Henry John Deutschendorf Jnr. (1943 - 1997)

Image: courtesy of Google free pics; Information sources: Wikipedia and website biographies, You Tube, song meanings and lyrics.

Song/album titles have been used for the poetic purpose of the biography and may not necessarily relate to the context of the songs or the period. They may also be slightly amended or shortened to accommodate the meter. Dates in brackets refer to original releases. I'm grateful for your kind understanding.

Stanza 1: Rocky Mountain High (1972)
His father was a US Army Air Force pilot, decorated for setting a number of air speed records in 1961. Denver described him as a stern man unable to show his love for his children. His military career involved frequent moves, making it difficult for his son to acquire friends. He subsequently became introverted, felt misplaced and didn't know where he truly belonged.

Stanza 2 - 3: Country Love (1981); Dreams (1982); Sweet Surrender (1974); Fly Away (1975); I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane (1969)
He was uncommitted to his school studies and drawn to both NY and California to pursue his musical career, opting to change his unwieldy name to that of the capital of his favourite state.

Stanza 4: Poems, Prayers and Promises (1971 4th studio album); Gold (2020 compilation album); Country Roads (1971); Annie's Song (1974)
He married Annie Martell in 1967. The song, dedicated to her, was composed in 10 minutes while sitting on a ski lift. The couple adopted two children, Zachary John and Anna Kate and lived in Aspen, Colorado where Denver remained for the rest of his life. He claimed that it was enough for him to be remembered as the father of these two children.

Stanza 5: I'm Sorry (1975)
Denver's early career success owed much to his manager, Jerry Weintraub. However, in 1982, he ended this business arrangement accusing Weintraub of Nazism. He felt constrained by the pressure of bending his principles "whether because you don't want to worry about it or because you're afraid to stand up for fear of what you might lose - you sell your soul to the devil.

Stanza 6: Eclipse (1974); Fire and Rain (1971)
His television career took off with his long-standing partnership with Jim Henson of Muppets fame; also hosting shows and starring in film.
In the mid 70s he became outspoken in politics, campaigning for a close friend, Jimmy Carter. He also embraced ecological issues and supported a number of charities for the environment, the homeless, poor, hungry and African Aids crisis. He set up the Windstar Foundation in 1975 for sustainable living while, his deep concern at the Chernobyl disaster led to precedent-setting concerts in parts of communist Asia and Europe.

Stanza 7: Back Home Again (1974); Aspenglow (1975); Sunshine on my Shoulders (1971 album release, 1973 single); Mountain Song (1972)
Colorado was the state he called home, enchanted by its natural beauty and in particular the aspen glow which occurs at sunset in mountainous areas.

Stanza 8: Heart to Heart (1982 single) Game is Over (1970)
Denver and Martell divorced in 1982, claiming that career demands had driven them apart. The marriage had also been undermined by Denver's abusive behaviour. To drive home the point that their marital assets were being cut in half, Denver cut the marital bed in half with a chainsaw. He married Cassandra Delaney in 1988 and divorced in 1993. They had one daughter.

Stanza 9: Flight (1983) This is a song with some of the greatest lyrics. It reflected his great passion, obviously inherited from his father. He had a collection of light aircraft.

Stanza 10-11: Spirit (1976 11th studio album); Montana Skies (1983)
Quotes from Flight lyrics.
Denver died when his light, home-built aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay, California. He was the only occupant and cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt-force trauma resulting from the crash. At the time, he was not legally permitted to fly as his medical certificate had been revoked a year earlier for failing to maintain complete sobriety. However alcohol was not a factor in the accident. Cause of the crash was determined to be his inability to switch fuel tanks during the flight. The fuel tank selector valve handle had been, unusually, put behind the pilot's left shoulder, as had the fuel gauge, making them both difficult to access and only visible to the rear cockpit occupant. In order to reach them, he would have turned his body 90 degrees which created a natural tendency to extend his right foot against the right rudder pedal to support himself. This, in turn, caused the aircraft to nose right and pitch up, sending the plane out of control. He'd known about the shortage of fuel but believed that he had enough for his needs.

Stanza 12: Daydream (1969)

He was one of the most popular acoustic and best-selling artists of the 1970s. In 2007 the Colorado Senate made Denver's trademark 1972 hit, Rocky Mountain High, one of the state's two official state songs.

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