News

“Often when a serious songwriter becomes a cultural icon, as John Denver did, the public forgets or dismisses their impact as a songwriter. Towards the end of his life which ended with a tragic plane crash on October 12, 1997, Denver was a TV and movie star, and was savaged by critics throughout the years of his greatest success for being light weight. But the fact remains that he was a singularly serious songwriter who wrote albums of beautiful songs long before he became a star. There are the giant hits he wrote or co-wrote, such as “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” first made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary, as well as “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and “Annie’s Song.” There were also scores of strong songs like “This Old Guitar” that were not hits, but were wonderful. He was one of nature’s finest songwriters, celebrating the organic beauty of his favorite place on earth: Colorado.” [Read More From “American Icons: John Denver,” American Songwriter, Oct 2, 2013]