"I WAS RAISED ON COUNTRY MUSIC"

Country Song Roundup
August 1976

     John Denver, who is an example of the overlapping worlds 
of country, pop, rock and folk music, says country music will 
never lose its identity.  "It's as much a part of America as 
Mom and apple pie" he declared.  
     The 29 year old Denver - America's biggest selling pop 
recording artist - won the country music industry's highest 
accolade last year, the Entertainer of the Year award.
     "There's always going to be country music" said the 
blond, bespectacled singer. "I don't think there's anything 
anybody could do about it."
     The Colorado poet laureate is now making country music 
his life. And an appearance on the Grand Old Opry would 
fulfill a dream.  "I'd love to," he smiled. "I've always 
wanted to do just that.  It's such a natural thing. I was 
raised on country music."
     The seemingly always smiling singer-songwriter - who also 
garnered the Song of the Year honors from the Country Music 
Association for "Back Home Again" said he thinks of himself as 
a country entertainer.
     "I really do."  "I think I'm a good example of the 
evolvement that's going on in country music. There's a kind of 
crossover. More and more, country artists are having more 
acceptance. This is true not only in the United States, but 
all over the world.  And I feel like I'm a part of that.  
Country music is a part of my life. It is a very thrilling 
thing for me."
     He said at different times, different artists have held 
down his "favorite" spot.  Then he asserted with great voice, 
"Hank Williams is tops. He's the greatest. He's the father of 
it all as far as I'm concerned."
     He also remembers pleasantly listening to Ernest Tubb, 
Tennessee Ernie Ford, and on down the years to Glen Campbell, 
Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Waylon 
Jennings.
     Today he listens mainly to "new  young" artists such as 
Olivia Newton-John, but he still "idolizes" Loretta Lynn.
     John Denver rose to fame with a philosophy about 
performing that may well have been the key to his success with 
audiences of all ages.  A portion of it dealt with his 
accompaniment - a slide projector, movie clip and screen that 
was hung behind him on the stage, flashing colorful scenes of 
his mountain home area while he sang.  "I don't want to 
entertain people. I want to touch them" he said recently.  
"I'm hardly what you call prolific. I really have a hard time 
writing songs. If I can write one a month, I feel good.  But I 
do think I'm a very good performer."
     His public - and other entertainers - agree.  
     "I love this work" Denver declared. "I love meeting 
people - and I love being on stage. I have so much fun up 
there."  "But as soon as all that stops or reaches a level, 
I'll stop, pack up and go back to the mountains. "
     And you can believe it - if John Denver says so.  The 
mop-haired, pied-piper of the Rocky Mountains is truthful. And 
he doesn't drink and doesn't smoke. He could be tagged the 
"Mr. Clean of Show Biz."  Sometimes, even, you can catch him 
preaching about the good things - not the bad - concerning his 
native land, "the good ole U.S.A."  That's "true - to - 
fashion" for country folks, as the old saying goes.