============================================= *** 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 J A N U A R Y 2010 Editor: Emily M. Parris ================================================ http://www.rockymtnhigh.org * emily@parris.net ================================================ Table of Contents January 2010 - Issue #189 John Denver Events..............................1 "John Denver's Mother Dies" Denver News................................3 Obituaries and Memories.........................4 "Mother of Late Singer John Denver Dies" Idaho State Journal........................4 "Hindustan Times" 1-13-10.......................5 New Zealand - News..............................6 Charles Bennett, my brother.....................7 John Denver Notes...............................7 Poetry Corner: "Happy Birthday With Love" by Cynthia Helen Gullage.................8 John Denver Want Ads............................9 Send Sympathy Cards to... Ron Deutschendorf PO Box 31657 Aurora, CO 80041-0657 Send Donations to... The Windstar Foundation http://www.wstar.org ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ======================================= January 2, 2010 - Raleigh, NC - North Carolina John Denver Fan Club - Annual New Year's Eve / JD Birthday Party - friends, food, fun and lots of great music Info: Laura - countryroadsnc@bellsouth.net January 9, 2010 - New York City - Pete Huttlinger at Carnegie Hall with special guest, Mollie Weaver. Opening for "1964: The Tribute" - Stern Auditorium - Perelman Stage 8:00 pm Tickets $30 - $80 February 21, 2010 - Largo, Florida - Ron Rich, The Rocky Mountain Memories, a John Denver Tribute show will be held at the Largo Cultural Center / 105 Central Park Drive / Largo, FL 2:00 pm Tickets are VIP $25, advance $22, day of show $25, Group $18 (10+), and Senior (60+) Box office 727-587-6793 February 21, 2010 - Apache Junction, AZ - Brad Fitch and the Arizona Opry - A Tribute to John Denver - Dinner and Show $29 / Arizona Opry 2275 Old West Highway / Apache Junction, AZ 85119 (480) 982-7991 Dinner 6:30 pm / Showtime 7:30 pm http://www.azopry.com * http://www.cowboybrad.com March 7, 2010 - Apache Junction, AZ - Brad Fitch and the Arizona Opry - A Tribute to John Denver - Dinner and Show $29 / Arizona Opry 2275 Old West Highway / Apache Junction, AZ 85119 (480) 982-7991 Dinner 6:30 pm / Showtime 7:30 pm http://www.azopry.com * http://www.cowboybrad.com March 15-23, 2010 * IRELAND CRUISE * Bill Danoff, Mack Bailey and Rachel Levy - Traveling Troubadour Cruises and Tours / P.O. Box 3189 / Staunton, VA 24402 (540) 887-8491 or 800-584-6724 They will be re-visiting one of their favorite places, Galway, where they will join in the celebration of St. Patrick's Day! The tour will end in Dublin. lynette@travelingtroubadour.com www.travelingtroubadour.com/Bailey-Levy,_Danoff_Ireland_2010.htm March 21, 2010 - Apache Junction, AZ - Brad Fitch and the Arizona Opry - A Tribute to John Denver - Dinner and Show $29 / Arizona Opry 2275 Old West Highway / Apache Junction, AZ 85119 (480) 982-7991 Dinner 6:30 pm / Showtime 7:30 pm http://www.azopry.com * http://www.cowboybrad.com April 17, 2010 - Santa Rosa, CA - Jim Curry with the Santa Rosa Symphony "A Tribute to John Denver" 8:00 pm http://www.santarosasymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com April 18, 2010 - Santa Rosa, CA - Jim Curry with the Santa Rosa Symphony "A Tribute to John Denver" 3:00 pm http://www.santarosasymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com May 8, 2010 - Frederick, MD - Friends With You Band 7:30 pm Weinberg Center for the Arts http://www.friendswithyouband.com May 14, 2010 - Vevay, IN - Friends With You Band at the historic Hoosier Theater 7:00 pm http://www.friendswithyouband.com May 15, 2010 - Covington, KY - Friends With You Band 7:00 pm Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center http://www.friendswithyouband.com May 22, 2010 - Toledo, Ohio - Jim Curry with the Toledo Symphony - "A Tribute to John Denver" 8:00 pm Stranahan Theater / 2245 Monroe St. / Toledo, OH (419) 246-8000 http://www.toledosymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com May 25, 2010 - Elmsford, NY - Jim Curry's "John Denver Tribute Show" - Westchester Broadway Theater / 1 Broadway Plaza / Elmsford, New York 10523 Tickets $75 plus tax includes dinner June 4-5, 2010 - Phoenix, AZ - Jim Curry with the Phoenix Symphony - "Rocky