J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J O R O C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H O H =============================================== H N The John Denver Internet Fan Club N D D E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R E N N V D E C E M B E R 1 9 9 6 V E E R Emily Parris emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents Issue #32 - December 1996 New John Denver WWW Pages: "Cold Nights in Canada" - Tim Aucoin..............1 "Free Spirit" - John Thorogood....................2 Concert Reviews: Dec. 2 - Devon, PA - John Hayes..................3 Dec. 2 - Devon, PA - Debbie Wood.................3 Dec. 3 - Westbury, NY - Tony Cabibi..............4 Dec. 4 - Westbury, NY - Ann Schnitz..............4 On the World Wide Web: FolkBook.........................................5 JD and the Muppets - info on the www.............6 John Denver Stories: Chris Chantland..................................6 Jim Fettgather...................................7 Chantelle O'Driscoll.............................7 Kym Hackenberger.................................7 Mev Wilson.......................................8 David Stemple - "Where Are They Now?"............8 Poetry Corner: "Mother Nature" by Jeroen Holthuijsen............9 John Denver Notes...................................9 John Denver Want Ads...............................10 =================================================== New JOHN DENVER WWW Pages from CANADA and ENGLAND =================================================== COLD NIGHTS IN CANADA - P. O. Box 20242, Calgary Place, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 4J4 (403) 235-2950 From their www page: "Welcome to COLD NIGHTS IN CANADA - the Canadian John Denver Fan Club. The goal of Cold Nights in Canada is to form a Canadian based club which will work in conjunction with other fan clubs and fans around the world to bring you a wealth of information and material relating to John Denver, his life and his music. Cold Nights in Canada will maintain it's foundation on the internet at: "http://www.cadvision.com/timco/denver". This is a non-profit fan club striving to create more awareness of the love of John's music here in Canada. It has always been more difficult to find some of John Denver's music here in Canada, thus giving the impression that we lack fan support. I hope that through this fan club that awareness can be made possible. There are many fans of John Denver's music all over the world. Through the modern technology of the internet, and through the messages that John brings us in his songs, we his fans, have a way of sharing with each other our thoughts, our memories and most of all our love...not only of his music...but of mankind." Tim P. Aucoin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FREE SPIRIT, the John Denver Fan Club in the U.K. has a new www Page: http://members.aol.com/thorogoodj/fspirit1.htm From their page: John Denver, one of the most popular singer songwriters and a legend in his own lifetime was once described by Placido Domingo as "the creator of extraordinary songs ... a compelling entertainer - the twentieth century is richer for his presence". Free Spirit is the official U.K. John Denver Fan Club. If you want to enhance your experience of the man and his music, to be informed of the latest album releases, concerts, films, television / radio appearances, reviews and other news, why not join us. * * U.K. Membership: Karen Richmond (Club President / Magazine Editor), 3, Almond Walk, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP15 7RE. England * * E.E.C. / U.S.A. Membership: Linda Albrow (Overseas / Correspondence), 10 Dashfield Grove, Widmer End, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP15 6AJ. England. This Free Spirit WWW Page was launched in its infancy on 1st December 1996. The Free Spirit Special News section will be regularly updated with details of new recordings, concert tours and other information. Please visit the Free Spirit Quotes from the Songs page. For other details or suggestions regarding these pages please e-mail the author, John Thorogood on jt1276@aol.com. ======================================================= J O H N D E N V E R C O N C E R T R E V I E W S ======================================================= From: John Hayes Subject: John's 12-2-96 Concert in Devon, PA. On this the second night of his current tour, John was wonderful. The first half of the show was dedicated to Christmas music, and John was joined on stage by a group of local school children. I appreciated his attention to the children and his ability to include them in the show. His humor and warmth was great. The second half of the show was dedicated to his hits, both oldies and not-so-old. The theatre is "in the round" and I sat in the sixth row which afforded an up close and personal view. The man's voice is better today than yesterday. John sang for two and a quarter hours, and I could have listened to another three hours. After the show, my friend Siobhan and I hung around the stage door. After about an hour the band came out, and they were very warm to the small group gathered. John came out a half hour later and greeted those of us who waited with hand shakes and by saying a few words. John Hayes, Lafayette Hill, PA. