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John Denver

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John Denver

John Denver

Background information

Birth name

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.

Born

December 31, 1943
Roswell, New Mexico

Died

October 12, 1997 (aged 53)
(53 years, 285 days)
Pacific Grove, California

Genres

Country, folk, pop

Occupations

Singer-songwriter, Instrumentalist, Record producer, Composer, Activist, Actor

Instruments

Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, violin

Years active

1962–1997

Labels

Mercury, RCA, BMG, Windstar, Sony Wonder

Associated acts

The John Denver Band, The Back Porch Majority, The New Christy Minstrels, Chad Mitchell Trio, The Muppets, Olivia Newton-John, Plácido Domingo, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Tina Turner, Glen Campbell

Website
http://www.johndenver.com/

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success was as a solo singer. Throughout his life Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed. He performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature, his enthusiasm for music, and relationship trials. Denver's music appeared on a variety of charts including country & western, the Billboard Hot 100, and adult contemporary, in all earning him 12 gold and 4 platinum albums with his signature songs "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Rocky Mountain High", "Annie's Song" and "Calypso".

Denver further starred in films and several notable television specials in the 1970s and 1980s. In the following decades he continued to record, but also focused on calling attention to environmental issues, lent his vocal support to space exploration, and testified in front of Congress to protest censorship in music. He is known for his love of the state of Colorado, which he sang about numerous times. He lived in Aspen, Colorado for much of his life, and influenced the governor to name him Poet Laureate of the state in 1974. The Colorado state legislature also adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its state songs in 2007. He was an avid pilot, and died while flying his personal aircraft at the age of 53. Denver was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s.[1]

Contents
[hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Early years
1.2 Solo career
1.3 Career peak 1.3.1 Political activism

1.4 Later years and humanitarian work
1.5 Personal life
1.6 Death

2 Posthumous recognition
3 Related artists
4 Awards and recognition 4.1 Other recognition

5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 Selected writings
8 References
9 Sources
10 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., was born in Roswell, New Mexico, to Erma Louise Swope and Lt. Col. Henry John Deutschendorf, Sr.,[2] an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (who set three speed records in the B-58 Hustler bomber and earned a place in the Air Force Hall of Fame). Henry Sr. was of German ancestry, and met and married his "Oklahoma Sweetheart".[3] Denver's Irish Catholic and German maternal grandmother was the one who imbued Denver with his love of music. In his autobiography, Take Me Home, Denver described his life as the eldest son of a family shaped by a stern father who could not show his love for his children.

Because Denver's father was in the military, the family moved often, making it difficult for young John to make friends and fit in with people of his own age. Constantly being the new kid was agony for the introverted child, and he grew up always feeling as if he should be somewhere else, but never knowing where that "right" place was.[4] While living in Tucson, Arizona, Denver was a member of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus for two years. Denver was happy living in Tucson, but his father was transferred to Montgomery, Alabama, then in the midst of the Montgomery boycotts. The family later moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where Denver graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Attending high school in Fort Worth was a distressing experience for the disenfranchised Denver. In his third year of high school, he borrowed his father's car and ran away to California to visit family friends and begin his music career. His father flew to California to bring him back, and Denver unhappily returned to finish high school.[5]

At the age of 11, Denver received an acoustic guitar from his grandmother.[6] He learned to play well enough to perform at local clubs by the time he was in college. He adopted the surname "Denver" after the capital of his favorite state, Colorado. He decided to change his name when Randy Sparks, founder of The New Christy Minstrels, suggested that "Deutschendorf" wouldn't fit comfortably on a marquee.[7] Denver attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock and sang in a folk-music group called "The Alpine Trio" while pursuing architecture studies.[8] He was also a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Denver dropped out of the Texas Tech School of Engineering in 1963,[6] and moved to Los Angeles, California, where he sang in the smoky underground folk clubs. In 1965, Denver joined the Chad Mitchell Trio, a folk group that had been renamed "The Mitchell Trio" prior to Chad Mitchell's departure and before Denver's arrival, and then "Denver, Boise, and Johnson" (John Denver, David Boise, and Michael Johnson).[6]

[edit] Solo career

In 1969, John Denver abandoned the band life to pursue a solo career and released his first album for RCA Records: Rhymes & Reasons. Two years prior Denver had made a self-produced demo recording of some of the songs he played at his concerts. He included in the demo a song called "Babe I Hate to Go," later renamed "Leaving on A Jet Plane." Denver made several copies and gave them out as presents for Christmas.[9] Mitchell Trio manager Milt Okun brought the unreleased "Jet Plane" song to the high-profile folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. Their version of the song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[10]

Although RCA did not actively promote Rhymes & Reasons with a tour, Denver himself embarked on an impromptu supporting tour throughout the Midwest, stopping at towns and cities as the fashion took him, offering to play free concerts at local venues. When he was successful in convincing a school, college, American Legion Hall, or local coffee-house to let him play, he would spend a day or so postering the town and could usually be counted upon to show up at the local radio station, guitar in hand, offering himself for an interview.[citation needed] With his foot-in-the-door of having authored "Leaving on a Jet Plane", he was often successful in gaining some valuable promotional airtime, usually featuring one or two songs performed live. Some venues would 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 constant low-key touring schedule, however, he had sold enough albums to convince RCA to take a chance on extending his recording contract. He had also built a sizable and solid fan base, many of whom remained loyal throughout his career.[6]