Mountain High - A Tribute to John Denver" Lee Holdridge conducting 8:00 pm http://www.phoenixsymphony.org * http://www.jimcurrymusic.com October 7, 2010, Location and exact time to be confirmed later. Kit McGurn from the National Headquarters of the Sierra Club is their expert on mineral extraction in Alaska. His program, "Chill the Drills" will discus ANWR, new drilling pads coming on line in the North Slope, and the very real possibility of strip mining coal in the central interior of Alaska. Please contact Jennifer for more details: windwalker@samsco.org October 9, 2010: Pine Creek Cookhouse IV -- 10:30 - 3:00 p.m. Details to follow. Please contact Jennifer at: windwalker@samsco.org Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00 am "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 http://www.bransonimax.com <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> Denver News 1-19-10 John Denver's Mother Dies Erma Louise Deutschendorf Passes Away Following Long Illness DENVER -- The mother of entertainer John Denver died Sunday. Erma Louise Deutschendorf died after several months of illness, at age 87 years. Deutschendorf was still active and had attended events in Aspen last fall to remember er late son, whose real name was John Deutschendorf. John Denver was killed in a 1997 plane crash, and his memorial service was held at his ther's church in Aurora, Colo. Denver's father died in 1982. The Deutschendorf family has expressed appreciation for everyone's thoughts and prayers, according to a statement posted on the Windstar Foundation's Web site. Denver founded the Colorado-based foundation, in 1976. The family requests donations, in lieu of flowers, be made to The Windstar Foundation. http://www.wstar.org ========================================== Anyone wishing to send a card ... Ron would like all correspondence to be addressed to: Ron Deutschendorf PO Box 31657 Aurora, CO 80041-0657 ======================== Obituaries and Memories ======================== A lovely article from Rolland Smith, who was a friend of John’s http://rollandsmith.blogspot.com/ Aspen Times announcement of her passing http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100120/NEWS/100129984/1077&ParentProfile=105 Denver Post Obituary http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14233475 Nice article from Erma’s local paper, the Aurora Sentinel: http://aurorasentinel.com/articles/2010/01/21/news/doc4b57b2a1b46da833628213.txt Aspen Daily News announcement http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/138862 Article from the Tulsa World page http://www.tulsaworld.com/ourlives/article.aspx?subjectid=58&articleid=20100121_11_A13_Oklaho312566&archive=yes Boston Globe obituary http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2010/01/21/erma_davis_feisty_mother_of_late_singer_john_denver/ <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> Idaho State Journal 1-21-10 "Mother of late singer John Denver dies" Erma Deutschendorf Davis, mother of the late singer John Denver, has died at an Aurora care facility at age 87. Ron Deutschendorf says his mother died Sunday. She had suffered health problems since a fall in November. He says she often attended the concerts of John Denver, who was killed in 1997 at age 53 in the crash of a plane he was piloting in California. Services for the 30-year Aurora resident will be Sunday. Besides her son, she is survived by eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a sister. < * > < * > < * > < * > < * > < * > Hindustan Times Wed, 13 Jan 2010 Celebrating John Denver! It is the 66th birth anniversary of singer, songwriter and actor John Denver, who's known for his songs like Country Roads – Take me Home, Rocky Mountain High and Thank God I'm a Country Boy. Many of the songs Denver wrote or recorded became fixtures in American culture and made him one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the 1970s. Born in 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico, United States, Denver, the son of an Air Force pilot, wasn't really interested in music until Elvis Presley hit the scene. Denver dropped out of Texas Tech University and moved to Los Angeles, where he took a day job and sang in lounges at night. During this time, at the suggestion of a record producer, he changed his last name to Denver. He caught a break in 1965 when he was chosen over 250 other musicians to be the