Richie Havens, a seminal member of the New York folk scene of the '60s, died Monday morning from a sudden heart attack. He was 72. Havens, widely admired for his briskly rhythmic guitar style and richly textured voice, became a part of history for serving as the opening performer at the Woodstock festival in 1969. Havens transfixed the crowd at the start of that storied weekend. In a way, he had to. He was asked by the organizers to extend his set to nearly three hours to kill time since most of the other performers hadn’t yet reached the site, due to the choking crowds. Havens’ subsequent improvisation on the spiritual “Motherless Child” - threaded with his own inspired vamp of “Freedom” - become one of the festival’s signature sounds/Jim Farber, New York Daily News. More here. (AP file photo: Havens at 2008 Cannes Film Festival)

Question: Did Woodstock affect your life in any way?