Denver recorded two more albums in 1970, Take Me to Tomorrow and Whose Garden Was This, featuring songs he had composed while driving the roads of the American Midwest. Although these albums were not as successful as those that followed, they would all be certified gold by the RIAA and would generally be considered some of his best work.[6]

[edit] Career peak

His next album, Poems, Prayers, and Promises (released in 1971), was a breakthrough for him in the U.S., thanks in part to the single "Take Me Home, Country Roads", 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, who signed Denver in 1970. Weintraub insisted on a re-issue of the track and began a radio-airplay campaign that started in Denver, Colorado. Denver's career flourished from then on, and he had a series of hits over the next four years. In 1972, Denver scored his first Top Ten album with Rocky Mountain High, with its title track reaching the Top Ten in 1973.[11] Between 1974 and 1975, Denver experienced an impressive chart dominance, with 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).[12]

In the 1970s, Denver's onstage appearance included long blond hair, embroidered shirts emblazoned with images commonly associated with the American West (created by designer & appliqué artist Anna Zapp), and "granny" glasses. His manager, Jerry Weintraub, insisted on a significant number of television appearances, including a series of half-hour shows in England, despite Denver's protests at the time, "I've had no success in Britain...I mean none."[13] Weintraub explained to Maureen Orth of Newsweek in December 1976, "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 went on to host his own variety/music specials, including several concerts from Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver. 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.[citation needed]

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together.
His live concert special, An Evening with John Denver, won the 1974–1975 Emmy for Outstanding Special, Comedy-Variety or Music.[14] When Denver ended his business relationship because of Weintraub's focus on other projects, Weintraub threw Denver out of his office and called him a Nazi. Denver would later tell Arthur Tobier, when the latter transcribed his autobiography[citation needed], "...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."[15]

Denver was also a guest star on The Muppet Show, the beginning of the lifelong friendship between Denver and Jim Henson that spawned two television specials with The Muppets. He also tried his hand at acting, appearing in the The Colorado Cattle Caper episode of the McCloud television movie on February 24, 1974, and starring in the 1977 film Oh, God! opposite George Burns. Denver hosted the Grammy Awards five times in the 1970s and 1980s and guest-hosted The Tonight Show on multiple occasions.[16] In 1975, Denver was awarded the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award. At the ceremony, the outgoing Entertainer of the Year Charlie Rich presented the award to his successor, but in protest of what he considered the inappropriateness of Denver's selection, Rich set fire to the envelope containing the official notification of the award.[17] However, Denver's music was defended by country singer Kathy Mattea, who told Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly, "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 cofounded The Hunger Project with Werner Erhard and Robert W. Fuller. He served for many years and supported the organization until his death. Denver was also appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the President's Commission on World Hunger, writing the song "I Want to Live" as its theme song. In 1979, Denver performed "Rhymes & Reasons" at the Music for UNICEF Concert. Royalties from the concert performances were donated to UNICEF.[18] His father taught him to fly in the mid-1970s, which led to a reconciliation between father and son.[8] In 1980, Denver and his father, Lt. Col. “Dutch” Deutschendorf, co-hosted an award winning television special, "The Higher We Fly: the History of Flight."[3] It won the Osborn Award from the Aviation/Space Writers’ Association, and was honored by the Houston Film Festival.[3]

[edit] Political activism

Denver became outspoken in politics in the mid-1970s. In 1976, he campaigned for Jimmy Carter, 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. His dismay at the Chernobyl disaster led to precedent-setting concerts in parts of communist Asia and Europe.[8]

During the 1980s, Denver was critical of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Administration, but he remained active in his campaign against hunger, for which Reagan awarded Denver the Presidential World Without Hunger Award in 1985.[8] 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)." Denver was also critical of the Republican-dominated Congress and American Conservatism of the 1990s. He denounced the National Rifle Association (NRA) as a corrupt political machine that could buy off politicians, and in an open letter to the media, he wrote that he opposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Denver had battled to expand the refuge in the 1980s, and he praised President Bill Clinton for his opposition to the proposed drilling. The letter, which he wrote in the midst of the 1996 presidential election, was one of the last he ever wrote.[8] Denver was also on the Board of Governors of the National Space Society for many years.

[edit] Later years and humanitarian work

He had a few more U.S. Top 30 hits as the 1970s ended, but nothing to match his earlier success. He began to focus more on humanitarian and sustainability causes, focusing extensively on conservation projects. He made public expression of his acquaintances and friendships with ecological-design researchers such as Richard Buckminster Fuller and Amory Lovins, from whom he said he learned much. He also founded two environmental groups; the Windstar Foundation and Plant-It 2020 (originally Plant-It 2000). Denver had a keen interest in solutions to world hunger. He visited Africa during the 1980s to witness first-hand the suffering caused by starvation and to work with African leaders toward solutions.

John Denver testifies before the US Senate, 1985

Testimony continued
In 1983 and 1984, Denver hosted the annual Grammy Awards. In the 1983 finale, Denver was joined on stage by folk-music legend Joan Baez with whom he led an all-star version of "Blowin' in the Wind" and Let The Sunshine In, joined by such diverse musical icons as Jennifer Warnes, Donna Summer, and Rick James.

