They Can't Hide Us Anymore Book

In this warm, highly personal narrative, Richie Havens recounts a musical career that began on the streets of Bed-Stuy and matured amidst the creative explosion that was Greenwich Village in the Sixties, where he joined other blazing talents in bringing lush poetry and a social conscience to popular music. From Richie's unique vantage point, we watch the emerging careers of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Lou Gossett Jr. (who co-wrote one of Richie's most famous songs), Joan Sebastian, Cass Elliot, Peter, Paul & Mary, and more; and we revisit underappreciated singer/songwriters like Fred Neil, Judy Henske, Tim Hardin, Dino Valenti, Bruce Murdoch, and others.

The unmistakable Richie Havens sound has created fans around the world, and here the artist shows you how it is produced, from his unusual and distinctive guitar style to the process of writing songs and interpreting the compositions of others. He takes an unblinking look at both the triumphs and frustrations of the music business and its colorful personalities, and invites you into the recording studio and on memorable backstage visits with the likes of Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

But music is only one side of Richie Havens, a multifaceted student and seeker of truth who calls his life a "work in progress." He also describes the friendship that created his foundation for marine study and conservation, the remarkable song that sent him on a mission of peace to the Middle East, his work mobilizing schoolchildren as environmental activists, and the true legacy of the generation that announced its presence through music and is now in the process of passing the torch to its own descendants.

Here is a candid, compelling, exhilarating visit with a remarkable artist whose joy in living and faith in the human spirit is contagious. Turn to the first page and meet Richie Havens.