I'm sorry for all the lies I told you
I'm sorry for the things I didn't say
But more than anything else
I'm sorry for myself
I can't believe you went away
I'm sorry if I took some things for granted
I'm sorry for the chains I put on you
But more than anything else
I'm sorry for myself
For living without you ....John Denver
Copyright 1975 Cherry Lane Music Co. (ASCAP)
From the albums WINDSONG and John Denver's GREATEST HITS #2
His music is the celebration of life, of trees and flowers, the Rocky Mountains, blue skies and the people he loves. Beyond all the sweetness, however, his words contain the everpresent note of hope for the human condition as well as a great appreciation of Mother Nature's wares.
Always present is that hope for the achievement of man's potential, for universal peace. Positive, optimistic, full of wonder...John Denver. Amid his own contagious laughter, he lectured on subjects ranging from astronomy to grizzly bears and left no room for doubt of his knowledge on the subject. The mop of straight blonde hair, those wire rim glasses and the gleam in his eye gave credence to his tales.
In his early years, John Denver gained immense popularity on the national college concert circuit without the benefit of a hit record, in itself something of an achievement in a day of slavish devotion to the charts. Four RCA albums later, he had a smash million selling single in "Take Me Home, Country Roads," written in collaboration with Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. The album was "Poems, Prayers and Promises" and it went gold. This was followed by the gold album "Aerie." He was still welcome on college campuses, doing one-nighters for three and four weeks at a time, but he also put in appearances at such noted concert showcases as The Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and famed Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Rocky Mountain High sold well over 1,200,000 copies since its release in September, 1972. He followed it with a another smash album called "Farewell, Andromeda" which features such Denver compositions as "I'd Rather Be a Cowboy," "Rocky Mountain Suite," and the title tune, "Farewell, Andromeda."
John Denver first came to national prominence when his composition of "Leaving on a Jet Plane," performed by Mary Travers, became a hit song in 1969. Ironically enough, he recorded the song on his first album, "Rhymes and Reasons," but it didn't became a hit until Peter, Paul and Mary released it as a single.
Born on New Year's Eve in Roswell, New Mexico, John grew up in an Air Force family, receiving his formal education in schools all over the country. Many towns from Oklahoma to California claim him as their hometown boy, the kid next door.
He had thought of becoming a pilot like his father, holder of three records in military aviation, but in college at Texas Tech he studied architecture. Infected by the folk music craze of the time, John packed up his 1955 Chevy and left school for California to play the folk club circuit. He took a job as a draftsman in Los Angeles and sang in cofeehouses at night. Eventually, he cut some demonstration records and was sent to New York to audition to be Chad Mitchell's replacement in the popular Chad Mitchel Trio. He beat out some 250 applicants for the spot.
But the traveling bothered him. "For the first year I didn't live anywhere," he remembered. "Just traveling around and living out of a suitcase. That was when I wrote, "Leaving on a Jet Plane", as much out of a desire to have someone to sing it to as to sing it to someone."
After two and a half years as a lead singer for the group, John Denver decided to go out on his own. His wife, Annie didn't like to travel as the song "Goodbye Again" was born. His said his song explained his feelings about being away from his wife and home.
John Denver's rise from the early 70's catapulted him into a category which few artists achieve. He became one of the top five recording artists in the sales history of the music industry. The LP "John Denver's Greatest Hits" has exceeded the sale of 10 million copies and is still one of the largest selling albums in the history of RCA records.
John Denver's musical magic was a global experience. He performed concert tours throughout the world. In 1984 he was invited by the Soviet Union of Composers to perform in their country. The following year he did a concert tour in the U.S.S.R. and marked the first performance by an American artist since the suspension of cultural exchanges between the United States and and the Soviet Union. He went back in 1987 and held a benefit concert for the victims of Chernobyl. In October of 1992 he was the first Western artist to do a concert tour of mainland China. He was pleased and somewhat astonished to discover how popular and well-known his songs were with the Chinese. "Take Me Home, Country Roads," he was told, "is the most famous song written in the west." A great favorite through the Orient, John desired to return to China and Southeast Asia when his schedule would permit.