In 1984, Roone Arlidge, president of ABC Sports, asked Denver to compose and sing the theme song for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Denver worked as both a performer and a skiing commentator (skiing was another avocation of Denver's). He had written "The Gold and Beyond", and sang it for the Olympic Games athletes, as well as local venues including many schools.[3]

In 1985, Denver asked to participate in the singing of "We Are the World" but was turned down. According to Ken Kragen (who helped to produce the song), the reason that John Denver was turned down was that 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 reluctantly turned Denver down anyway.[19]

For Earth Day 1990, Denver was the on-camera narrator of a well-received environmental TV program, "In Partnership With Earth," with then–EPA Administrator William K. Reilly.

With Denver's innate love of flying he was naturally attracted to NASA and became dedicated to America’s work in outer space. He conscientiously worked to help bring into being the “Citizens in Space” program. Denver received the NASA Public Service Medal, in 1985 for “helping to increase awareness of space exploration by the peoples of the world,” an award usually restricted to spaceflight engineers and designers. Also in 1985, Denver 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 in 1986. He was not chosen. After the Challenger disaster with teacher Christa McAuliffe aboard, John dedicated his song “Flying for Me”, to all astronauts, and he continued to support NASA.[3]

Denver testified before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on the topic of censorship during a Parents Music Resource Center hearing in 1985. Denver also toured Russia in 1985. His 11 Soviet Union concerts were the first by any American artist in more than 10 years, and they marked a very important cultural exchange that culminated in an agreement to allow other western artists to perform there.[20] He returned two years later to perform at a benefit concert for the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. In October 1992, John 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 marijuana, LSD, and cocaine use, his marital infidelities, history of domestic violence, and a suicide attempt in a London hotel room.[21][22] In 1996, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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.[23]

In the summer of 1997, Denver recorded a children's train album for Sony Wonder, entitled All Aboard!, produced by long-time friend Roger Nichols.[24] The album consisted of old-fashioned swing, big band, folk, bluegrass, and gospel styles of music woven into a theme of railroad songs. This album won a posthumous Best Musical Album For Children Grammy for Denver, which was his only Grammy.[25]

[edit] Personal life

Denver's first marriage was to Annie Martell of St. Peter, Minnesota. Their wedding was held at the Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College. Annie was the subject of his hit Annie's Song, which he composed in only ten minutes while on a ski lift in 1974.[8] The couple lived in Edina, Minnesota from 1968 to 1971. Following the success of "Rocky Mountain High," Denver purchased a residence in Colorado and owned one home in Colorado continuously until his death.[26] He and Annie adopted a son, Zachary, and daughter, Anna Kate, who John would say were “meant to be” theirs.[3] John 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."[27] Zachary was the subject of "A Baby Just Like You," a song that included the line "Merry Christmas, little Zachary" and which he wrote for Frank Sinatra. Denver and Annie Martell divorced in 1982 and the ensuing property settlement caused Denver to become so enraged he nearly choked his ex-wife, then used a chainsaw to cut the marital bed in half.[8][21][22][28] Martell continues to live in Aspen, Colorado.

John Denver married Australian actress Cassandra Delaney in 1988, after a two-year courtship. Settling in Aspen, the couple had a daughter, Jesse Belle. Denver and Delaney separated in 1991 and divorced in 1993.[8] Of his second marriage, Denver would later recall 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."[22] In 1993, Denver pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge in 1993, and was placed on probation.[28] In August 1994, while still on probation, he was again charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence after crashing his Porsche into a tree in Aspen, Colorado.[28] Though a jury trial in July 1997 resulted in a hung jury on the second DUI charge, prosecutors later decided to reopen the case, which was only closed after Denver's untimely death in October 1997.[28][29] In 1996, the FAA decided that Denver could no longer fly a plane due to medical disqualification for failure to abstain from alcohol, a condition that the FAA had imposed in October 1995 after his prior drunk driving conviction.[30][31]

Denver's talent extended beyond music. He was a painter as well but because of his limiting schedule, he pursued photography. He once said that "photography is a way to communicate a feeling." Denver was an avid skier and golfer. His love of flying was secondary only to his love for music.[32] He collected vintage biplanes, and in 1974, he bought a Learjet, which he used to fly himself to concerts. He also bought a Christen Eagle aerobatic plane, two Cessna 210 and in 1997, an experimental, amateur-built Rutan Long-EZ.[3][31][32]

A Long-EZ two seat canard plane similar to Denver's
[edit] Death

On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed at the age of 53 when his experimental Rutan Long-EZ plane, aircraft registration number N555JD, crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Pacific Grove, California while making a series of touch-and-go landings at the nearby Monterey Peninsula Airport.[33] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident ID is LAX98FA008.[34] As the crash badly disfigured Denver's head and body, making identification by dental records impossible, records of his fingerprints taken from his arrests for intoxicated driving were used to confirm that the fallen pilot was indeed the singer.[35][36]

A pilot with over 2,700 hours of experience, Denver had single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, glider, and instrument ratings. He also held a type rating in his Learjet. He had recently purchased the Long-EZ aircraft, and had taken a half-hour checkout flight with the aircraft the day before the accident.[37] However, Denver did not possess a valid FAA medical certification.[30][31] Denver was the sole occupant of the aircraft.[38]

