John Denver 1943 - 1997

 

In October 1997 the news of the death of John Denver flashed around the world. To fans like me it came as a thunderbolt from the blue. John had died piloting his own private plane off the coast of Monterey, California. He was fifty-three.

To an old rocker like me John Denver provided a mellow, thoughtful and delightful alternative to my other loves, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Rainbow. This eclectic mix may appear incongruous to some but not to me. John had the ability to touch your heart and that magic transcends any pre-conceived notion of what is trendy or fashionable. John had been around for a long time and had experienced early disappointments, followed by meteoric success, followed by a spell in the mainstream wilderness.

John's early career was set against the backdrop of sixties America and he performed at University campus and coffee shop gigs. Eventually he was signed to RCA Records and the early seventies saw his career hit mega-stardom with number one hits like "Annie's Song," "Country Roads" and "Rocky Mountain High". In the late eighties his record company decided that John Denver was passe and dropped him. His many loyal fans had other ideas and John's career switched paths to the rounds of concert appearances all over the world playing to his adoring fans. I saw him perform at The Sheffield City Hall in 1995. He was accompanied by many of Elvis Presley's former backing band including James Burton, Glenn Hardin and Jerry Scheff. It was a magical night in a small venue and I'm sure John knew he was among friends. He chatted informally with the audience and performed his classic songs as well as his new material. John even joked about the roadworks which at that time were all over Sheffield during the Supertram construction. The packed house gave him a standing ovation.

John Denver spoke out on environmental issues long before it was trendy to do so. He also put his money were his mouth is by setting up Windstar Productions to further his dream.Towards the end of his life John's recording career was rekindled and he recorded, in my opinion, his finest works. His wisdom and experience revealed a more thoughtful person and his songwriting soared to new heights.

John Denver was only fifty-three when he died in 1997. His loss affected me as it affected his millions of fans worldwide. He was a great songwriter, performer, humanitarian but more than all that he was a good man.

He is greatly missed by all his fans.

The Official John Denver website

 

Early Days 1960's	1970's Look	1980's
July 1997	John was a keen golfer.	His other great love - flying.

 

 

 

 

 

More information about John Denver and his career.