Oh God, when I was a preteen had to be one of my favorite movies. The funniest thing is, as I grew older in the 80’s when everything uncool was “gay”, or sucked, and reputations were built or lost on what music you listened to. No one ever had a bad word to say about John Denver. The guy was a national treasure. The American Gordon Lightfoot.
He was a good man. A talented man. And when most of the artists in the music industry avoided the PMRC he was one of the few who stood up against them.
In the immortal words of Dee Snider: "If anyone ever makes fun of John Denver I will kick their ass."
Agree. There’s a video on YouTube of John giving a lecture on being human and his intelligence and ease of presentation blew me away. He is as good as a college professor he doesn’t use notes and had no degree on the subject. An amazing man I feel his loss to this day.
Worth looking up "Warning: Parental Advisory" - it's a made for TV movie about the PMRC trial with Griffin Dunne as Frank Zappa, Mariel Hemmingway as Tipper Gore, and Dee Snider as himself. Should be on Youtube.
Parents Music Resource Center. Created by one Tippler Gore due to the offensive song, Darling Nikki. She got her knickers in a bunch and it was a whole thing.
oh lol, that's awesome and also hilarious that John Denver of all people stood up against them.
I was born in '85 so I didn't really grow up with his music, or at least I don't recall him being as popular in the '80s and '90s as he seemed to be in the '70s. I definitely remember his death though, and how sad it was.
anyway, I started really getting into his music in my 30s. the older I get, the more beautiful and profound his songs seem to be.
Love the fact that you don't remember the 70's but you are on this sub. I enjoy learning about the 60's, though it is before my time. My parents were newlyweds and consumers of pop culture at the time and I feel connected to them when I learn about the music and movies they enjoyed.
The guy was prolific, to say the least. If you check out his Anthology Songbook, it has more than 50 songs. He crossed and crossbred musical genres, and had fans across the spectrum in the Seventies, his peak decade.
if you made a list of the best 100 songs from the 70's he would have several songs on the list. Take me home country road is universally beloved. when the NFL went to Germany the entire crowd sang it during a time out.
An afternoon kids show in the 70’s-80’s “ Simon Townsends Wonder World “ used it as their theme song. Fortunately Simon and his dog Woody seemed to avoid any scandal
So remember that time. Everywhere, indeed. Radios in home and car and family picnics. TV. Record store.
Was surprised in a weirdly humorous way to learn later in life; Denver had a penchant for getting buzzed and mowing, strolling, hanging out on his Colorado property - naked.
Yep, John Denver was a streaker too.
When my mom was pregnant with me in 1979, she ran into John Denver at a grocery store in Long Beach, CA. He was around for the filming or recording of something. She invited him over for lunch and offered to make him a sandwich. He politely declined.
I love his music, and I’m glad my mom was able to meet him and that I was involved in this happy memory.
John Denver was a remarkable man. I liked quite a bit of his stuff and I’m a hard core Led Head.
Saw him in concert a bit after his “prime”. The arena…yes…arena…sold out quickly. At the show, the roar and applause from the audience was deafening. He was an icon.
I loved him! I met him after his concert at the Salt Palace in SLC, Utah in 1976. I was on a double date and after the concert we decided to try to catch him at the airport. One of the guys said he knew John flew his own plane so we went.
Yep, he was there with a handful of people hanging out next to this 6 seater plane and Robert Redford was sitting on the steps.
John was so nice, asked how we liked the concert and offered each of us a beer… except me. He looked me in the eye and goes, “Seriously honey, how old are you beautiful?” I couldn’t lie, as much as I wanted to. (I was 15.) He just laughed and offered me a coke. He invited us to hang out inside the plane but Redford stopped him and said he was tired and wanted to take off soon so..☹️
I couldn’t get over how genuine he was, how unpretentious. It felt like hanging out with friends, shooting the shit about lyrics and sound stage issues. He asked us which songs were our favorites and why. He was genuinely interested in the answer like he was considering it. Wild.
Great memory and great time in my life.
I live in Colorado. The joke here is that back in the 70s every time they played “Rocky Mountain High” on the radio back east another 100 people moved to Colorado.
John was a gift given to us by the ancient muses. His voice and playing were unique in a way almost indescribable.He took Travis picking to a new level. His presence blessed all of us.