In 1996, nearly a year before the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration had learned of Denver's failure to abstain entirely from alcohol after his drunk driving arrests, and had previously revoked his medical certification.[30][31] Since Denver was required by the FAA to have at least a third-class medical certification in order to exercise the privileges of his pilot certificate, he was not legally able to fly at the time of the accident. However, there was no trace of alcohol or drugs in Denver's body at autopsy.[31]

Post-accident investigation by the NTSB showed that the experimental Rutan as built had an unusual reconfiguration of the fuel selector valve handle, which had been moved from the instrument panel to behind the left shoulder of the pilot.[30][31] Wreckage examination by NTSB investigators revealed that the selector handle was not placarded or marked for any operating position.[30][31] According to a pilot who had flown the aircraft in a prior checkout flight, the handle in the right position was for the left tank, the handle in the down position was for the right tank, and the off position was up.[30][31] 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.[30][31] Before the flight, Denver and the mechanic had attempted to extend the reach of the handle, using a pair of vice grip pliers.[30][31] However, this did not solve the problem as the pilot could still not reach the handle while strapped into his seat.[30][31] When investigators attempted to switch fuel tanks in a similar Long EZ, each time while an investigator turned his body the 90 degrees required to reach the valve, his natural tendency was to extend his right foot against the right rudder pedal to support his body as he turned in the seat, causing the aircraft to yaw and pitch up.[30][31]

After the mechanic noted that the fuel sight gauges were only visible to the rear cockpit occupant, Denver asked him about the quantity of fuel shown.[30][31] The mechanic told Denver that he had "less than half in the right tank and less than a quarter in the left tank".[30][31] The mechanic then provided Denver with a shop inspection mirror so that he could look over his shoulder at the fuel sight gauges; the mirror was later recovered in the wreckage.[30][31] Denver told the mechanic that he would use the autopilot inflight, if necessary, to hold the airplane level while he turned the fuel selector valve.[30][31] Denver declined an offer to take on additional fuel, telling the mechanic that he would only be flying for about one hour.[30][31]

Twenty witnesses to the accident were interviewed by the NTSB, some of whom observed the plane's crash into the ocean near Point Pinos.[30][31] Four of the witnesses indicated that the airplane was originally heading west; five of them observed the airplane in a steep bank, with four of those five reporting the bank was to the right (north). Twelve witnesses saw the airplane in a steep nose-down descent, and 6 of them saw the airplane hit the water. Witnesses estimated the plane's height at 350 to 500 feet while heading toward the shoreline. Eight of the witnesses said that they heard a "pop" or "backfire," along with a reduction in the engine noise level just before the airplane descended into the water.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the crash was the pilot's diversion of attention from the operation of the airplane and his inadvertent application of right rudder that resulted in the loss of airplane control while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle, resulting in a crash into the ocean.[30][31] The Board also determined that the pilot's inadequate transition training, lack of total flight experience in type, and inadequate preflight planning and preparations, specifically his failure to refuel the airplane, were causal.[30][31] The Board also singled out the aircraft builder's decision to locate the unmarked fuel selector handle in a hard-to-access position along with installing unmarked fuel quantity sight gauges as factors in the accident.[30][31]

Upon announcement of Denver's death, Colorado governor Roy Romer ordered all state flags to be lowered to half staff in his honor. Funeral services were held at Faith Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Colorado, on October 17, 1997, being officiated by Pastor Les Felker, a retired Air Force chaplain. Later, Denver's ashes were scattered in the Rocky Mountains. Further tributes were made at the following Grammys and Country Music Association Awards. On September 23, 2007, nearly ten years after his death, his brother Ron witnessed the dedication of a plaque placed near the crash-site in Pacific Grove, California, commemorating the singer.

[edit] Posthumous recognition

In 2000, CBS presented the television movie Take Me Home: The John Denver Story loosely based on his memoirs, starring Chad Lowe. Denver's brother, Ron Deutschendorf, voiced the feelings of many of the singer's fans when he wrote a letter to the Los Angeles Times criticizing the film's many inaccuracies: multiple chronological errors, exaggerated difficulties in his relationship with his father, and a completely superficial treatment of Denver's commitment to his various causes. As the New York Post observed, "An overachiever like John Denver couldn't have been this boring."[39]

Denver's music remains extremely popular around the world. Previously unreleased and unnoticed recordings are now sought-after collectibles in pop, folk and country genres. Also in demand are copies of Denver's many television appearances, especially his one-hour specials from the 1970s and his six-part series for Britain's BBC, The John Denver Show. Despite strong interest in these programs, no sign of "official" release is evident for the vast majority of this material. An anthology musical featuring John Denver's music, Back Home Again: A John Denver Holiday, premiered at the Rubicon Theatre Company in November 2006.[40]

On March 12, 2007, Colorado's Senate passed a resolution to make Denver's trademark 1972 hit "Rocky Mountain High" one of the state's two official state songs, sharing duties with its predecessor, "Where the Columbines Grow."[41] The resolution passed 50–11 in the House, defeating an objection by Rep. Debbie Stafford (R-Aurora) that the song reflected drug use, most specifically the line, "Friends around the campfire and everybody's high." Sen. Bob Hagedorn, the Aurora Democrat who sponsored the proposal, defended the song as nothing to do with drugs, but everything to do with sharing with friends the euphoria of experiencing the beauty of Colorado's mountain vistas. Nancy Todd (D-Aurora) said that "John Denver to me is an icon of what Colorado is."[42] Similar proposals have also been made to the West Virginia House of Delegates to make "Take Me Home Country Roads" the official song of that particular state, so far without success.

