Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. December 31, — October 12, , [ 3 ] known professionally as John Denver , was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the s and one of the best selling artists in that decade.
Denver recorded and released approximately songs, about of which he wrote himself. He had 33 albums and singles that were certified Gold and Platinum in the U. Denver appeared in several films and television specials during the s and s, including the hit Oh, God!
He continued to record into the s, also focusing on environmental issues as well as lending vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of Congress to protest censorship in music. In , Denver was named poet laureate of the state. An avid pilot, Denver died at the age of 53 in , in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane. Captain Deutschendorf Sr. In his autobiography Take Me Home , Denver described his father as a stern man who could not show his love for his children.
With a military father, Denver's family moved often, and he found difficulty gaining friends and assimilating with children of his own age. The introverted Denver often felt misplaced and did not know where he truly belonged. Denver was distressed with life in Fort Worth, and in his third year of high school, he drove his father's car to California to visit family friends and begin his music career.
His father flew to California in a friend's jet to retrieve him, and Denver reluctantly returned to complete his schooling. At age 11, Denver received an acoustic guitar from his grandmother. Denver decided to change his name when Randy Sparks , founder of the New Christy Minstrels , suggested that "Deutschendorf" would not fit comfortably on a marquee.
