About
John Denver, born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico, was an American singer-songwriter. He adopted the stage name 'Denver' after the capital of Colorado, where he later made his home in Aspen. His breakthrough came when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his song 'Leaving on a Jet Plane'. He had numerous hits, including 'Take Me Home, Country Roads', 'Rocky Mountain High', and 'Annie's Song'. He sold over 33 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including a Grammy and an Emmy. An environmental activist, he founded the Windstar Foundation and received the NASA Public Service Medal. He died in a plane crash in 1997.
* 1943-12-28 — † 1997-10-12
Major works
- Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)song
- Rocky Mountain High (1972)song
- Annie's Song (1974)song
- Sunshine on My Shoulders (1973)song
- Oh, God! (1977)film
Key milestones
- 1975Named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association.
- 1996Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
- 1985Received the NASA Public Service Medal.
Themes
Nature and environmentLove and relationshipsMountains and landscapesPeace and spiritualityHumanitarian activism
Sources: johndenver.com · songhall.org · historycolorado.org