The lyrics to "Rocky Mountain High", one of Colorado's official state songs, in Rio Grande Park[43] near Denver's hometown of Aspen, Colorado.
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 near Pacific Grove. The site had been marked by a driftwood log carved (by Jeffrey Pine of Colorado) with the singer'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 the singer's family. Eventually, over 100 friends and family attended the dedication of the plaque, which features a bas-relief 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."[44]

To mark the 10th anniversary of Denver's death, his family released a set of previously unreleased recordings of Denver's 1985 concert performances in the Soviet Union. This two-CD set, John Denver – Live in the USSR, was produced by Denver's friend Roger Nichols, and released by AAO Music. These digital recordings were made during 11 concerts, and then rediscovered in 2002. Included in this set is a previously unpublished rendition of "Annie's Song" in Russian. The collection was released November 6, 2007.[20]

On October 13, 2009, a DVD box set of previously unreleased concerts recorded throughout 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 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, John 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 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lee Ann Womack and John Oates. Both of his ex-wives were in attendance, and the award was presented to his three children.

[edit] Related artists

Main article: The John Denver Band

Denver began his recording career with a group that had started as the Chad Mitchell Trio; his distinctive voice can be heard where he sings solo on Violets of Dawn, among other songs. He recorded three albums with the Mitchell Trio, replacing Chad Mitchell himself as high tenor.[6] The group Denver, Boise and Johnson, which had evolved from the Mitchell Trio, released a single before he moved on to a solo career.[7]

Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, credited as co-writers of Denver's song "Take Me Home, Country Roads", 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 (later known as Windstar Records) label. Denver's solo recording contract resulted in part from the recording by Peter, Paul and Mary of his song "Leaving on a Jet Plane", which became the sole number 1 hit single for the group.[6] 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.[citation needed] 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, MOR, 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", and had a hit in the United Kingdom (#15 in 1973) and Japan (#6 in a belated 1976 release) with it.[citation needed] In 1976, John Denver appeared as a guest star, along with Olivia Newton-John, who made a cameo appearance, on The Carpenters Very First Special, a one-hour TV special broadcast on the ABC television network. A highlight of the program was John singing a duet with Karen Carpenter of a medley of "Through the Rye" and "Good Vibrations", although the medley was never released commercially as a single or on an album.[citation needed]

September 2008 saw the premiere of the musical Whisper the Wind in New Zealand, a tribute presentation covering highlights of Denver's life and career, with the younger Denver played by 21-year-old Dunedin musician Bevan Gardiner, whose vocal impersonation of the late singer was considered so accurate Denver's business manager Harold Thau could not tell them apart.[45]
********************

I often wonder about it. ...

posted March 04, 2012 04:59 PM            

Yellowstone Coming Home...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkIH7yyoc1E

posted May 21, 2014 09:14 PM            

quote:

---

"Annie's Song"

You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again

Come let me love you
Let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter
Let me die in your arms
Let me lay down beside you
Let me always be with you
Come let me love you
Come love me again

You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again

Songwriters
DENVER, JOHN (DEUTSCHENDORF)/DENVER, JOHN (DEUTSCHENDORF)

---

posted May 22, 2014 01:58 AM            

I tell you, I felt it Strong.

And those two lines, especially.

posted May 22, 2014 09:49 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Randall:
TEST

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Thank you very much, Randall.

I think it was the cache thing, although some really strange things have occurred.

Once I saw one of your comments on my Username. (Next time they were separate.) Then the ubb page was a grey screen. I've had to clear my cache an Awful lot lately.

If it matters, it was these two:

quote:

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Ellynlvx
Moderator

Posts: 7911
From: the Point of Light within the Mind of God
Registered: Aug 2013
posted May 21, 2014 06:11 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Ellynlvx Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote To be perfectly Honest, Connections really clicked.

IP: Logged
Randall
Webmaster

Posts: 40362
From: Saturn next to Charmainec
Registered: Apr 2009
posted May 21, 2014 06:17 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Randall Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote There would be no double digit above 52.

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Maybe when you were changing that cookie messup?

But back to John Denver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mtkq00IykM

posted May 22, 2014 04:35 PM            

quote:

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SUPER SONIC! Dan Carlson Breaks Barriers with Sonic Bloom

- Mary Wynne

I had read the articles—Dan Carlson develops Sonic Bloom, a plant growth product which utilizes an oscillating frequency of bird and cricket-like sounds along with an organic foliar spray. I had heard the amusing stories—Dan Carlson grows a purple passion plant one tenth of a mile long using Sonic Bloom and winds up in the Guinness Book of World Records. I even tried Sonic Bloom in my own garden—my hot pepper plants, for instance, produced twice as much per plant in thirty days less time than the previous year. Yet, it wasn’t until I spoke to Dan that I understood the realm of possibilities for his sound-enhanced growth system. In short, he has missions for Sonic Bloom that make landing on the moon seem frivolous. In his own words, Dan Carlson has a “blueprint to end world hunger.”