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Debbie Wood Subject: Valley Forge Concert Being at the right place at the right time !! Five of us met from the JD newsgroup for the Valley Forge show Sunday night.. (Two from NJ, Two from PA and one from VA.) We had dinner together and exchanged stories about John and ourselves. Then we were off to the concert. Chris made brownies for John and gave them to a security guy with a note of appreciation. He promised to give them to him but we all had our doubts. We did not plan this but our seats were just a row or so apart. The concert was great. He sang Christmas songs the first half with the Valley Forge Elementary School Choir. The second half included his traditional songs. I have the list if anyone is interested. After the concert we all gathered inside and waited for the crowd to clear out. We were trying to come up with a plan to get backstage. As we were walking toward the exit I overheard some people that were standing by a door talking about getting in to see him. Robin mentioned that the gentlemen at the door was Kris O'Conner. So I piped up and said "Kris do you think we can get in ?" He replied "How many of you are there ?" I said "5, Please we came all the way from VA." (a little lie not far from the truth). He said "OK". And before you knew it we were in the presence of JD, the man himself. He was very cordial and patient with us as we each posed for the camera with him. Also, backstage were Pete Huttlinger and Chris Nole who I spoke to. Pete and I had conversed through the internet about how to obtain his CD. I ordered it from him and he even asked if I got it OK and what did I think. I did hear John tell someone that he is busy working on something. So maybe he is in the studio. I still think it is pretty amazing that his music brought all of us together for a night that each one of us will remember. BTW, John said that he got the brownies and asked "Are they safe to eat?" What a good mood he was in during and after the concert. Regards, Debbie Wood - - - - - - - - - - - - - Westbury, NY - December 4, 1996 Tony Cabibi I just got in from the December 3 concert in Westbury, New York. In all the years that I've seen John since 1972, I have never seen him do a live Christmas show....wow... The show opened with 3 large screens lowering from above the round stage. At first all John had coming out of his monitor was humm...but he handled it so well it felt like it was part of the show. He really interacted with the people in this show. He closed with the song "Falling Leaves"...playing the piano. He asked all of us to join hands and to sing the last verse with him. He also asked us to please keep in mind during this Holiday season to help those of us who are less fortunate; help by sharing food and whatever else we can do to help make things a bit easier for them. I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and in keeping with John's request will do what I can to help feed a hungry family this year and to continue to do so in the future. "God Bless all...every one of us." Tony C. - - - - - - - - - - From: Ann Schnitz Subject: Dec. 4 - Westbury Music Fair Well, this was really a first! In all my years of Denverdom (25), I had never been to one of John's Christmas concerts, so I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard that it was half Christmas music, half John's usual show -- but that was all. The concert we attended was at the Westbury Music Fair, a smallish venue on Long Island, in New York. I don't know how many it seats but it's set up "in the round", with a revolving stage, and because the theatre is small, there really is no bad seat in the house. We were in the 11th row -- not bad, and as I said, for this place, fairly close. At the beginning of the show, a screen rolled down and we were shown our hero singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with the Muppets from "A Christmas Together". The audience loved it! I know many people haven't seen this one in a lot of years (I have it on video, so I have) and there were cheers and laughter. Then John came out with the band and did "Christmas for Cowboys" and "Christmas Like a Lullaby". He was wearing a multi-colored shirt, black jeans and boots and that pretty turquoise belt and bracelet -- he looked wonderful and sounded better. His voice was clear and full and he proceeded to thrill us for almost 2 1/2 hours. His special guests for the Christmas music section of the show were a choir of young children from a local school. Together, they sang "Jingle Bells", "Rudolf", "Away In a Manger", "Silent Night", "What Child Is This", and curiously, "Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas". John simply beamed -- he loved performing with them, and as we all know, he totally adores children, so it was lovely to watch him interacting with them. I kept wondering if the kids knew who he was (they were about 7 or 8, the oldest, I'd guess), or if they'd someday remember singing with him-- I hoped they would. After the kids left, John did a few more -- a wonderful "O Holy Night" and "Little Drummer Boy". For that one, he used his Rosewood Taylor 855, set with just a touch of reverb that gave it a lovely shimmering tone. A very nice effect. The last song of the first set was "The Foxfire Suite", which he used to tie the two halves of the show together. The guys did a great job, as always. The second part was a "real" John Denver concert. "Country Roads", "Back Home Again", "Grandma's Feather Bed", "Eagles and Horses", etc., and a spectacular "For You". The pacing of it was slow and emotional and when he came to "that note", he just held it forever. He got a standing ovation during the song for that, in fact, not an unusual occurrence but still terrific to see. And all too soon, he was singing "Annie's Song" and "Calypso", and then, "Run back there and touch the far wall and try to get back before they stop clapping!". His encore was "Falling Leaves", appropriate for the holiday season, during which he had us stand and join hands and sing with him. A very special, moving ending to a wonderful evening. After the house lights came back up and most of the people were leaving, I spotted Pete Huttlinger come back out and go to the stage to talk to a tech about one of his Taylors. So I took the opportunity to say hello and talk to him a bit about an email I sent him months ago regarding getting his CD "Catch and Release" played on a radio station here in NYC. He remembered me and told me what had happened with his recording (Nothing -- he did send it but he never heard from them). He was so sweet and asked everyone's name in the group I was in (I wonder where he learned to do that?!), and for me, since I'm also a guitar player, getting to meet him was the highlight of the evening. So, now I'm a veteran of Christmas concerts as well. