Which Woodstock 1969 performer sang “Freedom” during his set?

Richie Havens sang “Freedom” during his set at the 1969 Woodstock festival.

Havens was scheduled to perform fifth, but traffic delays prevented several later acts from reaching the stage. As a result, he played an extended opening set, performing for about two hours. He reportedly exhausted his planned songs and improvised “Freedom” from the spiritual “Motherless Child.”

The performance became one of Woodstock’s defining moments. Havens’ intense guitar playing and vocal delivery helped establish the festival’s atmosphere before the better-known rock performances that followed. “Freedom” later appeared on the Woodstock soundtrack and in the documentary film.

A common mix-up is to identify Havens simply as Woodstock’s opening singer. He was the first scheduled performer, but the festival’s announced opening act, Sweetwater, followed after the stage equipment and traffic problems were resolved. Havens remained closely associated with Woodstock throughout his career.