John Denver

John Denver (1943-1997), American singer, songwriter, and actor whose songs celebrate the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, the environment, and simple living. Denver became an international superstar in the 1970s with music that successfully bridged country, folk, and pop styles.

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., was born in Roswell, New Mexico, the son of an Air Force pilot. He played the guitar and sang from an early age. He studied architecture at Texas Tech University before moving in 1963 to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a music career. Changing his name to John Denver, he got his first big break when he won a spot with the Chad Mitchell Trio in 1965. In 1969 Denver signed with RCA Records, and that same year the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary had a number-one hit with his song, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

During the 1970s Denver became a pop star. His albums Poems, Prayers and Promises (1971), Rocky Mountain High (1972), and Back Home Again (1974) all sold well, yielding hits such as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Back Home Again.” Two 1975 albums, An Evening with John Denver and Windsong, spawned the number-one hits “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and “I’m Sorry.” Denver was nominated for five Country Music Association awards in 1975, winning for Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year (“Back Home Again”). Although the hits tapered off in the early 1980s, Denver continued to release albums into the 1990s. He also toured the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1986 and 1987, becoming one of the first Western musicians to be allowed to perform there.

The singer also starred in over 25 television specials, including the popular John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Classic (1981). Denver won a number of television awards, including a 1975 Emmy Award for Rocky Mountain Christmas. He also starred opposite actor and comedian George Burns in the 1977 hit film Oh God!

Denver also worked to draw attention to various social and political causes, including environmental preservation and hunger relief. In 1977 he cofounded the World Hunger Project and was appointed to the Commission on World Hunger by President Jimmy Carter. In 1992 he founded Plant-It 2000, an organization dedicated to reforesting with indigenous trees.

A skilled jet and aerobatic pilot, Denver was passionate about flying and space travel. In 1985 he received the Medal of Public Service from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for his efforts to promote space exploration. Denver was killed in October 1997 when the experimental airplane he was flying crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Monterey, California.