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it, right?! <<<<< ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB >>>>> FolkBook: http://www.cgrg.ohio-state.edu/folkbook I recently discovered a very informative WWW Page called "FolkBook" which had a great deal of John Denver information as well as links to the RMH WWW Page. From their page: "FolkBook offers information about artists and venues, resources for musicians and lists pointers to other folk-related World Wide Web and Internet information. FolkBook is a collaborative effort of an ever-increasing list of people. It grew out of our desire to provide a definitive online folk music resource covering information not only for the folk music fan but also for the performing songwriter. For the fan there are artist biographies, discographies, pictures, sound bites, lyrics, guitar tablature, tour schedules, and more! For the performing songwriter we include lists of "folk friendly" venues, record distributors, radio station/program information, related publications, and festival and concert listings and information organized by date and by region." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JOHN DENVER AND THE MUPPETS: Steve Tipton alerted me to a Muppets Page that has a complete Muppography: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/VR/BS/Muppets/muppography.html John has appeared 3 times with the muppets. He appeared on the Muppet Show and in two television specials. 1) Muppets TV series in '79 (John sang "The Garden Song" & "Grandma's Feather Bed") 2) "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together" broadcast 5th December 1979 3) "Rocky Mountain Holiday" broadcast May 12th, 1993. ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R S T O R I E S ======================================= From: Chris Chantland Subject: Shanghai Breezes I was a student at Windstar in 1981 and we had a small party to which Annie attended. It was in June. She said that John was away in China and was in Shanghai and called her on their anniversary. Later, about a year or so, John remarked on the Tonight Show that he had come up with the song after talking with Annie on the phone from Shanghai. I'm glad I was there to hear it from Annie, and it's a nice story to reflect back upon. Sad that they broke up. Annie Denver is one of the sweetest, nicest people I met at Windstar. Tom Crum and his family rate four stars as well. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Jim Fettgather I found John's name in some text on how to create a web page and search through member web pages on AMERICA ONLINE: "This form looks for matches to your search terms on any member home pages created with AOL's Home Page tool. When you are searching, you can combine several search terms. For example, searching for: skydiving Denver will produce a list of users with home pages who are from Denver, or are fans of John Denver, or are interested in skydiving as a hobby, and/or who've gone skydiving with John Denver. Results are listed in order based on how well they match your search terms." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Chantelle O'Driscoll I think JD's music is truly an inspiration to all. It is undeniably unparalleled. My own deepest thoughts can be found in his lyrics too. He brings a sense of values that our society so lacks today. I think celebrities have a responsibility to help out in a way that the rest of us simply cannot do. John does that. He has a wonderful gift of expression and a wonderful mind to express. Those things are rare in music today. He actually cares about more than himself, and that deserves the respect of everyone. To earn the respect of hundreds of millions of people is no small feat. I think everybody could learn something from him too. I've always wanted to meet him. Even as a child. If I ever do I will say to him, "Thank you for allowing the world to be inspired by you and thank you for reminding us what really counts. John, you can sleep tonight knowing that you have touched yet another person's heart. Hats off to you!" - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: MRS KYM L HACKENBERGER I've had this passion for John and his music since, oh, about 1976. I found him (which wasn't hard in those days) thanks to a college friend whose passion rubbed off on me. Though it's a little harder now to keep track of him (except for the negative things the press seems to prey on), I'm grateful for his stamina and belief in the importance of his music and his message. A weaker person, having been through the things he has, both in his career and personal life, might no longer be performing. I'm also grateful for a chance to communicate with other fans. Though my husband likes him well enough, and will attend concerts and listen to his music, he's not the die-hard fan that I am. I have to admit to having been a "closet" fan for quite a while, though that's not the case any more. It may not be "fashionable" in some circles to be a JD fan, but some of the things I've seen that people call "fashionable" these days, I wouldn't be caught dead being a part of! I think John's