| |
John Denver
One of the most popular recording artists of the 1970s, country-folk singer/songwriter John Denver's gentle, environmentally conscious music established him among the most beloved entertainers of his era; wholesome and clean-cut, his appeal extended to fans of all ages and backgrounds, and led to parallel careers as both an actor and a humanitarian. Born Henry John Deutschendorf in Roswell, New Mexico on December 31, 1943, he was raised in an Air Force family, and grew up in various regions of the southwestern U.S. As a teen, his grandmother presented him with a 1910 Gibson acoustic guitar, and while attending Texas Tech University he began performing local clubs. Adopting the stage surname "Denver" in tribute to the Rocky Mountain area he so cherished, he dropped out of college in 1964 to relocate to Los Angeles; there he joined the Chad Mitchell Trio, a major draw on the hootenanny circuit of the early '60s but in the twilight of their career at the time of Denver's arrival. Over time, however, Denver helped resuscitate the group on the strength of his songwriting skills; signed to Mercury, the Trio recorded a number of tracks, which the label repackaged in 1974 as Beginnings with the Chad Mitchell Trio.
John Denver (December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997), born Henry John Deutschendorf, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and sometimes actor. Denver had a successful singing and songwriting career, and a minor career as an actor—his most notable film credit being in 1977's Oh, God! opposite George Burns. In 1994 Denver wrote an autobiography entitled Take Me Home. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico, lived most of his adult life in Aspen, Colorado and died off the coast of Monterey, California while piloting a Rutan Long-EZ, an experimental fiberglass airplane. Denver's plane had the fuel tank selector located behind his seat and it is believed he lost control while trying to engage the secondary fuel tank.
Denver was recognized not only for his musical ability but also for his humanitarian work. He worked extensively on conservation projects and helped to create the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He also founded his own environmental group called the Windstar Foundation. Denver had a keen interest in the causes of and solution to hunger, and visited Africa during the 1980s to witness first-hand the suffering caused by starvation and also to work with African leaders towards a solution.
After an enjoyable experience as a guest on The Muppet Show, he recorded two Muppets television specials: John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) and John Denver and the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday (1982).
Defying all conventional labels, John Denver held a singular place in American music: a songwriter whose immensely popular work was suffused with a deep and abiding kinship with the natural world.
In the months just prior to his death in a plane accident in 1997, Denver was filming an episode of the Nature series, centering on the natural wonders that inspired many of his best-loved songs. The result is a poignant and melodic film that records his final journeys into the wilderness and contains his last song, "Let this be a voice", composed while rafting along the Colorado River with his son and young daughter.
|
|
| |
Artist Biography - John Denver
|
 The exact cause and the popular media explanations regarding his untimely death is controversial in nature. Experts do not agree on the cause of the plane crash.
Denver started his recording career with the Chad Mitchell Trio; his distinctive voice can be heard where he sings solo on Violets of Dawn. He recorded three albums with the Mitchell Trio, replacing Chad Mitchell himself as lead singer. His group Denver, Boise and Johnson released a single before he moved on to a solo career.
Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert appeared as singers and songwriters on many of Denver's albums up until forming the Starland Vocal Band in 1976. The band's albums were released on Denver's Windstar label.
Denver's early solo success was largely due to a recording of his Leaving, on a Jet Plane which was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. It became a number 1 hit for the group.
Denver recorded songs by Tom Paxton, Eric Anderson, David Mallet, and many others in the folk scene.
Discography
In chronological order, 1969-1991 (U.S. Releases)
RCA Records
Rhymes & Reasons - 1969
Take Me To Tomorrow - 1970
Whose Garden Was This? - 1970
Poems, Prayers, and Promises - 1971
Aerie - 1972
Rocky Mountain High - 1972
Farewell Andromeda - 1973
Greatest Hits - 1973 ††
Back Home Again - 1974
An Evening with John Denver (live) - 1975
Windsong - 1975
Rocky Mountain Christmas - 1975
Spirit - 1976
Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - 1977
I Want To Live - 1977
John Denver (JD) - 1978
A Christmas Together (with The Muppets) - 1979
Autograph - 1980
Some Days Are Diamonds - 1981
Seasons of the Heart - 1982
It's About Time - 1983
Rocky Mountain Holiday (with The Muppets) - 1983
Greatest Hits Vol. 3 - 1984
Dreamland Express - 1985
One World - 1986
Windstar Records
Higher Ground - 1989
Earth Songs - 1990
The Flower That Shattered the Stone - 1990
Christmas, Like a Lullaby - 1990
Different Directions - 1991
The first "Greatest Hits" album is important historically because it contains new, revisionist recordings of several hit songs. After its release these versions were used for airplay despite differing in subtle but important ways from the original versions; generally, they are more polished.
|
| |
|
For more information , enjoy the official homepage of John Denver
|
|
|