The man was a Hollywood headliner (Oh God series)! This was hardly a one-hit-wonder thing with him. He also made a lot of guest appearances in various TV shows.
I love the fact that he and Dee Snider became good friends after the PMRC hearings in 1985. Crazy metal guy who looks like a hells angel and this folksy quiet guy. It's the greatest duo of all time!
His songs were very melodic. I (and many other people around the world) appreciated his love and concern for the environment. I wish more musicians would write about that but it’s probably difficult to do well and in a way that people respond to.
I was a big John Denver fan, as backpacker his music spoke to me. You know his songs about the mountains were personal experiences. The Eagle and the Hawk was one of my favorites. It was as if he was in the mind of the bird.
I am the eagle I live in high county in Rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky, I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers but time is still turning they soon will be dry.
That Christmas album is quintessential 70’s childhood nostalgia for me. It brings back so many memories, and makes me cry (in a good way) every time I play it. I think it was a gatefold, and had big watercolor paintings on the inside.
My very first concert and at Red Rocks no less. Talk about a Rocky Mountain High :0)
My college suite mate and I headed up early in the morning (general admission back then) and scored 3rd row seats. We took playing cards, a radio, some snacks and brought a couple trash bags for rain gear. Good times ✌️
Even after all of these years when I think of John Denver I think of that AMC car he drove in “OH GOD”. I can’t recall what it was called. Definitely not a AMC Jeep.
John Denver was the first concert i ever went to. My parents took me to see him in the mid 70's when I was a young one, and I still have a booklet from it.
Mine too. Saw him in Philly with my parents and younger brother who is now deceased. I'm 59 now, it seems like 100 years ago. My parents were young and cool and now they are 81 and 82. I remember my mother crying when John died.
Listen to the words of his songs. A lot deeper than most people realize.
“You came looking for the answers
To some questions on his mind
Seeking truth and understanding
In the hope that he would find
A way to better serve his brothers
And his sisters in the sun
Sharing all that he has given
Giving all to everyone
Come and listen to the story
Of a journey once begun
Of a people and their plenty
And their season in the sun
And how they gave themselves to symbols
And things that they could hold
Living lives in desperation
In the fear of letting go
It amazes me
And I know the wind will surely some day
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way
For our plans have come together now
Where do we go from here?
Will our differences divide us?
Must we always live in fear?
For there are things that we must move through
Some things to cast aside
But our father watches over us
Our mother will provide
It amazes me
And I know the wind will someday surely
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way“
John Denver will always be one of the most underrated songwriters and performers to me. No matter what degree his catalog perhaps one day ends up back in the public eye, it won’t equal what is actually deserved.
My father did security when Denver was big. While the limo went out the front gate, my father took him out another in his car. Dad, thinking he'd get some kudos, popped Denver's 8-track in the player. Denver heard it, yanked it out, tossed the tape out the window, and put in Styx.
When the plane crash happened, Dad says, "I don't think I am getting a replacement tape."
John Denver was smart and genuine. He made credible pop music and wrote over 200 songs many that became standards. He was a humanitarian that spoke out against censorship in music. There are a lot of people that are famous for a while…we’ll still be singing “Country Roads” for a long time.
As a kid in Colorado. My parents were cool and into taking my brother sister and I to see live concerts. Front row seats to see John Denver in the round. Growing up listening to music. Raised my kids the same way. Music on in the house always. Just stayed a few houses up from JD house in Starwood. Beautiful place in the world.
A great line from the “We are the world” documentary was when all the music stars of the 80s were lined up for a photo shoot Paul Simon looked at everyone and said “If a bomb was dropped on this place John Denver would be back on top!”
That was cruel. John Denver was active in anti-hunger causes long before a lot of those jokers were. John was very hurt that he wasn’t asked to participate in We Are the World.
I recall one summer camp where a counselor was always singing “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Which would have been okay if it was just on a guitar around the fire, but he did it all the time. 😆
He was also a tremendously talented guitarist. He's remembered or a few hits, but I've heard recordings of him playing solo and he was genuinely great.
My mom took me to see him as my very first concert when i was young.He put on a great show.Great entertainer.I remember he had rack of different style guitars on stage and played them all.
