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 9 V E E R Emily Parris emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents December 1999 * Issue #68 John Denver Events.................................1 Reviews of JD Events: Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA Debra Sanderson..............................2 HIH Event - Donna Pinto.........................2 Georgetown, CO Events: Carol........................................3 Janet Husen..................................4 CD Reviews by Emily Parris: John Muir Tribute CD............................5 Jim Horn's "Christmas Like A Lullaby"...........6 Poetry Corner: "A Tribute to John" by Jon Williams.............7 John Denver Notes/Want Ads.........................7 =============================================== J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S =============================================== December 4th, 1999 - Pacific NW Friends of JD social event / Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, St. Bernadette Church, 6543 132nd Street, Surrey, 6:00 pm December 5, 1999 - Goffstown, NH - "A Christmas Together", potluck & tree decorating. St. Anselm College 1:00pm Richard (603) 654-2124 December 8, 1999 8:00 pm "The Christmas Gift"-Family Channel December 18, 1999 6:30 am "Oh, God!" - Cinemax Channel (TV) December 19, 1999 9:00 pm "Foxfire" - VISN Odyssey (TV) June 16-18, 2000 WI Friends of JD Camping Trip Devil's Lake State Park / Baraboo, WI Info: Linda Pierson =========================================== * REVIEWS of John Denver Events * =========================================== John Denver Tribute Show - November 18, 1999 Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA by Debra Sanderson For those who were not able to make it to the Royce Hall Concert on November 18th, it was a terrific show, and a great tribute to John Denver and his music. It was almost the same show as was held in Aspen, with a few changes in performers and songs. It was great to see the guys in the band again. Royce Hall is a gorgeous venue, and it was very special to sit back and enjoy the interpretations of John's music by these talented people who so obviously cared for John. There wasn't a dry eye in the house during "This Old Guitar." They did two of my personal favorites, "Matthew" and "Poems, Prayers and Promises," too. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Hearts in Harmony John Denver Tribute Show - "An Evening of Campfire Songs" 11/27/99 by Donna Pinto Unfortunately, Chris Westfall's father became ill while on a business trip and he had heart surgery Tuesday in Florida. His family was in an upheaval and he couldn't make the concert on Saturday. Kevin Yeargin also couldn't see driving all that distance from North Carolina. So once again we were left with "some guy named Charlie." Needless to say, Mr. Zahm was wonderful and no one left disappointed! Although Charlie only had about 45 minutes of JD material prepared, he stuck to sing-along standards and everyone enjoyed themselves. He performed for 2 hours and 20 minutes, lots of JD and some of his more folkie originals. Then afterwards he did about 20 more minutes for us just on the steps of the church. For the break we had bottled water, cider, and snickerdoodles for refreshments. Please keep Mr. Westfall in your prayers... Love, Donna =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Events in Georgetown, CO ======================== From: Carol RE: "Christmas Like A Lullaby" in Georgetown Two days have passed since "Letter Day" weekend but the memory still warms. I arrived in Georgetown on Friday mid-afternoon to deliver my ornament for John's tree and what to my wandering eyes should appear....B.J. eying up the trees for the perfect spot to add Wolfpup and Yellowstones ornament! And what a beauty it is...all wonderful pictures of John on a large square ornament. The afternoon was WINDY and some of the lighter ornaments were beginning to take flight...so I sent my daughter chasing after them and they were returned and secured to the trees once again. Then I met Deb Barton and her husband and the decorating and redecorating continued. Then B.J., Deb and I had a nice chat standing there in front of John's trees. As the wind blew harder and the sun was "slowly fading in the western sky" and it was "cold and getting colder" we headed back home. We returned again Saturday afternoon to find Harold and Cathy and B.J. and lots of folks standing in front of the trees chatting. Plans were made for Deb, her husband, B.J., Harold, Cathy and myself and family to meet up a bit later to drive up Guanella Pass. Harold, Cathy, myself and husband (Steve) and daughter (Rosalie) headed off for a quick lunch at the Raven. Good food and WONDERFUL company. Then we loaded into two cars and headed up Guanella Pass. A most beautiful and scenic ride. Many photo ops were taken along the way and when we reached the summit of the pass we got out and took more photos and just admired the splendor of the place. When we returned to town, Rosalie and I waited round the trees for the lighting ceremony to begin. We were all standing around the trees chatting and hugging laughing and admiring all