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Richie Havens Announces Road Retirement

Legendary folkie Richie Havens has retired from the road. In message posted on his Facebook page and website, Havens confirmed that recent health concerns have made it impossible to keep up with his once rigid touring schedule. While the message does not rule out one-off appearances or select dates, Haves will no longer tour throughout the year.

The message from Havens’ camp states:

As many of you already know, Richie had kidney surgery a year and a half ago. Though he did return to the stage after that for numerous concerts, he truly never regained the physical strength required to put on the kind of shows for which he’s always been known, and coupled with ongoing health concerns, the traveling and performing have simply become too hard on him for him to be able to continue. After 45 years of non-stop touring, this is a sad and unexpected reality.

From Woodstock to The Isle of Wight to Glastonbury to the Fillmore Auditorium to Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, Richie has played the most legendary music festivals that ever were, and most of the world’s greatest concert venues. But even when performing in a Greenwich Village coffeehouse or a small club or regional theater, he’s always been eternally grateful that people in any number turned up each time to hear him sing. More than anything, he feels incredibly blessed to have met so many of you along the way.