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Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the best selling artists in that decade.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers of his era". Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he wrote himself. He released 33 albums and singles that were certified Gold and Platinum in the U.S by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), with estimated sales of more than 33 million units. He recorded and performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature, disdain for city life, enthusiasm for music, and relationship trials. Denver's music appeared on a variety of charts, including country music, the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
, earning 12
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
and four
platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
albums with his signature songs "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
"; " Poems, Prayers & Promises"; " Annie's Song"; " Rocky Mountain High"; " Calypso"; " Thank God I'm a Country Boy"; and " Sunshine on My Shoulders". Denver appeared in several films and television specials during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1977 hit '' Oh, God!'', in which he starred alongside
George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His arched eyeb ...
. He continued to record into the 1990s, also focusing on environmental issues as well as lending vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
to protest
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
in music. Known for his love of Colorado, Denver lived in
Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...
for much of his life. In 1974, Denver was named poet laureate of the state. The Colorado state legislature also adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs in 2007, and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
did the same for "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in 2014. An avid pilot, Denver died at the age of 53 in 1997, in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane.


Early life

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. was born on December 31, 1943, in
Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fi ...
, to Erma Louise (née Swope; 1922–2010) and Captain Henry John "Dutch" Deutschendorf Sr. (1920–1982), a
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
pilot stationed at Roswell Army Air Field. Captain Deutschendorf Sr. was a decorated pilot who set a number of air speed records in a
Convair B-58 Hustler The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air ...
in 1961. In his 1994 autobiography ''Take Me Home'', Denver described his father as a stern man who could not show his love for his children. With a military father, Denver's family moved often, and he found difficulty making friends and assimilating with children of his own age. The introverted Denver often felt out of place and did not know where he truly belonged. While stationed at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...
in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, the Deutschendorfs purchased a house and lived there from 1951 to 1959. Denver lived in Tucson from ages six to 14. During these years, Denver attended Mansfeld Junior High School and was a member of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus for two years. He was content in Tucson, but his father was transferred to
Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
in
Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...
. The family later moved to Carswell Air Force Base in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
, where Denver graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Denver was distressed with life in Fort Worth, and in his junior year of high school he drove his father's car to California to visit family friends and begin his music career. His father flew to California in a friend's jet to retrieve him, and Denver reluctantly returned to Texas to complete his schooling.


Career


Early career

At age 11, Denver received an acoustic guitar from his grandmother. He learned to play well enough to perform at local clubs by the time he was in college. Denver decided to change his name when Randy Sparks, founder of
the New Christy Minstrels The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including "Green, Green (song), Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Tod ...
, suggested that "Deutschendorf" would not fit comfortably on a marquee. Denver attended
Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...
in Lubbock and sang in a folk-music group, "The Alpine Trio", while studying architecture. He was also a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Denver dropped out of Texas Tech in 1963 and moved to Los Angeles, where he sang in folk clubs. In 1965, Denver joined The Chad Mitchell Trio, replacing founder Chad Mitchell. After more personnel changes, the trio later became known as "Denver, Boise, and Johnson" (John Denver, David Boise, and Michael Johnson). In 1969, Denver abandoned band life to pursue a solo career and released his first album for
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
, '' Rhymes & Reasons''. Two years earlier, he had made a self-produced demo recording of some of the songs he played at his concerts. It included a song Denver had written called "Babe, I Hate to Go", later renamed "
Leaving on a Jet Plane "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings''. Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave t ...
". He made several copies and gave them out as Christmas presents. Milt Okun, who produced records for The Chad Mitchell Trio and folk group
Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...
, had become Denver's producer as well. Okun brought the unreleased "Jet Plane" song to Peter, Paul and Mary. Their rendition hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Denver's song also made it to No. 2 in the UK in February 1970, having also made No. 1 on the US Cash Box chart in December 1969. RCA did not actively promote ''Rhymes & Reasons'' with a series of live appearances, but Denver embarked on an impromptu supporting tour throughout the Midwest, stopping at towns and cities, offering to play free concerts at local venues. When he was successful in persuading a school, college, American Legion hall, or coffeehouse to let him perform, Denver distributed posters in the town and usually showed up at the local radio station, guitar in hand, offering himself for an interview. As the writer of "
Leaving on a Jet Plane "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings''. Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave t ...
", Denver was often successful in gaining some promotional airtime, usually performing one or two songs live. Some venues let him play for the 'door'; others restricted him to selling copies of the album at intermission and after the show. After several months of this, Denver had built a solid fan base, many of whom remained loyal throughout his career. Denver recorded two more albums in 1970, '' Take Me to Tomorrow'' and '' Whose Garden Was This'', including a mix of songs he had written and covers of other writers' compositions.