problem is that he truly cares about people and the world around him, in a time when the "fashionable" attitude is one of skepticism and self-absorption. Thank God for him - we need more like him, willing to ride the rough seas without surrender to the forces that would drown him. This, to me, is testimony to his courage and strength of spirit. Kym in Columbus - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Mev Wilson Mev tells about meeting John Denver: When I met JD, the moment I looked into those liquid brown eyes, all nervousness flew.... I went to the Windstar Choices Symposium in Aspen in 86 or 87 and after most segments, he would linger to meet fans. I stood in a short line, rehearsing what I wanted to say. Suddenly the young woman in front of me was talking to him and fumbling with a little leather change purse that she then dropped. He picked it up and handed it to her, but she explained that she had made it for him. I gathered that she was a bit disabled, both mentally and physically. But for JD, she was the only person in the world for those few moments and the little gift was the most important thing he ever received. As I watched this exchange, a wonderful calm settled on me and then it was my turn. I looked at him and said, "I feel like today is the first day of the rest of my life..." I thanked him for hosting the symposium because it truly was a life-defining experience. He then hugged me! That's when my heart started racing! I don't remember what he said. I just remember the incredibly warm feeling I left with. I've only met a few people who had that ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in the world when they talked to you. From each of those people, I've learned more about life and love than from any other source..... Mev - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: David J. Stemple Subject: Where Are They Now? * Hal Blaine - Worked in studio with Brian Wilson in February 1996. He can be seen on Moore Music TV playing drums on Elvis Presley's video "Don't Be Cruel". * Ralph Humphries - Drummer from "Earth Songs" teaches full time at Percussion Institute of Technology; drummer on the "Simpson's" main theme. * Jim Horn - Plays from time to time on TNN specials with various artists playing sax and flute, but mostly sax. * Michael Murphy has released an album called "Cowboy Songs III". (Editorial note: He also has an album of Christmas Cowboy Songs. EP) * Lee Ritnour - Went on to do jazz and solo projects. * John Sommers - Plays in duet group in Aspen. <<<<<<<< POETRY CORNER >>>>>>>>> MOTHER NATURE by Jeroen Holthuijsen Mother of my heart, lead me back to the place Where feelings are pure, and voices still strong Let the ongoing beat Be a guide to my feet And take me to the tears, which I've longed for so long Mother of my soul, lead me back to the way I felt before the sun first touched upon my eyes When all was clear Yet I didn't know fear Now take me to the mountains, over the path of the Wise Mother of the spirit, lead me back to the source Where humanity comes pouring into the light of day A dream is won When the night has gone So take me to the flames that will chase it away Mother Nature, lead me back into your arms Show me who I am in a clear mountain stream From all the trees Comes a song of peace Please take me to your heart, where I can dream Copyright 1996 by Jeroen Holthuijsen =========================== JOHN DENVER NOTES =========================== ** Tom Tamburello ** I am collecting SHORT STORIES of how John has affected your life. I am then putting them in a book decorated FOR THE HOLIDAYS and mailing it to John. I still need more stories. If you have a few minutes free it would be greatly appreciated if you could contribute. Mail to ** Kay ** "The Christmas Gift" will be shown on the Disney Channel on Thursday, December 19 @ 9:50 PM. (Check your local listings for date/time. It may vary). ** Cindy Lewis ** Jimmy Ibbotson of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has recently started writing a page for Aspenonline. In it is an entertaining article titled "The Nitty-Gritty-ization of Aspen." There is a great little section in there about how John used to perform with the band at local bars after hours. It's kind of neat to hear his peers talk about him like that. *** David J. Stemple *** John Denver's music is going to be covered in a lecture at George Mason University's Percussion Class. It is a class on percussion for music education majors. I will be teaching the class. We will be looking at how percussion can change a song. *** John Denver Presents the Windstar Youth Award ** John Denver was in El Segundo, California recently to present the 1996 Windstar Youth Award to Tara Church, an 18 year old High School Senior and founder of the group "Tree Muskateers." The presentation went beautifully and got a lot of media coverage. ============================== JOHN DENVER WANT ADS ============================== Bill Frikken would like to get a copy of "Aerie" and "Spirit." Lane-t Andrus would like to have a copy of the "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together" on videotape. Does anyone have a copy? Jeroen Holthuijsen I would like to communicate with fellow fans who are about my age (=20). From: Chris Vaughan I would like to try to get the "Evening With" concert on video from '75. I would also like to get a copy of the poster from the "An Evening With" album, the Rolling Stone Article, and the National Geographic articles. Thank You, Chris Vaughan ********************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club Online since May 1994 * * http://www.sky.net/~emily Editor: Emily Parris * * emily@sky.net Issue #32 - December 1996 **********************************************************