Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., born on December 31st, 1943, Roswell, New Mexico, US, known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, activist, and humanitarian, who was most successful as a solo singer. After moving many times while growing up in his military family, Denver began his career with folk music groups during the late 1960s. During the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists, being firmly established by 1974, as one of America's best-selling performers, AllMusic having described John as "among the most beloved entertainers of his era". Denver recorded and released c. 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed himself, selling over 33 million records globally. John mainly recorded and performed with an acoustic guitar, singing about his joy of nature, his disdain for city life, his enthusiasm for music, and his relationship problems. Denver's music appeared on several US charts, including country music, the Billboard Hot 100, and adult contemporary, winning 12 gold and 4 platinum albums with his signature songs "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Annie's Song", "Rocky Mountain High", "Calypso", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", and "Sunshine on My Shoulders". John starred in several films and TV specials during the 1970s and 1980s. He continued to record during the 1990s, also getting involved in environmental activism, while giving vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of Congress to protest against censorship in music. Denver lived in Aspen, Colorado, for much of his life, having been known for his love of the state, of which he sang many times, being named poet laureate of Colorado during 1974. The Colorado state legislature also adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs during 2007. Denver was a keen pilot, who died aged 53 in a plane crash, while flying alone in his experimental Rutan Long-EZ canard aircraft.
