Remembering John Denver

I remember I was in Denver, December 1972. I was with a group of kids, we had arrived at night at it had been snowing quite hard.

The next morning a group of us ment in my buddies' hotel room, the radio was playing and it was "Rocky Mountain High." I had never heard the song before. Then, my friend opened the curtains and as I looked straight out at the sunny, snow filled view of the Rocky Mountains I remember telling myself, "I've got to buy that album." That view of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains always comes to my mind whenever I hear the song or talk about it.

 

That's exactly how I felt. In my lifetime, it truly was one of the days when "the music died."

 

I always admired him for his passionate support of environmental and humanitarian causes. Rocky Mountain High was a great album from start to finish and is my favorite John Denver CD.

He didn't make many movies but his performance was pleasant enough in Oh, God!, directed by Carl Reiner, co-written by Larry Gelbart, and co-starring George Burns.

 

As I look back on it now, John Denver's death was the 2nd most shocking death in relation to how it affected me. Only John Lennon's was more shocking. Both left a musical imprint in my soul. Their music was just so strong in my 70's childhood. Both were confessional, wore their hearts on their sleeve, had great senses of humour, battled drug and alcohol addiction. IMWO, I think Lennon found his way back (personal life) when he reconciled with Yoko, while Denver never quite recovered from divorcing Annie. Both were making a "comeback" (professionally) though Denver on a smaller scale, when they left us. No telling what might have been.

 

Yes, me too...and the same goes for Rocky Mountain Christmas. John's rendition of "The Christmas Song" is second only to Nat's, IMO.

 

Interesting to note that the first comprehensive box of Denver's recordings had just been released a few weeks prior to his death. For all of his chart success in the 1970s(and there WAS PLENTY),he missed the big box set craze of the early 1990s. Within days after Denver's passing,BMG was wiped out of catalog,which,at the time,I think pretty much consisted of hits collections. It would be well into 1998 before backorders could be filled.

 

It's hard to believe it's been ten years...
I'll always have very fond memories of John's music in the 70's like "Rocky Mountain High", "Annie's Song" and "Calypso" and many others. He was no doubt a great songwriter. I can't help recall Denver's many guest-host appearances for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in the 70's... and all the times he liked to say "far out!"

Here's my two favorite-sounding John Denver comps... that still get a lot of play here...



You may not believe this but... in the very early 70's, many John Denver songs were often played on rock radio favorite KLOS here in Los Angeles.

 

He was my first musical love. I also am very glad to have seen him in concert. I've been playing An Evening With and Greatest hits a lot of late. Really miss his music...

 

It's hard to imagine that it has been ten years already. I will go spin some
JD in his memory.

 

It's amazing how some of his songs just sear themselves into your memory:

From memory:

I am the eagle I live in high country in rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky

I am the Hawk an there's blood on my feathers, but time is still turning they soon will be dry

and ll those who see me and all who believe in me share in the freedom I feel when I fly

Come dance with the west wind and touch o'er the mountaintops

sail over the canyons and up to the stars

...reach for the heavens

...and hope for the future

...all that we can be and not what we are

 

Hard to believe it's been 10 years now. He was a very good artist. Great songwriter, great song interpretor. He did a great job singing the Beatles - Let It Be.

Saddest to me was I saw John Denver in concert probably 3 months before he died and he put on a great concert. I was deeply saddened to hear he died after just seeing him perform in perfect health.

 

As many above have stated, I grew up with his music in my parent's home. I actually saw him perform live, and he was exceptional.

Sure, he's not going to appeal to everyone. But he was an exceptional songwriter, musician and singer.

A terrible loss.

 

A sad loss to be sure. JD wasn't only a fine artist but a great human being who worked hard to make the world a better place. He is missed.

 

I think it's neat how we can still kind of spend time with John Denver by going to see a Ted Vigil show!

 

Here is Ted Vigil's story...

 

Nice! I'm a huge John Denver fan. I'll have to check Ted out!

 

I know this is sad and pathetic, but in August of 1980 I saw John Denver perform and he did a wonderful show, but quite honestly seeing and listening to Ted and his show, he reminds me more of John at his absolute peak then John did himself in '80. Weird?!?

 

While assembling my music collection for my vacation today I came to my John Denver CD's & played three of my favorite JD songs. I was thinking about him too so I looked him up & was then reminded of his passing. Wow! Time flies fast! I really do miss him. I played the same three songs over & over. They are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJBSDQ82qPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQekZz2A6j0

 

I guess since this thread is resurrected, might as well keep it going. I love Denvers early albums. Aerie is a particular favorite and I especially love his cover of Kristofferson's "Casey's Last Ride"
Such haunting simplicity.

 

Anybody else a fan of his song "I'd Rather Be A Cowboy"? Played that one several times on the drive home today. I loved that single when it came out and I was a teenager. It didn't do that well on the charts, though, did it? Don't know why, it's as catchy as any of his other singles, IMO.

 

Not really my kind of music, but he was a great artist. I loved him in Oh, God!. I was stunned when I heard he died.

 

I admit that I was aggravated when I was stationed at Langley AFB and during an alert when we were working 12s to generate aircraft, we had to reserve two F15s ( one and a backup ) for a demo flight for Denver and a congressman. Lol

Really a shame to lose such a great artist over a silly fuel valve being out of reach on an aircraft.

 

Brings me back to my childhood. My parents had a greatest hits collection in the car. We always played it when going away on skiing vacation.

Annie's Song is one of the prettiest songs ever written.

 

I was raised on JD. He was my first non-Sesame Street album (Windsong) and first concert (MSG 1977). Great performer, songwriter and guitarist. Windsong, I Want to Live and his first two greatest hits collections were favorites growing up. I still play the first two, as well as the Country Roads box set, regularly.

Long live John Denver! FAR OUT!!!!!