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John Denver

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

John Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1943. His father was an air force pilot, so the family moved often. At eleven he was given an acoustic guitar by his grandmother. His stage name came from Randy Sparks, founder of the New Christy Minstrels, who thought Deutschendorf did not fit on a billboard. Denver abandoned his architecture studies, moved to Los Angeles in 1963 and sang in folk clubs. In 1965 he succeeded Chad Mitchell in the Chad Mitchell Trio.

Music and breakthrough

As a solo artist he made his debut in 1966 with John Denver Sings. Albums followed such as Rhymes & Reasons in 1969, Poems, Prayers & Promises in 1971 and Rocky Mountain High in 1972. His best-known songs are Take Me Home, Country Roads, Annie's Song, Rocky Mountain High, Calypso, Thank God I'm a Country Boy and Sunshine on My Shoulders. He wrote hundreds, about two hundred of them himself. He also appeared in television programmes and, in 1977, in the film Oh, God! alongside George Burns.

Influence

Denver sang mostly with acoustic guitar about nature, love and his dislike of city life. His music reached the country charts as well as the Hot 100 and the adult contemporary chart. He campaigned for the environment and for space exploration, and spoke before the United States Congress against censorship in music. Colorado made Rocky Mountain High a state song and West Virginia did the same with Take Me Home, Country Roads. He was killed in 1997 in a plane crash, in an aircraft he was piloting himself.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Take Me Home, Country Roads and notice how the acoustic guitar and the singalong chorus together evoke a warm, rural feeling.

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: Artists