"My music and all my work stem from the conviction that people everywhere are intrinsically the same," Denver says. "When I write a song, I want to take the personal experience or observation that inspired it and express it in as universal a way as possible. I'm a global citizen. I've created that for myself, and I don't want to step away from it. I want to work in whatever I do - my music, my writing, my performing, my commitments, my home and personal life - in a way that is directed towards a world in balance, a world that creates a better quality of life for all people." This, among other dedications, led to the establishment of the Windstar Foundation, a non-profit environmental education and research center co-founded by Denver in 1976 that works toward a sustainable future for the world.
Not just a fine performer, Denver's music clearly reflected the conscious of a concerned citizen, a man working for the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples - environmentally, socially and politically. He was asked to serve as a member of the Presidential Commission on World and Domestic Hunger. He was one of the five founders of The Hunger Project, and, as part of both that commitment and to UNICEF as well, he was a member of the fact-finding delegation which toured African countries devastated by drought and starvation. Denver was awarded the Presidential "World Without Hunger" Award; he is a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation, Save the Children, The Cousteau Society, Friends of the Earth and the Human/Dolphin Foundation, to name just a few.
Most recently, Denver created "Plant-It 2000", a plan that urges people all over the world to plant as many trees as possible by the year 2000. This is a reforestation project aimed at encouraging citizens everywhere to recognize the necessity of replenishing what the world has wantonly destroyed. "Plant-It 2000" has met with instant response from people everywhere in all walks of life, including major foundations, businesses and institutions. Nearly 100,000 trees have been planted in its first year of operation.
Denver's 25th album, "One World," featured the internationally acclaimed single "Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)" A separate and unique version of the song was recorded in Moscow as a duet with the well-known Soviet singer Alexandre Gradsky. That recording was the first time a Soviet artist was allowed to perform on a record with a major American singer. The powerful video of "Let Us Begin" moved viewers around the world.
Denver's numerous tributes and awards include acknowledgements of the Number One recording artist in the U.S., Favorite Music Performer, People's Choice Awards, AGVA Singing Star of the Year, Yamaha Music Award and recognition from many governments for his concern about global hunger problems. In the summer of 1993, Denver was the recipient of the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Music Award, given to him "For a life's work dedicated to music and devoted to humanity." It was the first time a non-classical music artist had been so honored.
Denver's movie debut in "Oh God!" (with George Burns) was a solid hit, as were his TV roles that included starring in "Foxfire" with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. He has also starred and guest starred in many TV specials - with such notable artists as Itzhak Perlman, Beverly Sills, Placido Domingo, Julie Andrews and the beloved frog, Kermit. Indeed, Denver's Christmas special "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together," is considered a classic. In 1993, Denver completed his first movie since "Oh God!" Called "Walking Thunder," it stars him as he most likes to be - in country clothes, under an open sky.
John Denver held devotion to two passions: flying and outer space. He was not only a licensed pilot with his own Lear jet, but an aerobatic pilot, and was licensed to fly gliders. He flew flown Air Force F-15 fighters and the Space Shuttle simulator. NASA awarded him its public service medal for helping "increase awareness of space exploration by the people of the world." Denver deeply appreciates the medal, and would dearly have loved to ride the Shuttle.
A fine photographer as well, Denver photographed people and places all over the world and had shown his photos professionally, often in connection with speeches he made at colleges, universities and government and business facilities across the country.
Denver immensely enjoyed the out-of-doors - backpacking, hiking and climbing. He loved to fish and could be found with a rod and reel as often as a guitar, turning up every so often on fishing programs on TV. An avid golfer, Denver was a yearly guest at the Bob Hope Celebrity Classic and hosted his own annual Pro-Am Celebrity Gold Tournament in Tucson every January.
There is not much that John Denver did not achieve. One of the world's best-known and best-loved performers, he was a master communicator who could read audiences regardless of geography, economics, politics and language. He was the true international figure dedicated to world peace and the elimination of hunger.
"Music does bring people together; it allows us to experience
the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and
spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are,
the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our
faith, music proves: We are the same."