============================================= *** R O C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H *** ============================================= The John Denver Internet Fan Club Monthly Newsletter N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 Editor: Emily M. Parris ================================================ http://www.rockymtnhigh.org * emily@parris.net ================================================ Table of Contents November 2008 - Issue # 175 John Denver Events..............................2 "Rock Out with those flocking out to honor John Denver" - Snowmass Sun..................3 "John Adams: A Colorado Rocky Mountain Guy" The Aspen Times..............................4 "John Denver: Man for the World" - Press Release from Filter Press..............6 "Songs of John Denver Sound Out Across New Zealand..................................7 John Denver Notes...............................8 Poetry Corner: "An Autumn Walk" by Emily Parris.............9 ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ======================================= November 8, 2008 - Long Valley, NJ - Chris Nole and Kevin Yeargin 7:00pm / Long Valley Presbyterian church / 39 Bartley Road / Long Valley, NJ $25 (908) 619-1738 * Info: Cindy cjd1002@aol.com November 15, 2008 - Flanders, NJ - Chris Westfall at the Sacred Bean Coffee House / (Donations) http://www.sacredbeancoffeehouse.org http://www.chriswestfall.com November 19, 2008 - Monterey, CA - Mack Bailey and Rachel are presenting a house concert at 7:00pm 532 Herrmann Dr. Monterey, CA ($10 donation) Judy 831-373-7780 http://www.mackbailey.com November 29, 2008 - Georgetown, CO - Windstar Colorado Connection will be sponsoring John Denver's "Letter Day" in Georgetown, Colorado. Relive your Christmas memories and celebrate the spirit of "The Christmas Gift". Live music, family activities, letters to Santa, hay rides and the Busy Bee Taxi. Stay for Georgetown's Tree Lighting Ceremony followed by John Adams performing at the Red Ram. Info: Linda < cormlke@aol.com > December 6, 2008 - Annapolis, MD - Hard Travelers Christmas Show - 8:00pm Ramshead Concert Hall (410) 268-4545 December 14, 2008 - Doylestown, PA - "Sounds of the Season" Salem United Church of Christ $10 - Christopher Westfall & Charlie Zahm 3:00pm pahough@aol.com http://www.chriswestfall.com December 19-23, 2008 - Aspen, CO - "A John Denver Holiday Concert" - Wheeler Opera House 7:30pm Tickets $40 / $25 http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com December 20, 2008 - West Collingswood, NJ - "Sounds of the Season" - Christ Episcopal Church $10 7:30pm Christopher Westfall http://www.chriswestfall.com Info: Nick Watts 609-706-7012 nickwatts@comcast.net December 23, 2008 - UK - "Country Roads: A Celebration of John Denver" - Wayne Denton at Warners Gunton Hall, Lowestoft, Nr Gt Yarmouth (Tel: 01502 730288) (from the FOJD web page: www.fojd.org.uk) December 26, 2008 - UK - "Country Roads: A Celebration of John Denver" - Wayne Denton at Warners Cricket St. Thomas, Chard, Somerset (Tel: 01460 30111) (from the FOJD web page: www.fojd.org.uk) December 31, 2008 - Haddonfield, NJ - "First Night Haddonfield" $10 http://www.firstnighthaddonfield.org Christopher Westfall will play 3 separate one hour sets Chris: eagleflight@chriswestfall.com March 21, 2009 - UK - Concert for Friends of John Denver will follow the spring Denver Day / Christine Moon fojdclub@fojd.org.uk * http://www.fojd.org.uk April 3, 2009 - Netherlands - John Adams concert in Hendrik Ido Ambacht (near Rotterdam) in Cascade theater. Tickets go on sale 9-8-08. April 17, 2009 - Kansas City, MO - "The Music of John Denver" will be performed by the Kansas City Symphony at 8:00pm at the Church of the Resurrection / 5001 W. 137th Street / Leawood, KS 66224 http://www.kcsymphony.org Jim Curry will be joined by his band as well as former John Denver band members Alan Deremo, Ritchie Gajate Garcia and Pete Huttlinger. (816) 471-0400 / www.JimCurryMusic.com Guest Conductor: Lee Holdridge July 14, 2009 - Estes Park, CO - "John Denver Tribute Concert" - TropiCowboy Band / Brad & Kathy Fitch Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00am "A Tribute to John Denver & Country Music Legends" James Garrett sings John Denver's best-loved hits. IMAX Little Opry Theatre / 3562 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway / Branson, MO 65616 (800) 419-4832 <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> "Rock Out with those flocking out to honor John Denver" Snowmass Sun by Ashlee Fairey October 10, 2008 Folk rock and country music fans rejoice: the 11th annual Musical Tribute to John Denver is back in town. John Denver was one of the most popular country singers/songwriters of the 1970s, and, as his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame may suggest, one of the greatest in history. The famous musician was actually born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr, but as his career took off, he selected the more catchy name of John Denver, inspired by the capital of his favorite state, Colorado. He was a well-known and welcomed face around Showmass Village, having owned the Tower Restaurant and frequently played at the Timber Mill (which became the Cirque). Denver dedicated much of his music