Career peak

Denver's next album, '' Poems, Prayers & Promises'' (1971), was a breakthrough for him in the United States, thanks in part to the single "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
", which went to No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' charts despite the first pressings of the track being distorted. Its success was due in part to the efforts of his new manager, future Hollywood producer
Jerry Weintraub Jerome Charles Weintraub (September 26, 1937 – July 6, 2015) was an American film producer, talent manager and actor whose television films won him three Emmys. He began his career as a talent agent, having managed known singer John Denver in ...
, who signed Denver in 1970. Weintraub insisted on a reissue of the track and began a radio airplay campaign that started in Denver, Colorado. Denver's career flourished thereafter, and he had a series of hits over the next four years. In 1972, Denver had his first Top Ten album with '' Rocky Mountain High'', with its title track reaching the Top Ten in 1973. In 1974 and 1975, Denver had a string of four No. 1 songs (" Sunshine on My Shoulders", " Annie's Song", " Thank God I'm a Country Boy", and " I'm Sorry") and three No. 1 albums ('' John Denver's Greatest Hits'', '' Back Home Again'', and '' Windsong''). In the 1970s, Denver's onstage appearance included long blond hair and wire-rimmed "granny" glasses. His embroidered shirts with images commonly associated with the American West were created by the designer and appliqué artist Anna Zapp. Weintraub insisted on a significant number of television appearances, including a series of half-hour shows in the United Kingdom, despite Denver's protests at the time, "I've had no success in Britain ... I mean ''none''". In December 1976, Weintraub told Maureen Orth of ''Newsweek'': "I knew the critics would never go for John. I had to get him to the people." After appearing as a guest on many shows, Denver hosted his own variety and music specials, including several concerts from
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...
. His seasonal special ''Rocky Mountain Christmas'' was watched by more than 60 million people and was the highest-rated show for the ABC network at that time. In 1973, Denver starred in his own
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television series, ''The John Denver Show'', a weekly music and variety show directed and produced by
Stanley Dorfman Stanley Dorfman (born 24 November 1927) is a South African-born British music television director, producer, and painter. He is known as the co-creator and original producer and director of the world's longest running music television series, '' ...
. Denver's live concert special ''An Evening with John Denver'' won the 1974–1975
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Special, Comedy-Variety or Music. When Denver ended his business relationship in 1982 because of Weintraub's focus on other projects, Weintraub threw Denver out of his office and accused him of
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
. Denver later told Arthur Tobier when the latter edited his autobiography, "I'd bend my principles to support something he wanted of me. And of course, every time you bend your principles — whether because you don't want to worry about it, or because you're afraid to stand up for fear of what you might lose — you sell your soul to the devil". Denver was also a guest star on ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
'', the beginning of the lifelong friendship between Denver and
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating ''Fraggle Rock'' ( ...
that spawned two television specials with
the Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...
, ''A Christmas Together'' and ''Rocky Mountain Holiday''. He also tried acting, appearing in "The Camerons are a Special Clan" episode of the '' Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law'' television series in October 1973 and "The Colorado Cattle Caper" episode of the '' McCloud'' television series in February 1974. In 1977, Denver starred in the hit comedy film '' Oh, God!'' opposite
George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His arched eyeb ...
. He also hosted the
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
five times in the 1970s and 1980s and guest-hosted ''The Tonight Show'' on several occasions. In 1975, Denver was awarded the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
's Entertainer of the Year award. At the ceremony, outgoing Entertainer of the Year
Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...
presented the award to his successor after he set fire to the slip of paper containing the official notification of the award. Some speculated Rich was protesting the selection of a non-traditional country artist for the award, but Rich's son disputes that, saying his father was drunk, taking pain medication for a broken foot and just trying to be funny. Denver's music was defended by country singer
Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reac ...
, who told Alanna Nash of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ::"A lot of people write him off as lightweight, but he articulated a kind of optimism, and he brought acoustic music to the forefront, bridging folk, pop, and country in a fresh way ... People forget how huge he was worldwide." In 1977, Denver co-founded The Hunger Project with
Werner Erhard Werner Hans Erhard (born John Paul Rosenberg; September 5, 1935) is an American lecturer known for founding est (offered from 1971 to 1984). In 1985, he replaced the est Training with a newly designed program, the Forum. Since 1991, the Forum ...
and
Robert W. Fuller Robert Works Fuller (born 1936) is an American citizen, American physicist, author, social reformer, and former president of Oberlin College. Biography Robert Fuller attended Oberlin College, leaving without graduating in order to earn his Ph.D. ...
. He served for many years and supported the organization until his death. President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
appointed Denver to serve on the President's Commission on World Hunger. Denver wrote the song "I Want to Live" as the commission's theme song. In 1979, Denver performed "Rhymes & Reasons" at the
Music for UNICEF Concert The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song was a benefit concert of popular music held in the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on January 9, 1979. It was intended to raise money for UNICEF world hunger programs and to mark the ...
. Royalties from the concert performances were donated to
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
. Denver's father taught him how to fly in the mid-1970s, which led to their reconciliation. In 1980, Denver and his father co-hosted an award-winning television special, ''The Higher We Fly: The History of Flight''. It won the Osborn Award from the Aviation/Space Writers' Association and was honored by the Houston Film Festival.