lead singer for the Chad Mitchell Trio, a folk group. He toured with the band and recorded the album "That's the Way It's Gonna Be" with them. In 1969 wrote the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane", which was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary and became a smash hit. Once he had a foothold in the music scene, Denver cut the albums "Rhymes and Reasons" (1969) and "Take Me to Tomorrow" (1970), and scored another hit with the single "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which sold a million copies. The next year, he recorded "Rocky Mountain High" an autobiographical song that became his signature and spoke of his love of the land. A string of hit albums continued in the early 1970s including "Poems, Prayers and Promises" (1971), "Aerie" (1972), "Farewell Andromeda" (1973), and "Back Home Again" (1974). The 1975 pressing of John Denver's "Greatest Hits" eventually sold ten million copies, one of the best-selling albums in RCA Records' history. That same year, he was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. While critics sometimes chided Denver's music and image for being too bland or too wholesome, his popularity soared because his feel-good songs struck a chord with people who wanted music to make them happy. In 1977, he crossed over into movies when he starred with George Burns in 'Oh, God!' in which he played an ordinary man chosen by God (Burns) to carry his message. He appeared in scores of television specials during the 1970s. Denver's other recordings in that decade include "An Evening with John Denver" (1975), "Windsong" (1975), "Live in London" (1976), "Spirit" (1976), "I Want to Live" (1977), "John Denver" (1979), and "A Christmas Together with the Muppets" (1979). Denver remained popular in the early 1980s with the albums "Autograph" (1980), "Some Days Are Diamonds" (1981), "Perhaps Love" (1981), "Seasons of the Heart" (1982), "It's About Time" (1983), and "Collection" (1984). The late 1980s presented some difficulties for Denver - he was arrested for drunk driving and his record sales dropped. He devoted himself more to social causes such as Friends of the Earth, Human/Dolphin Foundation, Save the Children Foundation, and UNICEF. He was also active in promoting space travel, and he was a member of the National Space Institute and the European Space Agency. Denver continued to record and released the albums "Dreamland Express" (1985), "One World" (1986), "The Flower That Shattered the Stone" (1990), "Earth Songs" (1990), "Different Directions" (1991), and "Higher Ground" (1991). Denver always enjoyed flying and was known as sort of a daredevil around Aspen, Colorado, where he maintained one of his residences. Denver died on October 12, 1997 when an experimental small plane he was flying crashed into Monterey Bay off the California coast. <*> <*> <*> <*> DENVER DAY - AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JANUARY 15 I was thrilled to discover that the local newspaper published a complimentary advert for our day, and then the phone started ringing. It was heartwarming to receive so many enquiries. The first person to arrive was Jenny originally from China. Said she "I love him. I used to see him when he came to China. I love Country Roads." We showed the DVD of the 1977 concert in Sydney cricket ground. It was lovely to watch it on a big screen. This concert was particularly significant to several of those attending including myself. (I still have a copy of the original concert advert). Three weeks before this concert as part of the tour John had sung at an outdoor venue named Western Springs in Auckland which several of us had attended. He wore the same stage clothes as on the DVD. Another reason we remembered that concert is because of the buckets of rain that fell down, delaying the start of the concert by 45 minutes. We survived the wet weather by putting rubbish bags over our bodies. We later discovered John was being encouraged to cancel the concert but his response was "if its good enough for them to sit there then its good enough for me to sing." Actually when he began to sing the rain began to stop. Comments that flowed last Friday night were along the lines of "I've had such a stressful day but listening to John calmed me right down. I had forgotten what a strong clear voice he had. I had forgotten how good he actually was." With this sort of encouragement