According to Carlson, Sonic Bloom is simply “sound aiding in the absorption of an organic foliar nutrient.” The theory behind his product is that plants open their surface pores or stomata when stimulated by certain sounds. During and after a serenade of pulsed chirps and whistles (for the plants) mixed with various classical music selections (for the humans) the spray, consisting of 55 trace minerals, amino acids, and seaweed, is sprayed on the plant’s surface. This odd, but highly successful, treatment system has lead to increased publicity and profit for Carlson.

However, it is clear when talking to this world-renowned inventor that his focus is not on material success or international fame. He is more interested in proving the limitless abilities of Nature to support all existing life and heal the wounds of human error. “It’s exactly what we need at this time. This planet wants to save itself.” Carlson’s “blueprint” begins with a solid foundation and expands into almost mind-boggling proportions.

“We’re definitely developing some techniques that can carry this from A to Z,” says Carlson. “One is we’ve been working with a sprout company called Sprouts Extraordinaire out of Longmont, Colorado. The reality is we have found that sprouts, alfalfa in particular, increase in weight by 1200 percent in 72 hours. We take a seed, soak it in Sonic Bloom, play the sound, and 72 hours later we have an edible sprout. Our sprouts get almost a 30-day shelf life instead of three or four days.”

“We believe that within six to eight months, we will produce a shipping container, 8-1/2 feet wide, 8 feet tall, 40 feet long, totally self-contained, that will make sprouts. We believe that it will produce 5,000 pounds of sprouts per week, 260,000 pounds of food per year. You can reuse the water and if you divide 260,000 pounds by 1,200, you will find that you will only need a few hundred pounds of seed to do this. Now think what ten of these containers could do. Ten of these would do 2.6 million tons of food and20 would do almost six million tons of food. And one container would only cost $10,000.”

Carlson’s plan doesn’t end with feeding sprouts to the hungry. He understands that sprouts aren’t the most nutritionally valuable crop available. He also acknowledges that sprouts would not be culturally acceptable in all parts of the world. His idea also includes the use of other staple crops such as mung beans. Once he is able to bring a reliable source of food to people and show them how to produce the food themselves, his plan mushrooms into a bright new future for millions of people.

“First, you go into the devastated areas with the sprouts to make people strong enough to then plant the vegetables and grains with open pollinated seeds (amaranth, quinoa, corns) with Sonic Bloom,” continues Carlson. “Then they get to eat the vegetables and grains that are much more highly nutritious and have kept their stress resistance. (Experiments done with Seeds of Change and Sonic Bloom in the Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe showed survival in 130-140 degree temperatures and 2-1/2 inches of rain.) Then, you put in fruit trees and if you watch my video, you’ll see I’m getting fruit on first-year trees. Things like three-year-old Santa Rosa beauty plums are getting 6,000 pounds of fruit on a three-year-old tree. Lastly, the reason I’m living on a nut farm, is that we want to bring in nut trees. But, if you plant enough threes, you also change the weather. The trees will change the precipitation in these areas to feed the people.”

Carlson also understands that people fed with nutritious food from their own land will not only help those societies to live, but to flourish. “Any child that undergoes malnutrition doesn’t have the mental ability to be as smart as its parents,” he says. “If you go in and bring all this food, you’re going to change the mental abilities, thus allowing these people to lead themselves ‘out of the land of Babel.’”

The Sonic Bloom plan does not end there. Carlson also believes his product can help to cure one of Earth’s most detrimental environmental ailments – deforestation. In Mexico, Carlson has started a tropical hardwood nursery for rare tropical trees. He has also brought Sonic Bloom to Papua, New Guinea, where he hopes to help improve the teak, ebony, and rosewood harvests while providing slash-and-burn farmers with alternatives to growing food in poor soil.

Carlson even includes the psychological and spiritual well being of people in his plans. He feels that giving all people, regardless of their age or geographic location, the ability to grow crops successfully will add to their mental health. “The beauty is watching the twinkle in some 35-75 pound child’s eyes when they raise a 400-pound pumpkin,” states Carlson. “We believe that then they will always be involved in agriculture and their self-esteem and self-love will go up like crazy.”

Dan Carlson has watched his Sonic Bloom create amazing transformations like this for years. Reports of double- and triple-sized harvests come from as far away as Europe to as close as his own nut farm in River Falls, Wisconsin. Oliver Doubleday, a strawberry farmer in rural England, consistently reports triple yields with Sonic Bloom. The Circle K Apple Orchard, just six miles from Carlson’s farm, also reports triple-sized harvests.

In addition, the orchard is reporting an eight-month shelf life and a vast increase in nutrients. “When we did our analysis, we came up with 1750 percent more zinc, 400 percent more iron, 326 percent more chromium, and 126 percent more potassium. All of these things being key ingredients in longevity, health, and mental activity.” The orchard also finds that the number of apples lost to disease and insects is reduced by over 80 percent. “This is not an unusual situation,” says Carlson. “The Sonic Bloom system raises the trace element and complex sugar content of plants. Those changes make the plant much healthier and less susceptible to attack by diseases and insects.”