the ornaments (there are lots of labors of love hanging from those evergreen boughs). The sound system was set up and ever so softly I heard JD singing Christmas Carols as they played over the speakers. Does it get any better than this? I don't think so! Then the ceremony began, I don't know who the speaker was but after a brief welcome the lights were turned on....FAR OUT....everything lit up...John's trees, the larger town tree and all the lights strung across the narrow small town streets twinkling in the darkness. A horse drawn carriage pulled up in front of the Red Ram and the Georgetown Elementary School children sang Christmas Carols...Dickens eat your heart out! Then John Adams was introduced and he sang so sweetly and we all joined in singing and humming and swaying. As the ceremony came to an end, MaryJayne and I took the kids off for pizza and back to the Red Ram to hear John Adams sing some more. He had the place rockin'. It was packed to capacity and then some. He was wonderful! It was a wonderful evening...we were packed so tight rubbing shoulder to shoulder..LOVE was definitely EVERYWHERE. Even the kids in attendance were having a blast...esp. Rebecca and Rosalie who became friends in the atmosphere of JD Family love. All too soon the night in the Ram ended and JoLynn graciously opened her suite in the Georgetown Motor Lodge to continue with the gathering and the singing and the camaraderie. So Saturday night in Georgetown came to end and I fell asleep remembering the warmth of the evenings festivities. Sunday morning Rosalie and I headed off to the Post Office and sent our letters to Santa and met up with MaryJayne and the boys back at the trees. Many others were gathered there too...what a lovely place to gather together..in the shadow of John's trees! After some shopping, we headed to the elementary school to hear the Earthbeat Choir and Cash, Twirp, John Sommers and John Adams play and sing for us. The Earthbeat kids are fantastic! Cash, Twirp and John were absolutely wonderful....I never realized just how good John Sommers was...seems he was always in the background when he played for John....but when he was featured playing the banjo and mandolin....I was spelled bound by his talent with those instruments. My time in Georgetown was quickly coming to an end. I had to get back to real life and get my daughter home and to bed so I couldn't stay around for the jamming at the Ram that night. I said my good-byes and shared long hugs with everyone and it was "Back Home Again". That weekend in Georgetown was truly "Christmas Like A Lullaby". * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From: Janet Husen Just wanted to let you all know what a great time it was in Georgetown on Saturday. We were unable to stay for Letter Day, but the tree lighting and the Ram were a blast. I finally got to put some more faces to names and I hope I can remember them all. Our flight was 992 miles each way and my youngest son and daughter and husband had never flown before. So that made the trip extra special for them too. We came to Georgetown with the whole gang and much to the surprise of the older kids, they all had a great time with us "Johnies" (as my youngest son affectionately calls us). John Adams was wonderful and I couldn't help but get that ache in my heart several times as he was singing. Such mixed emotions - loving meeting so many wonderful people, but so heartbreaking all over again - knowing how we all came together. The tree lighting was really great. The Georgetown Elementary School kids sang Christmas Carols and we all joined in and then John Adams sang, starting with "Christmas For Cowboys." It was wonderful. He did a really wonderful "Silent Night", singing it first in German, then we all hummed it as he told the story of how it came to be written and then we all sang it in English. Then St. Nicholas came to visit - what a treat! Then we all went in to the Ram. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* ==================== CD REVIEWS ==================== Review of the JOHN MUIR TRIBUTE CD by Emily M. Parris Daniel McIlhenny and Jill Harcke have put together a wonderful cd that is a tribute to John Muir. "Muir Power To You", that's the song that ends this cd with a punch and it's one of my favorites. Another wonderful song is "Give Yourself To Love" sung and written by Kate Wolf. It is so beautiful. The cd runs a little over 72 minutes and is an audio adventure with authors, historians and Muir family members delivering some of Muir's most beautiful quotes and stories. One of my favorites is the following: "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." The number of people who collaborated on the project is amazing. John Denver's beautiful song, "Amazon" is included and Michael Martin Murphey sings "Boy From the Country". The recitations and sound effects included with the tracks make you almost feel as though you were there in the mountains. Muir's stories also make you feel you are there as his words tell of riding out a snow avalanche and perching in a tree for hours as he blends with the beauty of nature. His words and descriptions are very poetic. And it's amazing how his words