Richie Havens passes away on Earth Day

As sad as the news is to those who've loved his music for many years, it seems fitting that if Richie Havens were to pass away that news of it would come on Earth Day.

Richie Havens

According to Billboard.com, Havens -- a leading voice in the folk rock movement who gained his greatest fame as the opening act at the Woodstock festival in 1969 -- died today at age 72 of a heart attack.

Havens had a powerful voice that identified not only him but an era as well.  It rang out with the opening tunes of Woodstock, and in venues ranging in size from Max Yasgur's farm to concert halls to coffeehouses, he performed music with the edge of protest, wanting wrongs to be righted.  His music was punctuated by the way he'd play an acoustic guitar.  His rhythmic style was as powerful on guitar as the force that came through in his voice.

See Richie Havens' biography at Wikipedia

He cracked the charts with covers of Beatles tunes such as "Here Comes The Sun," but his impact on the music world will be felt for a very long time beyond those charts.  It was timeless music, reaching beyond any "hits."  His impact will come from the emotion he poured out behind a microphone, a guitar propped on his lap, giving everyone who watched him performing on a stage or listened to him through a stereo a strong taste of ... freedom.

Coming Back With Grammys Week: Mumford & Sons

I've got some catching up to do.  I've been away a while, trying to adjust to a new job and all -- different hours, different tasks, different things overloading my brain cells.  Things like that tend to get "in the way" at times.  Forgive me, would you please?

But here I am, working on making a comeback with my music blog as the adjustment continues.  And what better way to kick things off this week than by taking a look at just a bit of what was honored at the Grammy Awards Sunday night?

Leading things off, we have the English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, winners in the categories of Album of the Year for "Babel" and long-form music video for "Big Easy Express."

They take rootsy instruments like banjos and mandolins and give them a tough, touching edge.  They're a group to be reckoned with, and the Grammy voters reckoned it was time to give Mumford & Sons a big prize or two.

Celebrate!