Political views and activism

In the mid-1970s, Denver became outspoken in politics. He expressed his ecological interests in the 1975 song " Calypso", an ode to the eponymous exploration ship used by
Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the ...
. In 1976, Denver campaigned for
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
, who became a close friend and ally. Denver was a supporter of the Democratic Party and of a number of charitable causes for the environmental movement, the homeless, the poor, the hungry, and the African AIDS crisis. He founded the charitable Windstar Foundation in 1976 to promote
sustainable living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint (including their carbo ...
. Denver's dismay at the
Chernobyl disaster On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...
led to precedent-setting concerts in parts of communist Asia and Europe. During the 1980s, Denver was critical of Ronald Reagan's administration and remained active in his campaign against hunger, for which Reagan awarded Denver the Presidential World Without Hunger Award in 1987. Denver's criticism of the conservative politics of the 1980s was expressed in his autobiographical folk-rock ballad "Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)". In an open letter to the media, Denver wrote that he opposed oil drilling in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR, pronounced as “''ANN-warr''”) or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Inupiaq, Iñupiaq and Gwichʼin, Gwich'in lands. The refuge is of ...
. He had battled to expand the refuge in the 1980s, and he praised President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
for his opposition to the proposed drilling. The letter, which Denver wrote in the midst of the
1996 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic Party (United States), Democratic President Bill Clinton and his running mate, incumbent Democratic Vice Presi ...
, was one of the last he ever wrote. In 1992, Denver and fellow singers
Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...
and John Oates performed a benefit to fight the passage of Colorado Amendment 2, an anti-gay ballot measure that prevented Colorado municipalities from enacting anti-discrimination protections. Denver was also on the National Space Society's board of governors for many years.


