Andrew Gold

He was also part of the 80s pop group Wax. Gold also toured as a musician and acted as producer for many well-known stars, particularly Linda Ronstadt and Art Garfunkel. Havens rarely writes his own songs and often interpret the works of Dylan and The Beatles. Born to Marni Nixon and Ernest Gold on August 2, 1951, in Burbank, California, he is best known for his 1970s hits "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You For Being A Friend." The former can be heard in the soundtrack to the 1997 Paul Thomas Anderson film Boogie Nights, and the latter became the theme for the 1980s NBC sitcom The Golden Girls. He later played at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Andrew Gold is an American singer and songwriter. The song became an international hit. Finally, he decided to improvise a version of "Motherless Child" to which he added a verse with the word "Freedom" repeated over and over.

He received continuous ovations and kept playing encores until he ran out of songs. In 1969, Havens opened the Woodstock Festival. Havens first rose to fame in the Greenwich Village folk music scene that also fostered Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Havens is best known for his somewhat wild guitar style of brisk strumming.

Richie Havens (born January 21, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American folk singer and guitarist.