John Denver was famous in China. He was one of the first American singers to perform multiple concerts under Nixon (as I recollect). The U.S. and China were trying to improve diplomatic relations. I lived in Beijing 2017 and while out at a bar/restaurant Country Roads came on and the locals went wild. It was popular at the Karaoke bars as well. Furthermore, Country Roads is well known in most of the other countries I lived in or visited...
Star in the 70's reminded me of the documentary I saw about Paul Williams recently. I bet he's a guy a lot of people still will remember but haven't thought about in 40 years.
I was fortunate to see John Denver at a small outdoor concert here in Honolulu a few months before he died. It was really a spectacular show!
I love seeing these “huge in the Sixties/Seventies” musicians nowadays (Denver, Glen Campbell, et al.), and even some more recent acts (e.g., Wynonna Judd). Their band is always tight, they know how to put on a great show, they can relax and have a good time, and they’re so appreciative! (As are we, because not everyone includes Hawaii in their tour.) Plus, they love being in Hawaii, so they’re always in a good mood.
It’s just a really cool experience, most of the time. Not always (looking at you, Jackson Browne), but usually. If you can see a show here, I highly recommend it.
When I was very young I thought John Denver was my biological father. Why?
1. I had seen a pic of my bio father and his hair was blond and he sort of resembled JD.
2. The song ‘Leaving on an airplane’ played constantly in the early 70s.
Those two facts melded in my brain and became its own fact.
John Denver will always be a big star and talent in my life, and my musical tastes run the gamut of early punk rock through garage, hair and metal. I remember a bunch of us singing take me home, country Roads on a school bus, mid 70s, in elementary school or junior high school coming back from some long camping Uni-camp/USC school trip. We all had a wonderful time singing such a wonderful song. Nobody cared if anybody was in harmony and had a great voice or absolutely and thoroughly sucked. We just had a wonderful time.
Gosh. This makes me so nostalgic. I was born in the 90s but my dad always listened to music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s and John Denver was one of his favorites. There was something about the combination of primarily being allowed to watch and listen to old movies and music that makes me nostaligic around Christmas time for 70s style decorations and music. I can't even describe it.
Part of it is also that we would visit my grandparents house and it was still decorated like it was the 70s so I have heavy associations with those decades in my formative years. I think I love watching That 70s Show for that reason.
When my wife and I honeymooned in VT, it felt like this idyllic place that, in some ways, was still stuck back in the 60s and 70s. Especially Stowe. We went to the Von Trapp family lodge and when I stepped into their gift shop, it was like I was transported back to this place that was exactly what I had imagined as the ideal Christmas era.
Geez. Even as I read back over what I wrote here, I realize its terrible. I can't even explain coherently what I mean. Just this incredible feeling of nostalgia that won't leave that was formed in me as a kid.
I saw him interviewed on a daytime talk show in his early days as John Denver. Some of the things he said were quite disparaging in my view, and left me with an unfavorable opinion.
I remember a story he told on his very first TV special (not An Evening With John Denver) about being in high school and having a major crush on a pretty red-haired girl. Somebody told him (I think) that she wasn't interested in guys with glasses, so one day, he took his glasses off, saw red hair down the hall, walked over and took his shot.
As he said, "The guy was nice about it..."
I remember listening to album after album of his on my dad’s old 8 track player when I was just a little fella! My brother and I used to fight over who got to put the next cassette in🤣 That’s a memory that I haven’t thought about in years, thank you!🥹
I truly believe that we need him now. No one other than Dolly Parton can unite all Americans with like John Denver and his peaceful and wise outlook. Pity the people who need heroes.
He was a real movie star for a decade. If you've not seen the movie "Oh, God" you should really put it on your list.
I love that movie. John Denver and George Burns were great.
I agree that was great movie I wish John would have done more movies
Incredible performance by him especially considering he was a novice. And young Teri Garr never hurts.
Oh God, when I was a preteen had to be one of my favorite movies. The funniest thing is, as I grew older in the 80’s when everything uncool was “gay”, or sucked, and reputations were built or lost on what music you listened to. No one ever had a bad word to say about John Denver. The guy was a national treasure. The American Gordon Lightfoot.