Later years and humanitarian efforts

Denver had a few more US Top 30 hits as the 1970s ended, but nothing to match his earlier success. Denver began to focus more on humanitarian and
sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
causes, focusing extensively on
nature conservation Nature conservation is the ethic/moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values ...
projects. He made public expression of his acquaintances and friendships with ecological design researchers such as
Richard Buckminster Fuller Richard Buckminster Fuller (; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist. He styled his name as R. Buckminster Fuller in his writings, publishing more th ...
(about whom he wrote and composed "What One Man Can Do") and Amory Lovins, from whom he said he learned much. Denver also founded the environmental group Plant-It 2020 (originally Plant-It 2000). He also had a keen interest in solutions to world hunger and visited Africa during the 1980s to witness firsthand the suffering caused by starvation, and Denver worked with African leaders toward solutions. From 1973 to at least 1979, Denver annually performed at the fundraising picnic for the Aspen Camp School for the Deaf, raising half of the camp's annual operating budget. During the Aspen Valley Hospital's $1.7 million capital campaign in 1979, Denver was the largest single donor. In 1983 and 1984, Denver hosted the annual Grammy Awards, which he had previously done in 1977, 1978, and 1979. In the 1983 finale, he was joined on stage by folk music legend
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
, with whom Denver led an all-star version of " Blowin' in the Wind" and " Let the Sunshine In", joined by such diverse musical icons as
Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...
,
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
, and
Rick James James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in his tee ...
. In 1984,
ABC Sports ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial America ...
president
Roone Arledge Roone Pinckney Arledge Jr. (July 8, 1931 – December 5, 2002) was an American sports and news broadcasting executive who was president of ABC Sports from 1968 until 1986 and ABC News from 1977 until 1998, and a key part of the company's rise ...
asked Denver to compose and sing the theme song for the
1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) and commonly known as Sarajevo '84 (Serbian Cy ...
in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
. Denver worked as both a performer and a skiing commentator, as skiing was another of his enthusiasms. Denver composed "The Gold and Beyond" and sang it for the Olympic Games athletes, as well as at local venues including many schools. In 1985, Denver asked to participate in the singing of "
We Are the World "We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album '' We Are the World''. With sales in excess of 20 milli ...
" but was rejected despite his genuine commitment to charity work and his musical talent. According to
Ken Kragen Kenneth Allan Kragen (November 24, 1936 – December 14, 2021) was an American music manager, television producer, author, speaker and non-profit consultant, best known for his role in organizing the 1985 benefit record "We Are the World" and th ...
(who helped produce the song), Denver was snubbed because many people felt his image would hurt the credibility of the song as a pop-rock anthem. "I didn't agree with this assessment," Kragen said, but he reluctantly turned Denver down anyway. Denver later wrote in his 1994 autobiography "Take Me Home" about the rejection, "It broke my heart not to be included." For Earth Day 1990, Denver was the on-camera narrator of a well-received environmental television program ''In Partnership With Earth'' with then- EPA Administrator William K. Reilly. Due to his love of flying, Denver was attracted to
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
and became dedicated to the United States' work in outer space. He conscientiously worked to help bring into being the "Citizens in Space" program. In 1985, Denver received the
NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal NASA's Exceptional Public Service Medal is a United States government award awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed for sustained performa ...
for "helping to increase awareness of space exploration by the peoples of the world", an award usually restricted to spaceflight engineers and designers. That same year, he passed NASA's rigorous physical exam and was in line for a space flight, a finalist for the first citizen's trip on the
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
in 1986. After the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster with teacher Christa McAuliffe aboard, Denver dedicated his song "Flying for Me" to all astronauts and continued to support NASA. He entered discussions with the Soviet space program about purchasing a flight aboard one of their rockets. The talks fell through after the price tag was rumored to be as high as $20 million. Denver testified before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on the topic of censorship during a
Parents Music Resource Center The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 with the stated goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to have violent, drug-related, or sexual themes via labeling albums ...
hearing in 1985. Contrary to his innocuous public image as a musician, Denver openly stood with more controversial witnesses like Dee Snider of the heavy metal band
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song ...
and
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
in opposing the PMRC's objectives. Denver also toured Russia in 1985. His eleven concerts in the USSR were the first by any American artist in more than 10 years. Denver returned two years later to perform at a benefit concert for the victims of the
Chernobyl disaster On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...
. In October 1992, Denver undertook a multiple-city tour of the People's Republic of China. He also released a greatest-hits CD, ''Homegrown'', to raise money for homeless charities. In 1994, he published his autobiography, ''Take Me Home'', in which he candidly spoke of his
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
,
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
, and
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
use, marital infidelities, and history of domestic violence.Denver, John, ''Take Me Home: An Autobiography'', Crown Archetype Press, (1994) In 1996, he was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
. In 1997, Denver filmed an episode for the television series ''
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
'', centering on the natural wonders that inspired many of his best-loved songs. His last song, "Yellowstone, Coming Home", composed while rafting along the
Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
with his son and young daughter, is included. In the summer of 1997 shortly before his death, Denver recorded a children's train album for Sony Pictures Kids Zone, '' All Aboard!'', produced by longtime friend Roger Nichols. The album consisted of old-fashioned swing,
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
, folk, bluegrass, and
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
music woven into a theme of railroad songs. It won a posthumous Best Musical Album for Children Grammy, Denver's only Grammy. His final concert was held in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the Selena Auditorium on October 5.


Personal life

Denver's first marriage, in 1967, was to Annie Martell of St. Peter, Minnesota. She was the subject of his song " Annie's Song", which he composed in 10 minutes as he sat on a Colorado
ski lift A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a Lift ticket, paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...
. They lived in
Edina, Minnesota Edina ( , ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous ci ...
, from 1968 to 1971. After the success of " Rocky Mountain High", inspired by a camping trip with Annie and some friends, Denver bought a residence in
Aspen, Colorado Aspen is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population ...
. He lived in Aspen until his death. The Denvers adopted a boy, Zachary John, and a girl, Anna Kate, who Denver said were "meant to be" theirs. Denver once said, "I'll tell you the best thing about me. I'm some guy's dad; I'm some little gal's dad. When I die, Zachary John and Anna Kate's father, boy, that's enough for me to be remembered by. That's more than enough." Zachary was the subject of "A Baby Just Like You", a song that included the line "Merry Christmas, little Zachary" which he wrote for
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
. Denver and Martell divorced in 1982. In a 1983 interview shown in the documentary ''John Denver: Country Boy'' (2013), Denver said that career demands drove them apart. Martell said they were too young and immature to deal with Denver's sudden success. To drive home the point that their assets were being split in the divorce, he cut their marital bed in half with a
chainsaw A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
. Denver married Australian actress Cassandra Delaney in 1988 after a two-year courtship. Settling at Denver's home in Aspen, the couple had a daughter, Jesse Belle. Denver and Delaney separated in 1991 and divorced in 1993. Of his second marriage, Denver said that "before our short-lived marriage ended in divorce, she managed to make a fool of me from one end of the valley to the other".