and heart to the area. This love was certainly reciprocal, and to honor the beloved star, a slew of former band members and songwriters will perform at the Wheeler Opera House October 10-11. Among the performers will be writers John Sommers ("Thank God I'm A Country Boy"), Bill Danoff ("Take Me Home, Country Roads"), and Mollie Weaver. Former fellow musicians include guitar player Pete Huttlinger, folk singer Jim Salestrom, tenor Mack Bailey, Alan Deremo, Richie Garcia, Kenn Roberts and Gary Mule Deer. Special guests Steve Gillette and Ellen Stapenhorst will also be making musical appearances. Not only was John Denver a country singer, songwriter, TV entertainment host and Colorado's 1977 Poet Laureate, he also dedicated himself to environmental awareness and charity projects. He generously donated to UNICEF, helped found The Hunger Project and served on the President's Commission on World Hunger under Jimmy Carter. In keeping with Denver's humanitarian efforts, this year's musical tribute is benefiting Challenge Aspen. Challenge Aspen's mission is "dedicated to impacting lives by presenting meaningful recreational, educational, cultural and competitive experiences to individuals faced with cognitive or physical challenges." They provide numerous programs throughout the year, including adaptive ski and snowboarding lessons, music, art and dance summer camps, horseback riding and all the outdoor sport trips you could imagine, helping the disabled enjoy all that Aspen has to offer. For more information about Challenge Aspen, visit www.challengeaspen.org <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> "John Adams: a Colorado Rocky Mountain Guy" Singer brings John Denver tribute show to Aspen's Wheeler Opera House by Keely Brown Special to The Aspen Times Aspen, Colorado ASPEN: When singer John Adams was performing in Vail this summer, a music lover stopped in astonishment and quickly fumbled for his cell phone. "Hey, John Denver's playing here!" he said excitedly. "No, honey, John Denver's dead," his wife explained patiently. "No, he can't be dead - he's playing right here!" insisted the husband. Believe it or not, this sort of scene is a common occurrence in the performing life of John Adams. Originally from Holland, Adams has for more than two decades made an international name for himself as a gifted and authentic interpreter of the music of John Denver, who became not only a colleague, but a friend and mentor to the Dutch singer. Adams will be recreating the music of Denver in his signature show, "Rocky Mountain High," at Aspen's Wheeler Opera House on Sunday at 7 p.m. For Adams, authentically recreating the music of Denver has been a lifelong mission of love, beginning when he was in his teens in his hometown of Apeldoorn, Holland. Adams not only learned to sing Denver's songs in perfect English, he also studied the singer’s phrasing and vocal inflections, while mastering both the six-string and 12-string guitars. In 1988, his big break came when he won a national song contest in Holland - competing against 1,500 other musicians in a sort of early European version of "American Idol" by singing and playing Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Winning the contest guaranteed tours and bookings for Adams throughout Europe, and also brought him face-to-face with his idol on a live television broadcast. On the show, Adams planned to perform Denver's "Whispering Jesse," a song not yet known outside its album release in Australia. As a surprise for the young singer, the show's producer had also booked John Denver as a guest, who delightedly performed the song with Adams. The original video clip from this 1988 performance can currently be seen on YouTube. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as Denver made it a point to meet with Adams every time he came to Holland. He also helped the young singer by enthusiastically telling audiences throughout his career, "This guy sounds exactly like me!" "Once, I asked John if he minded that I exclusively performed his music and nothing else, and he told me he was delighted," said Adams. Shortly afterward, Denver suggested that they record a duet version of his song "The Flower that Shattered the Stone," a project that, to Adams' regret, was never completed due to Denver's untimely death on Oct. 12, 1997, while piloting an experimental aircraft in California. Adams was performing in London when he heard the news of his friend's death. In his grief, he made a decision to continue to commit the rest of his life to performing Denver's music throughout the world. Encouraged by his American fans overseas, Adams first came to the U.S. to perform at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen in 1998. This led to his first engagement during the annual John Denver weekend at the Wheeler Opera House, an engagement which Adams will reprise for the 10th time Sunday at the Wheeler. Adams loves to relate stories of how the music of John Denver touches people from all walks of life, from the concert where a member of a Harley Davidson biker gang came to him in tears and told him that John Denver was his all-time favorite performer, to the time when an audience sang along to "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in Beijing, China. "John's