John Denver

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Denver

John Denver in the 1990's
Origin Aspen, Colorado, USA
Years active 1964 to 1997
Genre(s) Folk, Folk-Rock, Pop, Country

John Denver (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., was an American folk singer/songwriter and folk-rock musician who was one of the biggest selling artists of the 1970s. In his lifetime, he recorded and released nearly 294 songs, about 142 of which he had written.

Denver's songs were suffused with a deep and abiding kinship with the natural world. Songs such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Leaving On A Jet Plane," "Thank God I'm A Country Boy," and "Rocky Mountain High" are popular all over the world. His songs are characterised by sweet melodies, elegant guitar-strumming, and his soulful rendition of the lyrics.

Contents


Early years

Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico. His father, Henry Deutschendorf, Sr., was an Air Force officer and flight instructor, and his family moved around the American Southwest and South a lot while Denver was growing up. Denver was a life long Christian, raised Presbyterian, but often said he shared many beliefs with Zen Buddhists. In his memoirs/autobiography, Denver cited that as a child he had some troubles at home, most notably with his father.

As a teenager, he received a 1910 Gibson acoustic guitar from his grandmother, and polished his skills enough to be able to perform at local clubs by the time he was in college. Adopting the surname "Denver" after his favorite city, he dropped out of Texas Tech University in 1964, and moved to Los Angeles, California to join the Chad Mitchell Trio, a folk group.

He left the group, which was by then known as Denver, Boise and Johnson, in 1969 to pursue a solo career, and released his first LP, Rhymes and Reasons. It wasn't a hit, but it contained Leaving, On A Jet Plane, which became a number one hit for Peter, Paul and Mary two years later. He recorded two more albums in 1970, Whose Garden Was This? and Take Me to Tomorrow.


Peak of career


John Denver featured on cover of Rolling Stone (May 8, 1975).
John Denver featured on cover of Rolling Stone (May 8, 1975).




Denver's next album, Poems, Prayers and Promises, released the following year, was a breakthrough for him in America, thanks in part to the single, "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which went to number two. His career flourished from then on, and the hits came pouring in for the next four years. In 1972, Denver scored his first top ten album, with Rocky Mountain High, while its title track reached the Top Ten in 1973. In 1974, "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and "Annie's Song" both went to number one, and "Back Home Again" made it to number five. In 1975, he again had two number ones, "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Calypso/I'm Sorry," and a top twenty hit, "Sweet Surrender."

Denver hosted numerous television specials and appeared on the Muppet Show. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship between the singer and Jim Henson which spawned two television specials Denver made with The Muppets. He even tried his hand at acting starring in the 1977 film, Oh, God! opposite George Burns.

In 1975, he was recognized as the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year. By this time, many people considered him the most popular artist of the 1970s, and a legend in the making.

In 1977, he co-founded The Hunger Project, on whose board he served for many years, and which he supported until his death. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the President's Commission on World Hunger.

In 1979, he performed "Rhymes & Reasons" at the Music for UNICEF Concert, which gained him exposure to worldwide audiences; he donated the royalties from the song to UNICEF.

Later years and humanitarian work

In subsequent years, Denver had a lower-profile career. He had a few more U.S. Top 30 hits as the 1970s ended and 1980s began, but nothing to match the success he enjoyed earlier.

As his popularity waned, Denver focused more on his humanitarian and sustainability work. He worked extensively on conservation projects and helped to create the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Denver made public expression of his acquaintance or friendship with ecological-design researchers like Richard Buckminster Fuller and Amory Lovins, from whom he said he learned much. He also founded his own environmental group called the Windstar Foundation. Denver had a keen interest in the causes of and solution to hunger, and visited Africa during the 1980s to witness first-hand the suffering caused by starvation and also to work with African leaders towards a solution.

Denver testified alongside Frank Zappa and Dee Snider on the topic of censorship during a Parents Music Resource Center hearing in 1985. His appearance and music sharply contrasted those of his musical counterparts and his testimony was arguably the strongest to influence Congress. Denver also toured Russia in 1985 and returned two years later to perform at a benefit concert for the victims of the Chernobyl accident. In October 1992, he undertook a multiple city tour of China. Denver also released the "Homegrown" CD of his greatest hits to raise money for charities helping the homeless.

In 1994, he published his autobiography, Take Me Home. In 1996, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his "legend" status was ensured.

In early 1997, Denver filmed an episode for the Nature series, centering on the natural wonders that inspired many of his best-loved songs. The episode contains his last song, "Yellowstone, Coming Home," which he composed while rafting along the Colorado River with his son and young daughter.

When his career as a musical icon slowed down and his humanitarian work picked up its pace, John Denver had a few incidents involving driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released on both counts, as it was cited that Denver had a blood metabolism problem which caused tests to indicate that he had alcohol in his blood when he actually did not.

The Lyrics to Colorado's unofficial anthem, "Rocky Mountain High" in Rio Grande Park in Aspen, Colorado. In Denver's hometown, the resort city of Aspen, he became a promoter of its free-spirited culture.
The Lyrics to Colorado's unofficial anthem, "Rocky Mountain High" in Rio Grande Park in Aspen, Colorado. In Denver's hometown, the resort city of Aspen, he became a promoter of its free-spirited culture.



Death

On October 12, 1997 Denver died when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting ran out of fuel just off the coast at Pacific Grove, CA. Denver apparently lost control of the aircraft while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. Denver had recently purchased the aircraft and had about a half-hour orientation flight the day before the accident. The NTSB cited Denver's unfamiliarity with the aircraft and his failure to have the aircraft refueled as causal factors in the accident. Denver was the sole occupant of the aircraft. Denver's short but legendary life was honored at the following Grammys and Country Music Association Awards. His music remains popular with all ages to this day, and more previously unreleased and un-noticed recordings are now being seen as sought after gems of both the Folk and Country genres, bringing long awaited unity to Denver's fans.


Related artists

Denver started his recording career with the Chad Mitchell Trio; his distinctive voice can be heard where he sings solo on Violets of Dawn. He recorded three albums with the Mitchell Trio, replacing Chad Mitchell himself as lead singer. His group Denver, Boise and Johnson released a single before he moved on to a solo career.

Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, co-writers of Denver's most familiar song, Take Me Home, Country Roads, were close friends of him and his family. The pair appeared 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 Windstar label.

Denver's early solo success was largely due to a recording of his Leaving on a Jet Plane which was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. It became a number 1 hit for the group.

Denver recorded songs by Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, John Prine, David Mallet, and many others in the folk scene.

Discography

In chronological order, 1969-1991 (U.S. Releases)



RCA Records

John Denver's 1974 album "Back Home again" went platinum, and is considered one of the singer's best.

John Denver's 1974 album "Back Home again" went platinum, and is considered one of the singer's best.

Windstar Records


Singles



See also


References and footnotes

John Denver Christmas specials were immortilized on an episode of the Simpsons called "Treehouse of Horror V". CM Burns is walking through his haunted mansion, talking about the history of the house to the Simpson family and references "..was the setting for 5 John Denver Christmas Specials". To which Homer responds with a shudder

  1. ^ a b c d e f Albums widely considered to be among Denver's most important works.
  2. ^ The first "Greatest Hits" album is important historically because it contains new, revisionist recordings of several hit songs. After its release these versions were used for airplay despite differing in subtle but important ways from the original versions; generally, they are more polished.