Driving under the influence charges

In 1993, Denver pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge and was placed on probation. In August 1994 while still on probation, he was again charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence after crashing his
Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...
into a tree in Aspen. In October 1995, following Denver's drunk-driving conviction, the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) directed Denver to abstain from alcohol if he wished to continue flying airplanes."Close-up: The John Denver Crash"
, AVWeb. Retrieved February 16, 2012
National Transportation Safety Board, "NTSB Public Meeting of January 26, 1999: Aircraft Accident involving John Denver in Flight Collision with Terrain/Water October 12, 1997, Pacific Ocean near Pacific Grove, CA, LAX-98-FA008", Washington, D.C., January 26, 1999 In 1996, the (FAA) determined that Denver was medically disqualified from operating an aircraft due to his failure to abstain from
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
. Although a July 1997 trial resulted in a
hung jury A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. A hung jury may result in the case being tried again. Thi ...
on the second DUI charge, prosecutors later decided to reopen the case, which was closed only after Denver died in October 1997.


Other interests

Beyond music, Denver's artistic interests included painting, but because of his limiting schedule, Denver pursued photography, saying once, "photography is a way to communicate a feeling." An exhibition of over 40 never-before-seen photographs taken by Denver debuted at the Leon Gallery in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, Colorado, in 2014. Denver was also an avid skier and golfer, but his principal interest was in flying. Denver's love of flying was second only to his love of music. In 1974, Denver bought a Learjet to fly himself to concerts. He was a collector of vintage biplanes and owned a Christen Eagle aerobatic plane, two Cessna 210 Centurion airplanes, and a 1997 amateur-built Rutan Long-EZ. On April 21, 1989, Denver was in a plane accident while taxiing down the runway at Holbrook Municipal Airport in his vintage 1931 biplane. Denver had stopped to refuel on a flight from Carefree, Arizona, to
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...
. Reports stated wind gusts caught the plane, causing it to spin around and sustain extensive damage. Denver was not harmed in the incident.


Death

Denver died on the afternoon of October 12, 1997, when his light
homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
, a Rutan Long-EZ with registration number N555JD, crashed into
Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...
near Pacific Grove, California, while making a series of
touch-and-go landing In aviation, a touch-and-go landing (TGL) or circuit and bump is a maneuver that is common when learning to fly a fixed-wing aircraft. It involves landing on a runway and takeoff, taking off again without coming to a full stop. Usually the pilot ...
s at the nearby Monterey Peninsula Airport. He was the plane's only occupant. The official cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma resulting from the crash. Denver was a pilot with more than 2,700 hours of experience. He had pilot ratings for single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, glider and instrument. Denver also held a
type rating A type rating is an authorization entered on or associated with a pilot license and forming part thereof, stating the pilot's privileges or limitations pertaining to certain aircraft type. Such qualification requires additional training beyond ...
in his Learjet. He had recently purchased the Long-EZ aircraft, made by someone else from a kit, and had taken a half-hour checkout flight with the aircraft the day before the crash. Denver was not legally permitted to fly at the time of the crash because of his previous arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol. In 1996, nearly a year before the crash, the FAA learned that Denver had failed to maintain sobriety by not refraining entirely from
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
and revoked his medical certification. However, it was determined that the crash was not caused or influenced by alcohol use; an autopsy found no signs of alcohol or other drugs in Denver's body. The post-crash investigation by the
National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inci ...
(NTSB) showed that the leading cause of the crash was Denver's inability to switch fuel tanks during flight. The quantity of fuel had been depleted during the plane's flight to Monterey and in several brief practice takeoffs and landings Denver performed at the airport immediately before the final flight. His newly purchased amateur-built Rutan aircraft had an unusual fuel tank selector valve handle configuration. The handle had originally been intended by the plane's designer to be between the pilot's legs. The builder instead put it behind the pilot's left shoulder. The fuel gauge was also placed behind the pilot's seat and was not visible to the person at the controls. An NTSB interview with the aircraft mechanic servicing Denver's plane revealed that he and Denver had discussed the inaccessibility of the cockpit fuel selector valve handle and its resistance to being turned. Before the flight, Denver and the mechanic had attempted to extend the reach of the handle using a pair of Vise-Grip pliers, but this did not solve the problem, and the pilot still could not reach the handle while strapped into his seat. NTSB officials' post-crash investigation showed that because of the fuel selector valve's positioning, switching fuel tanks required the pilot to turn his body 90 degrees to reach the valve. This created a natural tendency to extend one's right foot against the right rudder pedal to support oneself while turning in the seat, which caused the aircraft to yaw nose right and pitch up. The mechanic said that he told Denver that the fuel sight gauges were visible only to the rear cockpit occupant. Denver had asked how much fuel was shown. The mechanic responded that there was "less than half in the right tank and less than a quarter in the left tank". He then provided Denver with an inspection mirror so as the pilot he could look over his shoulder at the fuel gauges. The mirror was later recovered from the wreckage. Denver said that he would use the autopilot in flight to hold the airplane level while he turned the fuel selector valve. Denver had turned down an offer to refuel the aircraft, saying that he would only be flying for about an hour. The NTSB interviewed 20 witnesses about Denver's last flight. Six of them had seen the plane crash into the bay near Point Pinos. Four said the aircraft was originally heading west. Five said that they saw the plane in a steep bank, with four saying that the bank was to the right (north). Twelve described seeing the aircraft in a steep nose-down descent. Witnesses estimated the plane's altitude between when heading toward the shoreline. Eight said they heard a "pop" or "backfire" accompanied by a reduction in the engine noise level just before the plane crashed into the sea. In addition to Denver's failing to refuel and his subsequent loss of control while attempting to switch fuel tanks, the NTSB determined other key factors that led to the crash. Foremost among these was his inadequate transition training on this type of aircraft and the builder's decision to put the fuel selector handle in a hard-to-reach place. The board issued recommendations on the requirement and enforcement of mandatory training standards for pilots operating home-built aircraft. It also emphasized the importance of mandatory ease of access to all controls, including fuel selectors and fuel gauges, in all aircraft.