music is timeless. I believe you could still play it 75 years from now," he said. "And the way I perform John's music is the way he wrote it and performed it, the way he intended for it to be heard. His songs are so personal, everyone recognizes things out of their own lives in his lyrics". "And in this fast-paced world, in the highway of our lives, it's good to put on the brakes and stand still and listen to his music," he added. "It reminds us that there's a lot of good out there, and gives us more of an awareness about our planet." This awareness, inspired by Denver's music, has motivated Adams to follow his own path of global activism as well. In the last two decades, Adams has made 13 visits to Ghana, where he has taught for UNICEF and helped to build schools. Adams has also been an Ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House, giving 10 percent of his CD sales to Ronald McDonald Children's Homes. Adams, who now lives in Silverthorne, Colorado, is currently recording his fourth CD, a Christmas album which will also feature some of Denver's Christmas songs. But wherever the music takes him, Adams says that for him, as it was for John Denver, the Colorado Rockies will always bring him back. "I consider Colorado as absolutely my home," he said. "I love the people here. And just like it says in 'This Old Guitar,' I love to sing John's songs for them." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Press Release October 2008 "John Denver: Man for the World" is first new biography of Denver in a decade" Palmer Lake, Colorado - Few individuals will ever achieve the level of fame that John Denver knew. Eleven years after his death, his name is known and his music is recorded and sung throughout the world. His humanitarian efforts and his life as a committed environmentalist are less known. "John Denver: Man for the World", recently released by Filter Press shines equal light on John Denver, the performer, and John Denver, the social activist. Colorado storyteller and author John Stansfield wrote the biography for younger readers. Adults who want a concise history - with a few surprises - about the noted Coloradoan will learn much from the book, as well. Those who grew up listening to Denver and new generations just discovering his music will enjoy meeting him on the page. This is the first biography of John Denver to be published in a decade. John Denver's mercurial rise to fame and his ensuing wealth enabled him to share his ideals with the world. And the world listened. Two years before his untimely death in 1997, he stated, "I would most like to be remembered for the fact that I stood up for what I believe in". "John Denver: Man for the World" explores the many ways in which he put his beliefs into action - through musical performance, acting, founding organizations, and speaking out for peace, preservation of wild creatures and places, and the elimination of world hunger. The book also looks into lessons he learned from his sometimes tumultous family life. "John Denver: Man for the World" is an excellent addition to elementary school, middle school and public libraries. It includes a timeline, glossary, and a bibliography of printed, video, and on-line sources for further exploration. The book is the tenth in the "Now You Know" Bio series of Colorado history biographies from Filter Press LLC of Palmer Lake, Colorado. Contact: John Stansfield, Author 303-660-5849 jorcstan@juno.com Filter Press LLC, 719-481-2420 info@filterpressbooks.com http://www.filterpressbooks.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> "Songs of John Denver Sound Out Across New Zealand" New Zealand: (RUSHPRNEWS) by Dawnn Behrens September 19, 2008 Florida-based John Denver tribute artist Ron Rich has been cast as the late singer songwriter for a one of a kind show called "Whisper the Wind". The show is scheduled for a tour across New Zealand beginning September 20, 2008. This show many years in the making has finally come to fruition, due to the efforts of Producer Dennis Brown, Aruba Productions, and Harold Thau, Producer, manager and business partner of the late John Denver. "Whisper the Wind" will make its world premiere in Dunedin, New Zealand on September, 20 2008. After the debut the show will tour nationwide across New Zealand. Link to Tour schedule http://www.showinfo.co.nz/ About Ron Rich Born in West Virginia, Ron has been singing and playing guitar his whole life. He has performed numerous times in Aspen, Colorado, during John Denver tribute week. "The Rocky Mountain Memory show" in Aspen starring Rich, donated portions of the proceeds to the "Windstar Foundation", which was founded by John Denver and Tom Crum. Several other shows were performed to help camps "Bogey Creek" and "Victory Junction Gang" founded by actor Paul Newman and race car driver Kyle Petty for terminally ill children. Ron's John Denver Tribute was contracted in Branson, Missouri by the highly respected "Legends in Concert". He has opened for stars Lee Greenwood, and Don McLean, at the Largo Music Festival. Once while Ron was performing at the Tower Restaurant, owned by John Denver, he was asked by John Denver's mother, Erma, to sing "Perhaps Love". Little did Ron know but his best endorsement was yet to come! After doing a show