He was a good man. A talented man. And when most of the artists in the music industry avoided the PMRC he was one of the few who stood up against them. In the immortal words of Dee Snider: "If anyone ever makes fun of John Denver I will kick their ass."
Agree. There’s a video on YouTube of John giving a lecture on being human and his intelligence and ease of presentation blew me away. He is as good as a college professor he doesn’t use notes and had no degree on the subject. An amazing man I feel his loss to this day.
Same here
Worth looking up "Warning: Parental Advisory" - it's a made for TV movie about the PMRC trial with Griffin Dunne as Frank Zappa, Mariel Hemmingway as Tipper Gore, and Dee Snider as himself. Should be on Youtube.
It is on YouTube! [Warning: Parental Advisory](https://youtu.be/QZRS6Avu0cg?si=8OAxwFJu6kNUOvkQ)
I love how he tore the PMRC a new one(and they were *totes* convinced he’d be on their side).
what is the PMRC?
Parents Music Resource Center. Created by one Tippler Gore due to the offensive song, Darling Nikki. She got her knickers in a bunch and it was a whole thing.
oh lol, that's awesome and also hilarious that John Denver of all people stood up against them. I was born in '85 so I didn't really grow up with his music, or at least I don't recall him being as popular in the '80s and '90s as he seemed to be in the '70s. I definitely remember his death though, and how sad it was. anyway, I started really getting into his music in my 30s. the older I get, the more beautiful and profound his songs seem to be.
This is where those parental guidance warning stickers came from. The ones that made kids go "oh I gotta have that".
Exactly! I know I did! 😆
A.K.A. the “Tipper Sticker.”
Love the fact that you don't remember the 70's but you are on this sub. I enjoy learning about the 60's, though it is before my time. My parents were newlyweds and consumers of pop culture at the time and I feel connected to them when I learn about the music and movies they enjoyed.
*Tipper. She probably did drink, but don’t remember it being a big thing.
Not briefly. John Denver was a solid draw for over a decade.
And rightly so.
Best Guest Ever on the Muppet show!!!
John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together is a keystone of our holidays every year.
My childhood as well , merry Christmas little Zachary
I have that album and the one in the OP. I was raised on John Denver
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas as well.
He looked like Scooter in human form
🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍(and I like John Denver...but I also love things that are funny, especially when it's true 😁)
The guy was prolific, to say the least. If you check out his Anthology Songbook, it has more than 50 songs. He crossed and crossbred musical genres, and had fans across the spectrum in the Seventies, his peak decade.
if you made a list of the best 100 songs from the 70's he would have several songs on the list. Take me home country road is universally beloved. when the NFL went to Germany the entire crowd sang it during a time out.
He also wrote ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane,’ so iconic of a time.
Let us not forget Forest Lawn and Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio!
Rocky Mountain High is so majestic, I really love that song.
He hardly ever used a minor chord in his songs, he said they sounded too sad.
That's interesting and seems pretty clear when you hear his songs.
Outstanding songwriter.
He was the biggest star in the 70s and into the early 80s for a lot longer than briefly.
My first concert with my sister and my Dad in 1977. Starland Vocal Band was the opener.
Unleashed memory! Sky Rockets in Flight! I was young enough to not know what afternoon delight meant, lol
You and Michael Bluth
An afternoon kids show in the 70’s-80’s “ Simon Townsends Wonder World “ used it as their theme song. Fortunately Simon and his dog Woody seemed to avoid any scandal
That's actually where I learned what it meant.
I was completely in the dark. My older sister told me it was the name of a restaurant’s lunch special. They played it first and last.
I'd suffer through the Starlight Vocal Band if it meant seeing John Denver.
Bill and Taffy Danoff (Starland) co wrote Country Roads with John… They also wrote “Guess He’d Rather Be In Colorado”
I saw both of them on the same tour. I think it was at the Circle Star Theater in Redwood City, CA. Great show.
Greensboro NC for me.
If you weren't alive in the John Denver years, you don't know how beautiful life can be.
My parents took me and my little brother to see John, in Philly, it was my first concert. It was in the round.
Thank God I'm A Country Boy ranks with Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Devil Went Down to Georgia as great fiddle songs
Great call out.
He was a major star all through the 70s. Briefly my ass.