Legacy

Upon the announcement of Denver's death, Colorado Governor
Roy Romer Roy Rudolf Romer (born October 31, 1928) is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Colorado from 1987 to 1999, and subsequently as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2000 to 2006. Romer was a ...
ordered all state flags to be lowered to
half-staff Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a sal ...
in his honor. Funeral services were held at Faith Presbyterian Church in
Aurora, Colorado Aurora (, ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, Arapahoe, Adams County, Colorado, Adams, and Douglas County, Colorado, Douglas List of counties in Colorado, counti ...
, on October 17, 1997, officiated by Pastor Les Felker, a retired Air Force chaplain, after which Denver's remains were cremated and his ashes scattered in the Rocky Mountains. Further tributes were made at the following Grammy and
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
Awards. In 1998, Denver posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Folk Music Association, which also established a new award in his honor. In 2000, CBS presented the television film ''Take Me Home: The John Denver Story'' loosely based on his memoirs, starring Chad Lowe as Denver. The ''New York Post'' wrote, "An overachiever like John Denver couldn't have been this boring". That same year on April 22,
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a wild bird sanctuary in Albany Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, Albany Township and East Brunswick Township, Pennsylvania, East Brunswick Township, located along the Appalachian flyway in eastern Pennsylvania. T ...
in Kempton, Pennsylvania dedicated a bench that was funded by donations as a tribute to his memory for that year's Earth Day. The bench sits on the South Lookout of the sanctuary. On September 23, 2007, nearly 10 years after Denver's death, his brother Ron witnessed the dedication of a plaque placed near the crash site in Pacific Grove, California. Copies of DVDs of Denver's many television appearances are now sought-after collectibles, especially his one-hour specials from the 1970s and his six-part series for Britain's BBC, ''The John Denver Show''. An anthology musical featuring Denver's music, ''Back Home Again: A John Denver Holiday'', premiered at the Rubicon Theatre Company in 2006. On March 12, 2007, the Colorado Senate passed a resolution to make Denver's trademark 1972 hit " Rocky Mountain High" one of the state's two official state songs, sharing the honor with its predecessor, " Where the Columbines Grow". The resolution passed 50–11 in the House, defeating an objection by Representative Debbie Stafford that the song reflected drug use, most specifically in the line "friends around the campfire and everybody's high". Senator Bob Hagedorn, who sponsored the proposal, defended the song as having nothing to do with drugs but rather everything to do with sharing with friends the euphoria of experiencing the beauty of Colorado's mountain vistas. Senator Nancy Todd said, "John Denver to me is an icon of what Colorado is". On September 24, 2007, the California Friends of John Denver and The Windstar Foundation unveiled a bronze plaque near the spot where his plane went down. The site had been marked by a driftwood log carved by Jeffrey Pine with Denver's name, but fears that the memorial could be washed out to sea sparked the campaign for a more permanent memorial. Initially, the Pacific Grove Council denied permission for the memorial, fearing the place would attract ghoulish curiosity from extreme fans. Permission was finally granted in 1999, but the project was put on hold at the request of Denver's family. Eventually, over 100 friends and family attended the dedication of the plaque, which features a
bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
of the singer's face and lines from his song "Windsong": "So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers. Follow her summons when she calls again." To mark the 10th anniversary of his death, Denver's family released a set of previously unreleased recordings of his 1985 concert performances in the Soviet Union. This two-CD set, ''John Denver – Live in the USSR'', was produced by Roger Nichols and released by AAO Music. These digital recordings were made during eleven concerts and then rediscovered in 2002. Included in this set is a previously unreleased rendition of " Annie's Song" in Russian. The collection was released to the general public on November 6, 2007. On October 13, 2009, a DVD box set of previously unreleased concert recordings from Denver's career was released by Eagle Rock Entertainment. ''Around the World Live'' is a 5-disc DVD set featuring three complete live performances with a full band from Australia in 1977, Japan in 1981, and England in 1986. These are complemented by a solo acoustic performance from Japan in 1984 and performances at Farm Aid from 1985, 1987, and 1990. The final disc has two-hour-long documentaries made by Denver. On April 21, 2011, Denver became the first inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. A benefit concert was held at Broomfield's 1stBank Center and hosted by Olivia Newton-John. Other performers participating in the event included the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lee Ann Womack, and John Oates. Both his ex-wives attended, and the award was presented to his three children. The Spirit (sculpture), John Denver ''Spirit'' sculpture is a 2002 bronze sculpture statue by artist Sue DiCicco that was financed by Denver's fans. It is at the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. On March 7, 2014, the West Virginia Legislature approved a resolution to make "Take Me Home, Country Roads" the official state song. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed the resolution into law on March 8. Denver is only the second person, along with Stephen Foster, to have written List of U.S. state songs, two state songs. On October 24, 2014, Denver was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California.