Carlson continues to make discoveries that leave even him in a state of awe. “One of our greatest breakthroughs to make everyone understand how easy it is to feed large amounts of people involved a sucker on a tomato. A sucker is normally a sterile branch which appears in between a side shoot and the main branch. Our tomato plants grow two inches a day so if we allow a sucker to grow for seven days, it’s about 14 inches long. If we then cut it off, put it in the shade, and spray it once a day with a ¼ ounce per gallon solution of Sonic Bloom, in 10-14 days, it becomes fully rooted and starts to grow two inches per day. Fifty-five days later it is 7-9 feet tall. Now normal production on tomatoes is 90 days. “We’re doing this in less than 55, plus we’re producing at least twice as much fruit in almost half the time.”

Carlson’s stories have not fallen on deaf ears. Not only are his sales and reputation growing, his international prestige is on the rise as well. “Because of my success in England, I am going to be lecturing to Parliament and we have a major university that is doing some testing. I have just returned from Japan where I was the keynote speaker for the Bio-Research committee, which consists of 8,000 organic farmers. The day before I lectured, the people who had success with Sonic Bloom told the great body of organic farmers and researchers their success stories.” The Japanese were so impressed with Carson that he received an award from the Minister of Finance, as well as news coverage in 25 of Japan’s leading newspapers. The Bio-Research committee declared that Sonic Bloom is the best plant growth product they have found and will help distribute it across their country. Keeping up with Japan and England, China is also courting Carlson. He will be leaving in October 1993 to speak to Chinese officials about developing their agriculture.

Unfortunately, Carlson remains virtually ignored by the United States government as well as by the American mainstream research community. “Our problem here is that we are paying farmers not to grow. If you watch my video, I will show you 100 percent increases on many mainline crops. I’m a multi-billion dollar nightmare for our government because we are paying farmers not to grow while I am doubling yields.” Common sense also suggests that without using pesticides, herbicides, and other agri-business dependencies, Sonic Bloom will have the same “hard row to hoe” as solar energy and the light rail system. Nevertheless, Carlson remains the eternal optimist.

Of course, optimism is nothing new to Carlson. It took him twenty years to perfect the sound frequencies and nutrient combinations needed to make Sonic Bloom more than the average fertilizer. The drive for perfection came from his own close encounter with hunger.

In spite of his serious efforts and intentions, Carlson is a jovial man who is having a lot of fun with his success. World leaders aren’t the only ones catching on to Sonic Bloom. Celebrities such as Harrison Ford, William Shatner, and Eddie Albert are also reaping the benefits of Carlson’s product. JOHN DENVER’s environmental group, WINDSTAR, has also been very supportive of Sonic Bloom. “They came out here (Carlson’s farm) and helped me pick the NUTS because after I sprayed them, there were so many nuts I just couldn’t get enough labor to pick them. Then they came back this summer and helped me plant more.”

Carlson’s success is also moving him into the world of television by way of the ever-popular and star-studded infomercial, the commercial advertising that lasts several minutes to a half hour. He hopes this new marketing strategy will propel Sonic Bloom into a future of bigger and better plants, and stronger and wiser people.

Like the plants that are sprayed and serenaded with Sonic Bloom, Carlson’s product can do nothing else but grow. To get a glimpse of Sonic Bloom’s worldwide success (after all, seeing is believing), Carlson distributes a 120-minute video filled with the amazing sights (and sounds) of his product.

-- Llewellyn’s 1994 Organic Gardening Almanac

http://www.originalsonicbloom.com/published/lunararticle3.html

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posted May 22, 2014 04:54 PM            

"Sounds Plants Love to Hear" I think.

Little Chirpy Noises.

(I wondered when I saw St. Peter)

posted May 22, 2014 05:07 PM            

Oh, hey, I use Kelp, too.

posted May 22, 2014 05:33 PM            

The youngest two of my many children

Dedicated to the memory of Carl Llewellyn Weschcke...

posted May 22, 2014 05:52 PM            

Jimmy Durante - I'll Be Seeing You

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through

In that small cafe
The park across the way
The children's carousel
The chestnut trees, the wishin' well

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In every thing that's Light and gay
I'll always think of you that way

I'll find you in the morning Sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the Moon
But I'll be seeing you

I'll see you in that small cafe
The park across the way
The children's carousel
The chestnut trees, the wishin' well

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In every thing that's Light and gay
I'll always think of you that way

I'll find you in the morning Sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the Moon
But I'll be seeing you

I'll be seeing you
I'll be seeing you

The Notebook "I'll Be Seeing You" Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfc4AaKsqAU

posted May 22, 2014 06:19 PM            

http://originalsonicbloom.com/products.html

Please support Sonic Bloom!

(John Denver would do it.)

LOve & LIght ,
Stephanie

------------------
Got the Wings of Heaven on my Shoes. I'm a dancin man and I just can't lose. You know it's all right. Its ok. I'll live to see another day. We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man. Whether you're a Brother or whether you're a Mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

posted May 22, 2014 07:10 PM            

"Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs..."

posted May 22, 2014 07:39 PM            

Yeah, mine comes and goes.

It's always been like that. I feel like a Forest in a Cloud.

