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   from the issue of January 13, 2005

     
 
Odetta and Richie Havens: Double Bill of Soulful Voices at the Lied Center

Two of the greatest voices of the folk music era perform together in concert Jan. 15 at the Lied Center. Odetta, whose influential music career has been an inspiration for over 50 years, and Richie Havens, who was the opening act at Woodstock, will each perform works from their latest CDs as well some of the beloved standards from their lengthy careers. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

 
Richie Havens and Odetta headline the Lied on Jan. 15.
 Richie Havens and Odetta headline the Lied on Jan. 15.

Odetta was born in Alabama in 1930 and moved to Los Angeles at age 6. She dreamed of a career in opera, and studied classical music and voice. But the color barrier had not been broken in the major opera companies. While on tour with a musical production in San Francisco, she discovered folk music, and after teaching herself to play the guitar, Odetta became a regular at West Coast folk clubs. As her distinctive voice and expressive delivery won a loyal fan base, she began performing around the country, eventually landing in New York City and the famed Blue Angel club where Odetta met legends of the music scene including Pete Seeger and Harry Belafonte. Her star was on the rise.

Since then, Odetta has recorded 28 solo albums including 2002's Lookin' For a Home, a collection of songs written or made famous by Leadbelly. The CD earned her two W.C. Handy Award nominations, which recognize the best blues recordings and performances. Her classic recordings of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Kumbaya," and "This Little Light of Mine" have become folk and spiritual classics. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and the late Janis Joplin have counted Odetta as inspiration.

Odetta is also known for her devotion to social issues. She took part in the march on Selma, Ala.; she sang at the 1963 March on Washington; she performed for President Kennedy on the nationally televised civil rights special, "Dinner with the President"; and was awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 1999.

Richie Havens has had an equally brilliant and enduring career. Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community of New York, Havens was the oldest of nine children and would often escape to the beatnik scene in Greenwich Village. He initially performed poetry at open mic nights, but eventually picked up the guitar to emulate the many folk artists he regularly saw perform. Soon his reputation as a fiery live performer led to a record contract. By the end of the '60s, Havens was a regular on the college circuit and music festivals including the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival, and the granddaddy of them all, Woodstock.

Havens released his latest album Grace of the Sun in 2004 and continues to tour regularly, but his career has also branched into other fields. Acting took hold in the 1970s when Havens was featured in the original stage production of The Who's Tommy, and later he had the lead role in the 1974 film version of Catch My Soul and a co-starring role with Richard Pryor in Greased Lightning. These days Havens uses his distinctive voice in a successful voiceover career for clients such as McDonald's, Kodak, and the Cotton Association of America. The multi-talented Havens is also an author, has formed two organizations to educate children about ecological issues, and runs his own record label, Stormy Forest.

Angie Onuoha, local actress and singer, will deliver a pre-performance talk in the Lied's Steinhart Room 30 minutes prior to curtain.

Tickets for this performance are $32/$28/$22; half-price for UNL students and youth 18 and younger. Call the Lied ticket office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 for ticket availability or visit .


GO TO: ISSUE OF JANUARY 13

ARTS HEADLINES FOR JANUARY 13

Forsberg to describe sandhill cranes' journey in Jan. 19 Olson Seminar
Antiques Roadshow highlights Nebraskans' attic finds
Art show features works by Ruffo and Burton
Book, Jacket and Journal Designs on Display
Cashore Marionettes first Lied offering on East Campus
Fiddlers John & Jason Shaw headline Free at 6 Jan. 19
Free screening Jan. 13 of PBS boxing documentary
Odetta and Richie Havens: Double Bill of Soulful Voices at the Lied Center
Undertow, Machinist continue at the Ross Media Arts Center
Winter Festival for winds and percussion Jan. 21-23

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