John Denver ... 1943 - October 12, 1997

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rUMsm4wfFawsGwq5aL4vdlLgW7yz6cJRwUHwpsnOWZGP4xdHeQB74m6jPRhgiS0VUtXhq-bbPalCr4PPdYuDIF6O3kKUzgEZhO6DTXJohct0bYjmabdaQWp8QXe23liFlHoCShwzhPzv/s1600/John+Denver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rUMsm4wfFawsGwq5aL4vdlLgW7yz6cJRwUHwpsnOWZGP4xdHeQB74m6jPRhgiS0VUtXhq-bbPalCr4PPdYuDIF6O3kKUzgEZhO6DTXJohct0bYjmabdaQWp8QXe23liFlHoCShwzhPzv/s400/John+Denver.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"This old guitar gave me my life, my living, all the things you know I love to do. To serenade the stars that shine from a sunny mountainside, but most of all to sing my songs for you ... I love to sing my songs for you."</i><br /><i>--</i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m__yVh5h3e0">"This Old Guitar" </a>by John Denver who died October 12, 1997</div><br /><div align="left">On this day in 1997, <a href="http://www.johndenver.com/biography/biography.html">John Denver</a> died at the age of 53 in a plane crash off the coast of California. A story teller, master guitarist, song writer, and singer, his music still captures the hearts of many as he sings of the mountains and nature and youth and growing old and wheat fields and Colorado and Alaska and all the things we love. <br /><br />Even now, when playing my 12-string guitar, the first chords I strum are John Denver's music. He took the ups and downs in his own life and put them into melodic, sometimes hauntingly emotional, choruses that comforted the hurting souls of others ... songs about love lost, then found ... breakups and reconnecting ... children ... old cowboys.<br /><br />While baring his soul in his music, he had a playful side, too, as he would laugh and tells stories and have a grand old time at his concerts, enjoying the give-and-take with the audience. Just listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0C4FOL1qIw">"Home Grown Tomatoes."</a> In his later years, he became more reflective.<br /><br />John Denver's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Denver">death</a> stunned the world:<br /><blockquote><i>Upon announcement of Denver's death, Colorado governor Roy Romer ordered all state flags to be lowered to half staff in his honor. Denver was cremated with the 1910 Gibson guitar, given to him by his grandmother, that had inspired much of his career. Funeral services were held at Faith Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Colorado on October 17, 1997, being officiated by Pastor Les Felker, a retired Air Force chaplain. Later Denver's ashes were scattered in the Rocky Mountains. Further tributes were made at the following Grammys and Country Music Association Awards.</i></blockquote>My sister, who was living in Denver at the time and had used the lyrics to Denver's songs when student teaching during college, attended the memorial service which was a moving tribute to John Denver the musician, the man, the dad, the son. John Denver. His music will live on....</div>

John Denver October 1997 John Denver ... 1943 - October 12, 1997

"This old guitar gave me my life, my living, all the things you know I love to do. To serenade the stars that shine from a sunny mounta...

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'The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y3u8lq5I5zmAN9YH5Rvk32sDiFqJkGwph0TJdtMAjnXdIF_51MLq44A_HA25U3sNkdS4KykpauryheCpuYHIvHJQWzcZXUuyjXxq2mTo8oXmnk0v2GV08-Y-e540wzVh-zCuM96bUocl/s1600/John+Denver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y3u8lq5I5zmAN9YH5Rvk32sDiFqJkGwph0TJdtMAjnXdIF_51MLq44A_HA25U3sNkdS4KykpauryheCpuYHIvHJQWzcZXUuyjXxq2mTo8oXmnk0v2GV08-Y-e540wzVh-zCuM96bUocl/s320/John+Denver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Thank goodness for recorded music because John Denver is still here even 15 years after he died. The latest release is a compilation of JD music by a variety of artists with covers of some of Denver's most popular songs, artists who include Charlottesville's own Dave Matthews. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Wilderness Society in Denver's name. <br /><br />Filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann interviewed a number of the artists and produced a video that can be seen at <a href="http://johndenver.com/">JohnDenver.com</a>.<br /><br />Songs and artists for "The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver:"<br /><br />"Leaving, on a Jet Plane" by My Morning Jacket<br />"Take Me To Tomorrow" by Dave Matthews<br />"All of My Memories" by Kathleen Edwards<br />"Prisoners" by J Mascis and Sharon Van Etten<br />"Sunshine On My Shoulders" by Train<br />"Back Home Again" by Old Crow Medicine Show<br />"This Old Guitar" by Lucinda Williams<br />"Some Days are Diamonds" by Amos Lee<br />"Rocky Mountain High" by Allen Stone<br />"Annie's Song" by Brett Dennen and Milow<br />"Looking For Space" by Evan Dando<br />"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by Brandi Carlile and Emmylou Harris<br />"Eagle and the Hawk" by Blind Pilot<br />"I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado" by Mary Chapin Carpenter<br />"Darcy Farrow" by Josh Ritter and Barnstar<br />"Wooden Indian" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Dave Matthews Emmylou Harris John Denver Mary Chapin Carpenter Old Crow Medicine Show The Music Is You Train 'The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver'

Thank goodness for recorded music because John Denver is still here even 15 years after he died. The latest release is a compilation of JD m...

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