in Daytona Beach, Florida, a video of Ron was sent to Erma ( Denver's mother), who wrote us back saying that "Ron sounded just like John". On another visit to Aspen, Ron performed at the Windstar Foundation, during the dedication of the "Spirit" statue, for Erma, Zack ( John's son), Ron Deutschendorf (John's brother), and John's uncle Dave and Abe and their wives. Rich has gained quite a fan base as a Denver Tribute act, while a regular performer on the Sterling Casino Lines. He was also featured as John Denver on television show taped at the Sunburst Convention in the US, which aired in the United Kingdom in 2007. Ron is also the singer/songwriter of the official song for the John Denver Peace Cloth, called "A Thread of Hope". The Peace Cloth is made up from panels of cloth sent in by John Denver fans from all over the world. Visit Ron's website at: http://www.cabinsong.com/ <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= Susan Leaver of New Zealand is taking orders for the cd of "Whisper the Wind - the Music and Life of John Denver". [ http://www.showinfo.co.nz ] They will be $35 New Zealand currency plus $10 for s/h. For more information email her at susanleaver19@yahoo.com or send your order to... Susan Leaver / P O Box 11-0114 / Grafton / Auckland / New Zealand - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Whisper the Wind": To help encourage the promoters to bring "Whisper the Wind" to your part of the world, write to Dennis Brown at event@showinfo.co.nz - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John is one of the 2008 nominees at the "Hit Parade Hall of Fame" site - http://www.hitparadehalloffame.org To vote for John you have to give an email address and a password. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On the BBC program "Strictly Come Dancing", Andrew and Ola danced to a version of "Annie's Song". There is a clip on You Tube http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8k14-akKG24 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John is honored when "Rocky Mountain High" is made the joint state song for Colorado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2f6nvOMaBk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Contact Bette Danse at (352) 473-8994 or bettdanse@yahoo.com to sign a petition to rename Denver International Airport: John Denver International Airport - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There is a possibility of a JD Tribute Show at the One World Theater in Austin, Texas. The more people they hear from the better the chance of the show coming to fruition. Here is the email address: hartt@oneworldtheater.org Let them know that people want to hear John's music and hopefully it will happen. Mary Ledford / EaglesHorses Productions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alberto < aalberigi@tiscali.it > I'm writing from Italy. I'm a fan of JD. I want to tell you that there's a new Italian site with the discography of JD http://www.johndenver.eu We have put on it all the records that we know but if someone has news please let us know. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From YouTube: "If you want to hear a truly excellent song about John Denver, look up the Red House Painter's song "Golden" - It's heartbreaking. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Letter from the Editor: Send in your reviews of the John Denver Tribute events in Aspen, Colorado and other places around the country. I would love to have them to include in future issues of the RMH Newsletter. Also wanted are articles, comments, news items or poetry. Or if you just want to write and say "hi" that is great too. In all requests to include items in the RMH Newsletter, please make the subject line useful - "For the RMH Newsletter" or "Event Listing for the RMH Newsletter". Many, many people just reply to the Newsletter without changing the subject line and I might miss an item that needs to be included. Coming up in next month's issue of RMH are reviews of Chris Cree's cd "One Night" and Phil Christie's cd "Rearview Mirror" as well as a poem by Carole Romanowski called "Frosty's Melt Down". Emily < emily@parris.net > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John Denver Commemorative Video Clips http://www.tenbrug.nl/JohnDenver Jennifer's Maroon Bells Photos http://www.necarnegies.com/corinnehsmith/windstarphotos.htm Aspen Photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/gp/25505015@NOO/Bge92m John Denver Article with Video Clips http://tinyurl.com/5ue4xw - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ============= POETRY CORNER ============= "An Autumn Walk" by Emily M. Parris An autumn walk is such a delight For the leaves decorate The streets so bright A yellow tree comes into view The sidewalk is strewn With a golden hue Brown and crimson of every shade It's the prettiest season That God ever made _____________________________________ Copyright 12-10-91 by Emily M. Parris <*> <*> <*> To subscribe: rockymountainhigh-subscribe@emissives.com To unsubscribe: rockymountainhigh-unsubscribe@emissives.com ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@parris.net http://www.rockymtnhigh.org November 2008 * Issue # 175 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************