we are looking at having another event in a few months time, maybe over two days. Susan JOHN DENVER FOUNDATION OF NEW ZEALAND <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> In Memory of my brother, Charles Bennett... by Emily M. Parris My beloved brother, Charles, died on January 4th, 2010. That's why the newsletter is late this month. He was a John Denver fan. He went with me to see the Wildlife Concert being taped in New York City. He was with me when we met John Denver at the downtown Kansas City airport. Then he went with me to Aurora, Colorado for John Denver's memorial service there. Although there was a 10 year age difference between us, we were very close. At Charles' Memorial Service my husband, Jim, played "Perhaps Love." In loving Memory of my brother, Charles Bennett 3-3-39 - 1-4-10 < * > < * > < * > < * > < * > < * ============================================ J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ============================================ Award winning illustrators Jeanette and Christopher Canyon of Columbus, Ohio will be the keynotes at the Huber Heights Literacy Initiative on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the Huber Heights Athletic Foundation Center. - - - - - - - - - - Hi everybody, just came to my mind - our club was founded January 10, 1981 - which means, 29 years ago today. And this is what the "founders" looked like back then: http://johndenverclub.org/100181e.html ;-))) Best wishes to you all, Inge and the Music and Communication team - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =============== POETRY CORNER =============== Happy Birthday With Love by Cynthia Helen Gullage Happy birthday dear John. Your spirit lives on, As your melodies soar O'er cathedrals and seas, Looking for space, flying for me. Happy birthday dear John. Too soon you were gone From this planet you loved. But, like eagle and hawk, You are rising again, Beloved musician, poet and friend. Happy birthday dear John. Great joy comes with dawn For the day you were born. Battles still rage on earth. We pray they will cease, Engendering peace. In loving memory of John Denver. December 31, 1943 - October 12, 1997. (Copyright of Cynthia Helen Gullage, December 31, 2009) ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R W A N T A D S ======================================= Now Available through The Windstar Foundation: * 1995 Choices for The Future Symposium on DVD, remastered with a new introduction. * Bob Sirois "Rocky Mountain Christmas" - a lovely partial instrumental CD of one of our favorite John Denver holiday recordings... just lovely! * New Windstar Logo T-shirts * 2009 Wheeler Tribute Concert T-shirts Great for holiday gift-giving! Visit www.wstar.org to order yours now! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2010 COLOR JOHN DENVER CALENDARS IT’S TIME TO ORDER YOUR 2010 CALENDARS! These exclusive wall calendars are professionally printed on heavy paper and feature 13 color photo pages of John through his career. Format: full size color photo page above and the calendar page below, year 2011 on the back. Non-US orders send an international money order in US funds, USA cash, or Pay Pal. These prices include postage. US & Canada - $30.00 for one, $56.00 for two Overseas - $34.00 for one, $65.00 for two Name ____________________________________ Address _________________________________________ City/Country __________________________________________ State Zip ____________ Phone _____________________ Email ________________________________ Number ordered:_______ Send payment to: Carol Blevins / 1213 River Road / Quarryville, PA 17566. There are no deadlines on orders, but, when the calendars are gone, they’re gone. We ran out last year and I am only going to order 125 this year. Please order early. We accept PayPal at no cost to buyers. Go to www.paypal.com, click on “send money”, and make your payment to me using blevins@epix.net. Contact Carol by email with details of the order. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WEB PAGES of Interest: Michiel's Video Clips http://www.tenbrug.nl/JohnDenver John Denver Archives http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnDenverArchives Eagle Rock Entertainment http://www.eaglerockent.com 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 January 2010 * Issue #189 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************