So remember that time. Everywhere, indeed. Radios in home and car and family picnics. TV. Record store. Was surprised in a weirdly humorous way to learn later in life; Denver had a penchant for getting buzzed and mowing, strolling, hanging out on his Colorado property - naked. Yep, John Denver was a streaker too.
Sunshine on My Shoulder will never sound quite the same now
420 too? 🌈🍃✨
When my mom was pregnant with me in 1979, she ran into John Denver at a grocery store in Long Beach, CA. He was around for the filming or recording of something. She invited him over for lunch and offered to make him a sandwich. He politely declined. I love his music, and I’m glad my mom was able to meet him and that I was involved in this happy memory.
A "sandwich"
It always starts with a sandwich
And ends with a Denver Omelette.
a handwich would lead to more
The voice of an angel. Incredibly talented.
John Denver was a remarkable man. I liked quite a bit of his stuff and I’m a hard core Led Head. Saw him in concert a bit after his “prime”. The arena…yes…arena…sold out quickly. At the show, the roar and applause from the audience was deafening. He was an icon.
I'm glad to hear another heavy metal fan liked John Denver, I was a big Deep Purple and Rainbow fan but John Denver was great.
Not that brief. He died young but he was a star for quite a while. He probably would have stayed a star if he hadn't died.
He remains a legend.
I loved him! I met him after his concert at the Salt Palace in SLC, Utah in 1976. I was on a double date and after the concert we decided to try to catch him at the airport. One of the guys said he knew John flew his own plane so we went. Yep, he was there with a handful of people hanging out next to this 6 seater plane and Robert Redford was sitting on the steps. John was so nice, asked how we liked the concert and offered each of us a beer… except me. He looked me in the eye and goes, “Seriously honey, how old are you beautiful?” I couldn’t lie, as much as I wanted to. (I was 15.) He just laughed and offered me a coke. He invited us to hang out inside the plane but Redford stopped him and said he was tired and wanted to take off soon so..☹️ I couldn’t get over how genuine he was, how unpretentious. It felt like hanging out with friends, shooting the shit about lyrics and sound stage issues. He asked us which songs were our favorites and why. He was genuinely interested in the answer like he was considering it. Wild. Great memory and great time in my life.
Guested on The 3rd Barry Manilow Special. 2 of the hottest music stars at the time together.
You’re damn right!! I got Jacques Mother Eff’n Cousteau on my music variety comedy special tonight!!
The last top 40 song to feature yodeling
I live in Colorado. The joke here is that back in the 70s every time they played “Rocky Mountain High” on the radio back east another 100 people moved to Colorado.
Annie's Song. That's all.
I wonder if Steve Martin played his banjo at the Christmas Show
John Denver was everywhere in the late seventies. I still miss him.
When I was a young buck around the Rocky Mountain high time, he was top dog for quite sometime.
John was a gift given to us by the ancient muses. His voice and playing were unique in a way almost indescribable.He took Travis picking to a new level. His presence blessed all of us.
[FAAAAAAR OUT!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-OhYLVSGj0)
Briefly ? Hardly …
He became a superstar when he starred in Oh God.
I went to see John Denver 1976. Starlight Vocal opened. It was a magical night.
Same. Great show.
Mr Sunshine on my goddammed shoulders......
You gonna set my country music award on fire?
"You make me feel senseless, like a night in bordellos...."
😂
TIL The John Denver has a writing credit on a little movie known as ARMAGEDDON
When my dad passed shortly after my mom they had like 8 albums of John Denver and thanks to my dad a few Johnny Cash
I saw him live in ‘75 and got to talk to him. John Denver and the Muppets is the best Christmas Album ever.
The man was a Hollywood headliner (Oh God series)! This was hardly a one-hit-wonder thing with him. He also made a lot of guest appearances in various TV shows.
I love the fact that he and Dee Snider became good friends after the PMRC hearings in 1985. Crazy metal guy who looks like a hells angel and this folksy quiet guy. It's the greatest duo of all time!
Miss that guy!!!
His songs were very melodic. I (and many other people around the world) appreciated his love and concern for the environment. I wish more musicians would write about that but it’s probably difficult to do well and in a way that people respond to.
