Career intermission program army3/12/2023 ![]() After more personnel changes, the trio later became known as "Denver, Boise, and Johnson" (John Denver, David Boise, and Michael Johnson). In 1965, he joined The Chad Mitchell Trio, replacing founder Chad Mitchell. Denver dropped out of Texas Tech in 1963 and moved to Los Angeles, where he sang in folk clubs. He was also a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Denver attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock and sang in a folk-music group, "The Alpine Trio", while studying architecture. He decided to change his name when Randy Sparks, founder of the New Christy Minstrels, suggested that 'Deutschendorf' would not fit comfortably on a marquee. He learned to play well enough to perform at local clubs by the time he was in college. Career Early career Īt age 11, Denver received an acoustic guitar from his grandmother. His father flew to California in a friend's jet to retrieve him, and Denver reluctantly returned to complete his schooling. Fort Worth was a distressing experience for Denver, 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. The family later moved to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, where Denver graduated from Arlington Heights High School. He was content in Tucson, but his father was then transferred to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, where Denver disliked the racism of his segregated school. ![]() ![]() While the family was stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, Denver was a member of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus for two years. ![]() Constantly being the new kid was troubling for the introverted Denver, and he grew up always feeling as though he should be somewhere else, but never knowing where that 'right' place was. Because Denver's father was in the military and his family moved often, it was difficult for him to make friends and fit in with other children of his own age. In his 1994 autobiography, Take Me Home, Denver described his life as the eldest son of a family shaped by a stern father who could not show his love for his children. (1920–1982), a United States Army Air Forces pilot stationed at Roswell Army Air Field, and his wife, Erma Louise (née Swope 1922–2010). was born on December 31, 1943, in Roswell, New Mexico, to Captain Henry John "Dutch" Deutschendorf Sr. 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.Īn avid pilot, Denver died in 1997 at age 53 in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane. In 1974, Denver was named poet laureate of the state. He lived in Aspen for much of his life, and he was known for his love of Colorado. 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. 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".ĭenver 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 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. He had 33 albums and singles that were certified Gold and Platinum in the U.S by the RIAA, with estimated sales of more than 33 million units. ĭenver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed. By 1974, he was one of America's best-selling performers AllMusic has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers of his era". Starting in the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists. 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. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer.
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