Richard Pierce Havens was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn in New York. He was the oldest of nine children. Havens inherited his love of music from his father, who was also a musician.

At an early age, Havens became a part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene, where he developed both his style and his following. He always lent his voice to songs of brotherhood and freedom.

Havens is also a talented painter and for a few years he made money as a street artist. He is an icon of the Woodstock generatio, he opened the festival with songs of freedom. He has appeared in many feature films, and shared his gift of song with the children of Sesame Street. You may even hear his voice on television commercials.