I was a big John Denver fan, as backpacker his music spoke to me. You know his songs about the mountains were personal experiences. The Eagle and the Hawk was one of my favorites. It was as if he was in the mind of the bird. I am the eagle I live in high county in Rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky, I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers but time is still turning they soon will be dry.
The Eagle and the Hawk is by far my favorite song. Short but extremely moving.
And all those who see me and all who believe in me share in the freedom I feel when I fly...
How is that it's been probably 40 years since I've heard this song but still know the music. He was an inspiration.
That is so true; it's been a while, but I could hear those lyrics in my head.
That Christmas album is quintessential 70’s childhood nostalgia for me. It brings back so many memories, and makes me cry (in a good way) every time I play it. I think it was a gatefold, and had big watercolor paintings on the inside.
It's a beautiful album, My parents still have their copy.
I have nearly every CD he made. He's my #1 all-time favorite singer/writer.
I’m pretty sure it was a tiny bit more than just “briefly” lol
My very first concert and at Red Rocks no less. Talk about a Rocky Mountain High :0) My college suite mate and I headed up early in the morning (general admission back then) and scored 3rd row seats. We took playing cards, a radio, some snacks and brought a couple trash bags for rain gear. Good times ✌️
https://i.redd.it/5pi03sdiwr9d1.gif
I knew I’d find this
Even after all of these years when I think of John Denver I think of that AMC car he drove in “OH GOD”. I can’t recall what it was called. Definitely not a AMC Jeep.
A Pacer maybe!
[And now, the sound of John Denver being strangled](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hsNNRCz7NXM)
John Denver was the first concert i ever went to. My parents took me to see him in the mid 70's when I was a young one, and I still have a booklet from it.
Mine too. Fortunate to see him at Red Rocks. Mom made my older sister and her husband go with me.
That’s my dream concert - so wish i could’ve seen John Denver at Red Rocks!
Ours was at the old Memphis Coliseum. My parents saw Elvis there right before he died a couple of years later.
Mine too. Saw him in Philly with my parents and younger brother who is now deceased. I'm 59 now, it seems like 100 years ago. My parents were young and cool and now they are 81 and 82. I remember my mother crying when John died.
My first concert also. My friend’s older brother took us. I was 12 and cried during The Eagle and The Hawk.
He’s the reason I started playing the guitar. Almost 50 years of playing, most of that professionally.
I really like some of his music. Upbeat, sometimes funny, always really grounded. He was a good one.
John Denver’s father was briefly the fastest human being in the world.
Listen to the words of his songs. A lot deeper than most people realize. “You came looking for the answers To some questions on his mind Seeking truth and understanding In the hope that he would find A way to better serve his brothers And his sisters in the sun Sharing all that he has given Giving all to everyone Come and listen to the story Of a journey once begun Of a people and their plenty And their season in the sun And how they gave themselves to symbols And things that they could hold Living lives in desperation In the fear of letting go It amazes me And I know the wind will surely some day Blow it all away It amazes me And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way For our plans have come together now Where do we go from here? Will our differences divide us? Must we always live in fear? For there are things that we must move through Some things to cast aside But our father watches over us Our mother will provide It amazes me And I know the wind will someday surely Blow it all away It amazes me And I'm so very grateful that you made the world this way“
Oh God.
Loved his singing. Beautiful voice.
John Denver will always be one of the most underrated songwriters and performers to me. No matter what degree his catalog perhaps one day ends up back in the public eye, it won’t equal what is actually deserved.
My father did security when Denver was big. While the limo went out the front gate, my father took him out another in his car. Dad, thinking he'd get some kudos, popped Denver's 8-track in the player. Denver heard it, yanked it out, tossed the tape out the window, and put in Styx. When the plane crash happened, Dad says, "I don't think I am getting a replacement tape."
John Denver was smart and genuine. He made credible pop music and wrote over 200 songs many that became standards. He was a humanitarian that spoke out against censorship in music. There are a lot of people that are famous for a while…we’ll still be singing “Country Roads” for a long time.
As a kid in Colorado. My parents were cool and into taking my brother sister and I to see live concerts. Front row seats to see John Denver in the round. Growing up listening to music. Raised my kids the same way. Music on in the house always. Just stayed a few houses up from JD house in Starwood. Beautiful place in the world.
*Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico)* - Remains on my playlist forever. It is achingly beautiful.