Related artists

Denver began his recording career with The Mitchell Trio (the name "Chad" being legally dropped from the group's name upon the departure of its namesake founder); his distinctive voice can be heard where he sings solo on "Violets of Dawn", among other songs. He recorded three albums with the Trio, replacing Chad Mitchell as high tenor. Denver also wrote a number of songs that were covered by the group, such as his hits "For Bobbi", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", as well as "Deal with The Ladies" (later recorded on his 1988 album, ''Higher Ground (John Denver album), Higher Ground'') and "Stay With Me". The group Denver, Boise, and Johnson, which had evolved from The Chad Mitchell Trio, released a single before he moved on to a solo career. The Trio also performed at college campuses across the United States. Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, billed as Fat City and credited as co-writers of Denver's song "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
", were close friends of Denver and his family, appearing as singers and songwriters on many of Denver's albums until they formed the Starland Vocal Band in 1976. The band's albums were released on Denver's Windsong Records label, later known as Windstar Records. Denver's solo recording contract resulted in part from the recording by Peter, Paul, and Mary of his song "
Leaving on a Jet Plane "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings''. Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave t ...
", which became the sole number-one hit single for the group. Denver recorded songs by Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, John Prine, David Mallett, and many others in the folk scene. His record company, Windstar, is still an active record label today. Country singer John Berry (country singer), John Berry considers Denver the greatest influence on his own music and has recorded Denver's hit "Annie's Song" with the original arrangement. Olivia Newton-John, an Australian singer whose across-the-board appeal to pop, Middle of the road (music), middle-of-the-road, and country audiences in the mid-1970s was similar to Denver's, lent her distinctive backup vocals to Denver's 1975 single "Fly Away"; she performed the song with Denver on his 1975 ''Rocky Mountain Christmas'' special. She also covered his "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
", and had a hit in the United Kingdom (#15 in 1973) and Japan (#6 in a belated 1976 release) with it. In 1976, Denver and Newton-John appeared as guest stars on ''The Carpenters' First Television Special'', a one-hour special broadcast on the ABC Television (Australian TV network), ABC Television network.


Awards and recognition

American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music *Academy of Country Music, 1975 Album of the Year for '' Back Home Again'' American Music Awards *American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, 1975 Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist *American Music Award for Favorite Country Album, 1976 Favorite Country Album for '' Back Home Again'' *American Music Award for Favorite Country Male Artist, 1976 Favorite Country Male Artist
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
*Country Music Association Awards, 1975 Entertainer of the Year *Country Music Association Awards, 1975 Song of the Year for "Back Home Again (song), Back Home Again" Emmy Awards *Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), 1975 Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special for ''An Evening with John Denver''
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
*Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children, 1997 Best Musical Album For Children for '' All Aboard!'' *Grammy Hall of Fame, 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award for "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
"
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
*Songwriters Hall of Fame#1996, Inducted in 1996


