Biography:

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997),^[3] known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for popularizing acoustic folk music in the 1970s as part of the ongoing singer-songwriter movement of the mid-to-late 20th century. Denver is widely recognized as a cultural icon of the American West.^[4]

After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family, Denver began his music career with folk music groups during the late 1960s.^[5] Starting in the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists.^[6] By 1974, he was one of America’s best-selling performers; AllMusic has called Denver “among the most beloved entertainers of his era”.^[7]

Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed. He had 33 albums and singles that were certified Gold and Platinum in the U.S by the RIAA,^[8] with estimated sales of more than 33 million units.^[9] 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, earning 12 gold and four platinum albums with his signature songs “Take Me Home, Country Roads“, “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. 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 to protest censorship in music.^[10] Known for his love of Colorado, Denver lived in Aspen 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 did the same for “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in 2014.

An avid pilot, Denver was killed in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane in 1997 at age 53.

Early life

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. was born on December 31, 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico to Erma Louise (née Swope; 1922–2010) and Captain Henry John “Dutch” Deutschendorf Sr. (1920–1982),^[11] a United States Army Air Forces pilot stationed at Roswell Army Air Field.

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 gaining friends and assimilating with children of his own age. The introverted Denver often felt misplaced but did not know where he truly belonged.^[13] While stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, the Deutschendorfs purchased a home and lived there from 1951 to 1959.^[14] Denver lived in Tucson, Arizona from the age of six until 14.^[15]

During these years, Denver attended Mansfeld Junior High School^[16] 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 in Montgomery, Alabama. The family later moved to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, where Denver graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Denver was distressed with life in Fort Worth, and in his third 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 complete his schooling.^[17]

Career

Early career

At age 11, Denver received an acoustic guitar from his grandmother.^[18] 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, suggested that ‘Deutschendorf’ would not fit comfortably on a marquee.^[19] Denver attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock and sang in a folk-music group, “The Alpine Trio”, while studying architecture.^[20][21][22] He was also a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Denver dropped out of Texas Tech in 1963^[18] 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).^[18]

In 1969, Denver abandoned band life to pursue a solo career and released his first album for RCA Records, 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“. He made several copies and gave them out as presents for Christmas.^[23] Milt Okun, who produced records for The Chad Mitchell Trio and folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, 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.^[24] 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 tour, 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 play, Denver distributed posters in the town and usually showed up at the local radio station, guitar in hand, offering himself for an interview.^[25] As the writer of “Leaving on a Jet Plane“, 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.^[18]

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.

Credits:

Wikipedia