reflected on how the festivals he played had changed,
saying they were "more family oriented.""You’re more likely to get three generations,
four generations to come out … it’s getting together with the extended family."