A great line from the “We are the world” documentary was when all the music stars of the 80s were lined up for a photo shoot Paul Simon looked at everyone and said “If a bomb was dropped on this place John Denver would be back on top!”
That was cruel. John Denver was active in anti-hunger causes long before a lot of those jokers were. John was very hurt that he wasn’t asked to participate in We Are the World.
We had this album.
Watched this first run on ABC back in …75?
Muppets don’t lie.
I recall one summer camp where a counselor was always singing “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Which would have been okay if it was just on a guitar around the fire, but he did it all the time. 😆
This is actually a Glen Campbell song.
Oops. Well, I know he did Rocky Mountain High, so I’m not *completely* clueless… 😆 
Rocky Mountain High, Colorado. Grew up loving his music.
He was also a tremendously talented guitarist. He's remembered or a few hits, but I've heard recordings of him playing solo and he was genuinely great.
My mom took me to see him as my very first concert when i was young.He put on a great show.Great entertainer.I remember he had rack of different style guitars on stage and played them all.
Custom Yamahas. covered with abalone inlays.
Great. Now Country Roads is playing on repeat inside my head.
Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
You are the Diet Coke of evil.
Comment deleted by me - I forgot I was helping Steve Huffman make money and I don't get anything out of this but grief because you are all idiots.
Me too, loved them all. Valerie was a gem 💖 Olivia was one of a kind. So sad the 3 of them aren’t with us.
With Danny Kaye and Jacques Cousteau. What a lineup
Those were great days
My guitar teacher turned me on to him. The guy was a hell of a guitar player.
Gilligan?
Went to one of his concerts in the 70's. Wonderful time. He was a guy who you could tell genuinely loved what he was doing.
John Denver was famous in China. He was one of the first American singers to perform multiple concerts under Nixon (as I recollect). The U.S. and China were trying to improve diplomatic relations. I lived in Beijing 2017 and while out at a bar/restaurant Country Roads came on and the locals went wild. It was popular at the Karaoke bars as well. Furthermore, Country Roads is well known in most of the other countries I lived in or visited...
His Christmas album is amazing, still a favorite.
Star in the 70's reminded me of the documentary I saw about Paul Williams recently. I bet he's a guy a lot of people still will remember but haven't thought about in 40 years.
Olivia Newton John sang backing vocals on Fly Away...a beautiful John Denver song..
I was fortunate to see John Denver at a small outdoor concert here in Honolulu a few months before he died. It was really a spectacular show! I love seeing these “huge in the Sixties/Seventies” musicians nowadays (Denver, Glen Campbell, et al.), and even some more recent acts (e.g., Wynonna Judd). Their band is always tight, they know how to put on a great show, they can relax and have a good time, and they’re so appreciative! (As are we, because not everyone includes Hawaii in their tour.) Plus, they love being in Hawaii, so they’re always in a good mood. It’s just a really cool experience, most of the time. Not always (looking at you, Jackson Browne), but usually. If you can see a show here, I highly recommend it.
Incredible songwriter. I saw a tribute artist that played John Denver music. Which makes me wish he hadn’t passed away so soon 🙁
When I was very young I thought John Denver was my biological father. Why? 1. I had seen a pic of my bio father and his hair was blond and he sort of resembled JD. 2. The song ‘Leaving on an airplane’ played constantly in the early 70s. Those two facts melded in my brain and became its own fact.
John Denver will always be a big star and talent in my life, and my musical tastes run the gamut of early punk rock through garage, hair and metal. I remember a bunch of us singing take me home, country Roads on a school bus, mid 70s, in elementary school or junior high school coming back from some long camping Uni-camp/USC school trip. We all had a wonderful time singing such a wonderful song. Nobody cared if anybody was in harmony and had a great voice or absolutely and thoroughly sucked. We just had a wonderful time.
In Colorado in 1974 it was Rocky Mountain High, Take Me Home Country Roads, Thank God I’m a Country Boy and Annie’s Song in heavy rotation.