Other recognition

* Poet laureate of Colorado, 1977 * People's Choice Awards, 1977 * Ten Outstanding Young Americans, 1979 * Freedoms Foundation Award, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1980 * Carl Sandburg's People's Poet Award, 1982 *
NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal NASA's Exceptional Public Service Medal is a United States government award awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed for sustained performa ...
, 1985 * Albert Schweitzer Music Award, 1993


Discography

Studio albums * ''John Denver Sings'' (1966) * '' Rhymes & Reasons'' (1969) * '' Take Me to Tomorrow'' (1970) * '' Whose Garden Was This'' (1970) * '' Poems, Prayers & Promises'' (1971) * ''Aerie (album), Aerie'' (1971) * '' Rocky Mountain High'' (1972) * ''Farewell Andromeda'' (1973) * '' Back Home Again'' (1974) * '' Windsong'' (1975) * ''Rocky Mountain Christmas'' (1975) * ''Spirit (John Denver album), Spirit'' (1976) * ''I Want to Live (album), I Want to Live'' (1977) * ''John Denver (album), John Denver'' (1979) * ''Autograph (album), Autograph'' (1980) * ''Some Days Are Diamonds (album), Some Days Are Diamonds'' (1981) * ''Seasons of the Heart (album), Seasons of the Heart'' (1982) * ''It's About Time (John Denver album), It's About Time'' (1983) * ''Dreamland Express'' (1985) * ''One World (John Denver album), One World'' (1986) * ''Higher Ground (John Denver album), Higher Ground'' (1988) * ''Earth Songs'' (1990) * ''The Flower That Shattered the Stone'' (1990) * ''Different Directions (John Denver album), Different Directions'' (1991) * ''Love Again (John Denver album), Love Again'' (1996) * '' All Aboard!'' (1997)


Filmography

Acting credits * ''Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law: The Camerons Are A Special Clan'' (1973, as Clark) *
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...
as special guest *''McCloud (TV series), McCloud: The Colorado Cattle Caper'' (1974, as Deputy Dewey Cobb) * '' Oh, God!'' (1977, as Jerry Landers) * ''Fire and Ice (1986 film), Fire and Ice'' (1986, as Narrator) * ''Disney anthology television series#The Disney Sunday Movie (1986–1988), The Disney Sunday Movie: The Leftovers'' (1986, as Max Sinclair) * ''The Christmas Gift'' (1986, as George Billings) * ''Foxfire (1987 film), Foxfire'' (1987, as Dillard Nations) * ''Higher Ground'' (1988, as Jim Clayton) * ''Walking Thunder'' (1997, as John McKay)


Alaska, the American Child

Alaska, the American Child is a documentary by John Denver. The filmed was funded heavily by John Denver but received some assistance from ABC News (United States), ABC. The film was designed to gather support in Congress for H-39, which would have classified 95 million acres of federal-owned land in Alaska as parks and wildlife refuges. In the documentary, he travels through the State, showcasing its natural beauty, and the people who call Alaska home including Alaska Natives and Bush flying, bush pilots. He starts the documentary off, and ends it, with the song American Child. Two other songs of his are included in the documentary.


Selected writings

*''The Children and the Flowers'' (1979) *''Alfie the Christmas Tree'' (1990) *''Take Me Home: An Autobiography'' (1994) *''Poems, Prayers and Promises: The Art and Soul of John Denver'' (2004)


See also


References


Notes


Sources

*Chet Flippo, Flippo, Chet (1998) "John Denver", ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music,'' Paul Kingsbury, editor, New York: Oxford University Press. p. 143. *Martin, James M. (1977) ''John Denver: Rocky Mountain Wonderboy'', Pinnacle Books. (out of print) Biography of Denver with insight into Denver's impact of the 1970s music industry. *Maureen Orth, Orth, Maureen, "Voice of America", ''Newsweek,'' December 1976. Includes information on the role of Weintraub in shaping Denver's career, which has since been edited out of later versions of his biography.


External links

* * * * *
John Denver's childhood home in Tucson Arizona website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denver, John John Denver, 1943 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American poets 20th-century American singer-songwriters Accidental deaths in California American acoustic guitarists American autobiographers American ballad musicians American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American environmentalists American folk guitarists American folk singers American folk-pop singers American glider pilots American male film actors American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American male television actors American people of German descent Articles containing video clips Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Colorado culture Colorado Democrats Country musicians from Colorado Grammy Award winners Guitarists from New Mexico Mercury Records artists Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents New Mexico Democrats People from Aspen, Colorado People from Roswell, New Mexico People named in the Paradise Papers Poets laureate of Colorado RCA Records artists Singer-songwriters from Colorado Singers from Denver Singers from New Mexico Songwriters from New Mexico Texas Tech University alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1997