are so much like John's - celebrating the beauty and majesty of nature in all her forms. Dan (Dan'l) McIlhenny sings the song "All The Countryside", and "High Sierra". Walkin' Jim Stoltz sings "Range of Light". He has wandered over 24,000 miles through America's last wild places working to raise consciousness about wilderness. Some of Muir's descendants who appear on this cd are Allison Lincoln (great-great-granddaughter of John Muir), Walter Muir (John Muir's grandson), Ross Hanna, and John Hanna. The people performing on this cd also have a varied background in John Muir Related projects. Doc Heide wrote the John Muir Musical "The Mountains Call My Name" and Millie Stanley wrote "The Heart of John Muir's World". Galen Rowell produced a Sierra Club book of photographs matched to Muir's classic text. Lee Stetson has created four major dramas centering on John Muir. Frank Helling performs as Muir throughout the country and Garth Gilcrest's has 2 shows called "A Friend of John Muir" and "Hitched to the Heart of the Universe". Maymie Kimes and her late husband, Bill, co-authored "John Muir: A Reading Bibliography" and Shirley Sargent wrote "John Muir in Yosemite." This cd is filled with the voices of those who love John Muir and the wilderness he worked to protect. WWW Pages to read: Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org John Muir in Alaska: http://www.johnmuir.wytbear.com John Muir Birthplace Trust: http://www.muir-birthplace.org John Muir Trust in Scotland: http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/jmt.org (Walkin' Jim) http://www.walkinjim.com (Kate) www.katewolf.com (Michael Martin Murphey) http://www.michaelmartinmurphey.com (Galen Rowell) www.mountainlight.com Only 3000 copies of the cd were printed so it is rare. The cd is $25.00 + $4.00 s/h in the U.S. * Make checks out to the John Muir Memorial Association: John Muir Tribute / 9 Lone Oak / Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Info: Jill (925) 676-6925 or Dan McIlhenny ______________________________________________________________ John Muir was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. As a wilderness explorer, he is renowned for his lone excursions in California's Sierra Nevada, among Alaska's glaciers and world wide travels in search of nature's beauty. As a writer, he taught the people of his time and ours the importance of experiencing and protecting our natural heritage. The text of two of John Muir's works are available online at http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit Email me at emily@sky.net for an ascii Biography of John Muir. * * * * * * * * "Christmas With Jim Horn" CD - Reviewed by Emily M. Parris This new cd from Jim Horn will put you in the Holiday spirit. It has jazzy and upbeat versions of "We Three Kings" and "The Christmas Song" and a very unusual and interesting version of "What Child Is This?" He does one John Denver song..."Christmas Like A Lullaby" and gives it a very different and nice sound that John Denver fans will enjoy. "Oh Holy Night" was also good. Like his earlier cd "Rocky Mountain High: A Tribute to John Denver", the music is mellow and easy going, filled with interesting sound effects and instrumentation. The cover is also nicely embellished with a snowman playing a saxophone. This cd will brighten all your holiday activities. Jim has a www site at http://www.jimhorn.com or call 1-877-Get-Mycd. ====================================== P O E T R Y C O R N E R ====================================== "A Tribute to John" by Jon Williams A friend of mine died today He didn't know he was my friend, but I did. He was a tunesmith, a minstrel, a singer of songs He knew without knowing, what was in my heart And put it into words where I could not He spoke to me of wild things and lonely places Of soaring eagles and hawks, of cold valleys and lakes And dusty dirt roads, mountain crests and vast oceanic depths But mostly he spoke to me of love. The love that a man has for his wife and cannot articulate but only feel The passion that fires a relationship and provides warmth To his life. The tenderness and caring that so desperately Needs an outlet. He gave to me a map for my emotions and A joyful understanding that others feel as I do An appreciation of things god-given both human and natural A friend of mine died today, He didn't know he was my friend but I did. I shall miss him sorely. Goodbye John Denver. _______________________________________________ Copyright 1998 by Jon Williams ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= There are several pictures of John on the TV Documentary "40 Miles" on the Discovery Channel. I talks about the construction of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon, CO and how the private citizens fought the State to preserve its natural beauty. It shows John throwing rocks across the canyon. They ended up constructing two lanes of highway by elevating them above the other two lanes. - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the January 2000 issue of "Modern Screen" there is a picture of John on page 27. The article is "100 Years of Country Music" and lists the CMA Entertainers of the Year. John won for "Back Home Again" in 1975. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Phil Christie I'm thrilled to tell you that Milt Okun invited me to audition and do the "voice over" role in the upcoming CBS movie "The John Denver Story." Although most of the film will utilize the original recordings of John's solo performances, there was nothing accessible to capture his early years with the Mitchell Trio. Last Saturday we recorded three songs for the movie at O'Henry studios in Burbank, California. I hope you get a chance to check out the movie when it airs sometime next spring. http://home.earthlink.net/~pchristie/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Zincon's Page 12 in the Nov 20-26 TV GUIDE has a short piece about the upcoming JD movie: "Fans of John Denver shouldn't expect a "Rocky Mountain High" after watching the CBS movie about the singer. Although shooting is still under way in Vancouver on "Take Me Home, The John Denver Story" (starring Chad Lowe as the singer and Kristin Davis as his first wife, Annie), we've sneaked a peek at some of the script materials. Tidbits: Denver's first marriage failed because he was too caught up in his causes. His father, Air Force flyer, "Dutch" Deutschendorf, wrote his son off when Denver went to L.A. to become a star. But all is not gloomy: Later, Denver hires Dad as his personal pilot, finally bringing them closer together. Ironically, the singer died in 1997 when the plane he was piloting, crashed." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - I wanted to comment on the music of Jim Salestrom. Jim has a folk sound, with the joy and spirit that gave John's concerts so much energy. He also obviously has a strong love of Colorado and nature. There's no question that he's a real student of John's in many ways and his love of the mountains and the music really shine through when he sings. Check out "Queen Anne's Lace" or many of his other Colorado songs. He is truly continuing John's legacy of the love of the mountains. http://www.jimsalestrom.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Harmony: A Colorado Chorale performed a JD medley at the Park Hill United Methodist Church in Denver, CO on November 20th. To be informed of future concerts contact Judy (303) 331-2667 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Debora Richey John is on the front cover of "Country Weekly Magazine-100 Years of Country Music Issue (the top right corner, second photo from the right). There is a larger photo inside and it is very good of John. He is listed in the section called, Taken Too Soon. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily I came across an article about Cassandra Delaney that was published in 1997 in the "Australian Women's Day". In the article it says that she and Jesse live in a 2-story Colonial house in Bel Air, California. If you would like a copy of the article please write. "cass-wd.art" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Mumze Jim Horn donated his CD "A Tribute to John Denver" and an autographed picture for the auction. www.johndenver.net/cgi-bin/auctiondata/auction.cgi The auction is to raise money for the John Denver Scholarship. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - From: Jennifer Moore The Colorado Windstar Connection jumped on a chance last winter to honor John at the new aquarium being built in Denver. The aquarium is called "Ocean Journey" and traces the Colorado River from its origin in Rocky Mountain National Park through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and out to the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium was built almost totally from private contributions and one of the ways donations were raised was a wall of water droplets. The Colorado Connection bought a droplet and had "In Memory of John Denver" put on it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the 1972 movie "Butterflies Are Free", Edward Albert, who plays a person who is blind, plays his guitar and sings a short rendition of "Country Roads." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sunny Waters is in Nashville working on a cd... http://members.aol.com/SunnyWeb01/Home/SunnyHome.htm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =================================================== JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E =================================================== Dottie Honer Hearts in Harmony is publishing a JD calendar for the year 2000. This is the 8th year that we have made them available. It features a different picture of John for each month. $18.00 includes US post. Dottie Honer / 5214 Stump Road / Pipersville, PA 18947 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily Rated Gee/Sunset Hill Video, who has been offering "Walking Thunder" for a special price through Rocky Mnt. High, has lowered the price and is also offering some other videos to JD fans. They have "Walking Thunder, "Little Heroes", "Heaven Sent" and "Wind Dancer" for $11.95 each. "Walking Thunder" is the only movie with John in it. Email me for more information on the videos or call: Sunset Hill Video (203) 748-4101 or Emily (816) 943-0330 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nora Reed I'm looking for copies of the June 8th, 1992 issue of "OnSat" with John on the cover and also a copy of Rolling Stone issue #774 with John on it. I'd also like videos of old JD tv shows plus the show "10 Most Fascinating People of 1997." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the National Geographic Traveler (July/Aug) it says that "John Denver recorded his Christmas specials at the T-Lazy-7 Ranch" (3129 Maroon Creek Road) Aspen (970) 925-4614 * They offer tours through the Aspen wilderness. www.tlazy7.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sandy Monro Two of John's guitars have been entrusted to me to sell. If you're interested email me. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Valerie Long EZ Photo T-Shirts are for sale on e-bay for the same price as they were at the Memorial Events. Go to www.ebay.com. Click on the top of the page. Proceeds go to Friends of the Monarchs and Plant-It 2000. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bill King Hi, I am Bill King from Sarasota, FL. I'm looking for a copy of John's Memorial Service from Aurora, CO. My ex-wife took the copy I made. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bill Young Do you have a photo that you took of John? If so, make a copy of it and send it to us with a story about what you were doing and how you met John. Include your name and email address and they will be shown on the CA Friends of JD www page. http://ca.johndenver.net Mail to: CFJDENVER / P.O. Box 471 / Sunnyvale, CA 94086 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Paul Hardman "John Denver Remembered" video $14.95 + $4.00 shipping / PAL version $15.45 + $10.00 s/h. Backstage Tonight / Caravan Electronic Publishing / 2333 Zanker Road / San Jose, CA 95131 www.jdremembered.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Several of John Denver's guitars are for sale at: http://www.greatdividemusic.com/John_Denver_Guitars.html Great Divide Music / 111 S. Monarch / Aspen, CO 81611 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jim & Jan Looking for JD fans in Ontario, Canada and near Toronto for email communication or possible annual get-togethers for sharing about John. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Terry Nolan of New Orleans wishes to find other fans from the southeast area of Louisiana so we can organize our own organization in John's memory. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The REDISCOVER MUSIC Catalog this month has 3 pages of John's music. One page is devoted to the Chad Mitchell Trio, and a full, foldout, 2 pages are devoted to John's cd's, videos and sheet music. The page is titled "Rediscover John Denver". They have the JD ANTHOLOGY in sheet music which many people have asked about, as well as many other rare items. http://www.rediscovermusic.com 1-800-232-7328 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sherri McIntyre I happened upon an opportunity to buy beautiful John Denver key chains. They are made of pewter and on the front is an eagle superimposed with another eagle with John's lyrics printed on the back. I got them from the Siskiyou Buckle Company / 1105 Benson Way / Ashland, OR 97520 Phone: (541) 482-3802 Fax (541) 482-5333 The plain key chain is $6.00 and the enameled one is $7.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily I have John Denver necklaces that would be good for a Christmas gift. Some have the titles to various JD songs and others have John's name on them. $8.00 each including s/h in the U.S. Emily Parris 608 E. 96th Street / Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 943-0330 Email for more info. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judith Gabriel John Denver fans donate money to commission a bench at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the oldest raptor sanctuary in the world in Kempton, PA. For more info on Hawk Mountain call the info line at 610-756-6000. The dedication ceremony is planned for Earth Day 2000. If you want to contribute email me or send contributions to: Hawk Mtn. Sanctuary Assn. 2271 Hampden Blvd #G5 / Reading, PA 19604 http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/hawkmtn/hawkmtn.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bryan Stratton Does anyone have a recording of "That's The Way It's Gonna Be" that John did with the Mitchell Trio or any other rare recordings? I have "Violets of Dawn" (Mitchell Trio), "John Denver", "Live at the London Palladium" and "The Second John Denver Radio Show". I will gladly send you a cassette of my recordings if you will send me a copy of yours. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Brian I have a few CD-R copies of John's November 25, 1994 concert. Anyone who has heard this concert knows John was "way up" that night. His rendition of "Calypso" is the best I've ever heard. I'll mail a copy of it for $15.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mike Tiderman I'm looking for a copy of "Merry Christmas Aspen." Does anyone have it? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily December 1999 * Issue #68 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************