June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Madonna
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived
1 photo
Quick Facts
- NAME: John Denver
- OCCUPATION: Environmental Activist, Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
- BIRTH DATE: December 31, 1943
- DEATH DATE: October 12, 1997
- EDUCATION: Texas Technical University
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Roswell, New Mexico
- PLACE OF DEATH: Pacific Grove, California
- Originally: Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
Best Known For
John Denver was one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 1970s. His hits include "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowJohn Denver. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:18, May 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069.
John Denver. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069 [Accessed 24 May 2013].
"John Denver." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 24 2013, 05:18 http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069.
"John Denver," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069 [accessed May 24, 2013].
"John Denver," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069 (accessed May 24, 2013).
John Denver [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 24] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069.
John Denver, http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069 (last visited May 24, 2013).
John Denver. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/john-denver-9542069. Accessed May 24, 2013.
Synopsis
John Denver was one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 1970s. His most successful albums included Poems, Prayers, and Promises (1971), which featured the hits "Take Me Home, Country Roads;" Rocky Mountain High (1972),
Quotes
My purpose in performing is to communicate the joy I experience in living.
and Back Home Again (1974) featuring "Thank God I’m A Country Boy." He was an pilot and an outspoken environmental advocate. He died in a plane he was piloting in 1997.
Early Career
Singer-songwriter. Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., on December 31, 1943, in Roswell, New Mexico, to parents Henry John and Erma. As a teenager, Denver received his first guitar, a 1910 Gibson acoustic, as a gift from his grandmother. He attended the Texas Technical University from 1961-1964, but dropped out before completing his studies. In 1965, after traveling to New York City and successfully auditioning for the Chad Mitchell Trio, he began performing with the group until 1968.
Meanwhile, the folk-pop group Peter, Paul and Mary recorded a song he'd written, "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and its success gave Denver a higher profile in the music industry. Record executives had already convinced him to change his last name to Denver. partly in honor of the city and surrounding Rocky Mountains that he treasured, and partly due to his clean-living image. He signed with Mercury RCA Records in 1969 and released his first single, "Rhymes and Reasons." In the next two years, he released four moderately successful albums, including Take Me to Tomorrow (1970) and Aerie (1971).
Commercial Success
With his wholesome good looks and down-to-earth appeal, Denver was considered the golden boy of folk music. Soon he was playing to sold-out crowds in stadiums across the country. The most successful albums of his career included Poems, Prayers, and Promises (1971), which featured the hit: "Take Me Home, Country Roads;" Rocky Mountain High (1972), and Back Home Again (1974) featuring the title track, "Annie’s Song," and "Thank God I’m A Country Boy."
In 1977, Denver made his film debut in Oh, God!, costarring George Burns. Even though the film was a minor box-office hit, Denver's acting career was thereafter limited to television until 1997, when he starred in Craig Clyde's outdoor adventure film Walking Thunder. John Denver and the Muppets (1980), The Christmas Gift (1986), and Higher Ground (1988) are among the numerous television specials in which he either hosted or starred.
Activism
As a renowned environmentalist and humanitarian, Denver's membership in many organizations included the National Space Institute, the Cousteau Society, Friends of the Earth, Save the Children Foundation, and the European Space Agency.
profile name: John Denver profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Aviation Accident Victims 21 people in this group
-
Celebrity Aviators 21 people in this group
-
Musical Monikers
View groupWhen musicians land big fame, there typically comes a moment of reinvention in which the "rock star" identity is born. This new persona often requires a new name, a way to differentiate between the private and public versions of themselves. Musical monikers take different forms, from the simple, last-name changes aimed at boosting celebrity appeal—like Steven Tyler—to the glamorized version of a childhood nickname—like Jay-Z. Musicians' nicknames and aliases tend to take on an identity all their own over time, often becoming as full of personality as the artists they represent.
Musical Monikers 108 people in this group