Funny, when I first read "Star Signs" we lived in this Cabin in the Woods. It was a Ghost Town, there was a Pioneer Cemetery a bit down the road, and remnants of old buildings.

Bits of old Teacups, Goldpans and the like. It was the first Post Office in the County, and now it's just Ghosts and Trees.

Oh, man, once I found this Dutch Door Latch, Cast Iron with Tulips.

That was really neat.

Anyway, it really fit in with the book.

Especially during the Lightning Storms.

When the Sun was Shining and it Hailed and Rained all at the same time. IN JULY!

posted May 22, 2014 09:13 PM            

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for ME and YOU
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the Rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Louis Armstrong ~ What A Wonderful World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU

****************************************************

Sitting in the stand of the sports arena
Waiting for the show to begin
Red lights, green lights
Strawberry wine
A good friend of mine
Follows the stars –
Venus and Mars
are alright tonight

Venus And Mars ~ St. Paul McCartney & (Beatle with) Wings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cszjZoMch68

Beetle with Wings & Journey...

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the Boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the Blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the Boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't Stop Believing ~ Journey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcjzHMhBtf0

posted May 22, 2014 09:39 PM            

That was a pret-ty good one.

This is a place near where I was talking about.

Hey, St. Ephanie, when you do charts for whatever research you were talking about, do you take note of the Chart Patterns?
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum33/HTML/000152.html

And Declinations?
http://www.astronumerologywisdom.com/out-of-bounds-planets.html

Speaking of Pink Floyd...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q75qJ3vCmBw

posted May 22, 2014 10:06 PM            

Just wanted to tell you about the interesting evening my sister, my teenage daughter and I had with Paul Simon and that police man, Sting.

Here is an excerpt from a review of the evening...

quote:

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Apparently, Sting and Simon have been buddies for years and are neighbors in New York. (Does Sting's wife Trudie sign for his packages when Simon is on vacation?) While there wasn't any immediately obvious chemistry between them, they both seemed relaxed and amiable, especially since both of their backing bands shared the stage for the evening.

All of those musicians on the same stage, however, may have had something to do with a technological meltdown that hit Sting near the top of his second solo set. Out of nowhere, Sting's microphone started squealing like it was caught in a wind tunnel, and the sheer noise brought the show to a halt. After some nervous fumbling by scared-looking roadies, Sting tried again but couldn't get through "Roxanne" without more sound problems. For a few minutes there, it looked like the show might be over for good, until someone figured out the issues were limited to Sting's side of the stage.

From there, the set list went out the window and Simon took over with a spirited run through "The Obvious Child" (after he flubbed the intro, he restarted it with a laugh) "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "You Can Call Me Al."

For the full review: ]http://www.twincities.com/music/ci_25214461/sting-and-paul-simon-review-ever y-little-thing

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"Roxanne
You don't have to put on the Red Light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on the Red Light"

(Wasn't that nice? )

posted May 22, 2014 11:09 PM            

Play That Song.

Not the Sumner tune, the Simon.

Haven't played it for ages.

Yeah, I could see where your concert pictures were taken from.

I guess it is something to make one warm to have memories like that.

I also drug out the "Sounds Plants Love to Hear" tape.

posted May 22, 2014 11:09 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ellynlvx:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKlSVNxLB-A&feature=kp
Belief Implies Doubt.

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"Well, I’ve heard the Words before
It’s sleeping in my Memory
And I won’t disturb the slumber
Of feelings that have died
If I never loved, I never would have cried
I am a rock
I am an island

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my armor
Hiding in my room
Safe within my womb
I touch no one and no one touches me...

Stephanie's Room - Joan Baez

http://www.joanbaez.com/Lyrics/stephanie.html

"You've loved me exquisitely."
"I tried to."
"Can we be best of friends now?"
"I never lied to you."
"And can I love you Forever?"
"Sure," she said and smiled
"But will you?"

I wish there was some new way
To sing about a Full Moon
Poured down on us like a thousand rivers
In Stephanie's room
And you said you'd Remember always
The shadows on the hills below us
But will you?

You never once tried to sell me
A bill of goods I wouldn't buy
But I'm seasoned and I know a pirate
By the devil in his Eye
And the only thing you ever stole from me
Was laughter and some love I made
To fill you

White snow in the morning
Kind of frightened me
But you'd go sailing anyway
Things are different at sea
You know I'll never try and change your habit
As sure as you know if your ship sinks
It'll kill you

And all the lovely ladies who came before me
Are very much the same
As the others soon to follow
In your merry little Game
I guess I just want to be Remembered ("Remembering games, daisy chains and laughs")
E.s.p.-ecially and frequently
Like Stephanie

Five red tail hawks are circling
Above us in the sky
You said they'd bring good luck
And then you said goodbye
You smiled and said, "I'll see you
Sooner than you think."
But will you?

© 1976, 1977 Gabriel Earl Music (ASCAP)

posted May 23, 2014 02:32 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ellynlvx:
Ha, just moved Heaven and Earth to hook up my Kenwood, that I might, that I might

Play That Song.

Not the Sumner tune, the Simon.

Haven't played it for ages.

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Which St. Simon song? The Obvious Child?

posted May 23, 2014 12:31 PM            

At nearly the same time I almost did.