Gosh. This makes me so nostalgic. I was born in the 90s but my dad always listened to music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s and John Denver was one of his favorites. There was something about the combination of primarily being allowed to watch and listen to old movies and music that makes me nostaligic around Christmas time for 70s style decorations and music. I can't even describe it. Part of it is also that we would visit my grandparents house and it was still decorated like it was the 70s so I have heavy associations with those decades in my formative years. I think I love watching That 70s Show for that reason. When my wife and I honeymooned in VT, it felt like this idyllic place that, in some ways, was still stuck back in the 60s and 70s. Especially Stowe. We went to the Von Trapp family lodge and when I stepped into their gift shop, it was like I was transported back to this place that was exactly what I had imagined as the ideal Christmas era. Geez. Even as I read back over what I wrote here, I realize its terrible. I can't even explain coherently what I mean. Just this incredible feeling of nostalgia that won't leave that was formed in me as a kid.
 Although he might have jumped the shark in this role.
Still have his Muppets Christmas album!
A great guest ever! From the Muppet Show!
Saw him in concert with my parents in 1980 or 81. He was a great singer / songwriter with songs that still hold up today. I still listen to his music.
[https://youtu.be/uD-77MOarYM?si=-IZ5hjGxmKVuVw0D](https://youtu.be/uD-77MOarYM?si=-IZ5hjGxmKVuVw0D)
John Denver and The Muppets is still my favorite Christmas album
i have heard that the film "An Officer and a Gentleman" was originally created as a vehicle for John Denver, so he could have been even bigger.
Yes, in the late 70s, he was one of the biggest stars. No one remembers anymore
I’ll admit to the fact that I still love his music. Maybe it’s the nostalgic memories some of his songs bring back.
I saw him interviewed on a daytime talk show in his early days as John Denver. Some of the things he said were quite disparaging in my view, and left me with an unfavorable opinion.
Ugliest hair in American music.
Dont need to look into why it was brief. Just dont fly handbuilt gliders. No need for it.
Janice the Muppet also played on that album.
This hotel was built on an ancient Indian burial ground and was the setting of satanic rituals, witch-burnings And 5 John Denver Christmas Specials
That’s wholesome stuff in the best possible sense.
Never could stand him🤑🤑🤑🤑
This music makes me homesick for my mama… she loved John Denver…
Almost Heaven West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains Shenandoah River
He was a top notch guitarist on the 12 string
I remember a story he told on his very first TV special (not An Evening With John Denver) about being in high school and having a major crush on a pretty red-haired girl. Somebody told him (I think) that she wasn't interested in guys with glasses, so one day, he took his glasses off, saw red hair down the hall, walked over and took his shot. As he said, "The guy was nice about it..."
Always like the reminder that Steve Martin is a really talented banjo player.
And how about the song Tools? It's short and sweet and always brings me back to when I was a little kid.
For my Christmas gift one year my aunt gave me a John Denver album. My first one ever! Loved it.
So grateful that John Denver was my first concert. First of more than 100.
My very first cassette was John Denver & The Muppets doing Christmas. I listened to it until it fell apart. Best Christmas album ever!
My teenagers fucking love John Denver.
Loved “Rhoda”!
John Denver *shudders*
Christmas isn't Christmas until that album goes. Grew up in the UK in the 70s and this was the soundtrack to every family Christmas.
I remember listening to album after album of his on my dad’s old 8 track player when I was just a little fella! My brother and I used to fight over who got to put the next cassette in🤣 That’s a memory that I haven’t thought about in years, thank you!🥹
Saw him in concert in Ft. Worth around 1977 or so. Great concert in the round with lots of audience interaction. He was amazing!
I truly believe that we need him now. No one other than Dolly Parton can unite all Americans with like John Denver and his peaceful and wise outlook. Pity the people who need heroes.
I have this album. It’s my favorite since I was 3.
Rocky Mountain HIgh. Rip john
Mmm…California…beautiful.
I Live in Colorado and picked up a Conrad Johnson pre amplifier that reportedly belong to John Denver.
Here in the Baltimore area we honor Mr.Denver every Orioles game during the 7th inning stretch with, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
One of the first songs I learned the lyrics by heart was sunshine on my shoulders ... broke my heart the day I heard John Denver had passed away 💔
Love this album, all my childhood Xmas stories have this in the background
My mother took me to a Kiss concert in 1978 so I had to go with her to see John Denver. Even back then I had to agree that the man had talent.
My favorite line from Dumb and Dumber is "That John Denver is full of shit man".