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 M A R C H 1 9 9 6 V E E R Emily Parris emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS March 1996 "John Denver: A Legacy of Song".......................1 John Joins the Songwriters Hall of Fame...............2 Mardy Murie from Jackson Hole, Wyoming................2 A Valedictory Verse to "Calypso"...by Jim Bearden.....3 John's Band joins the WWW - (Pete Huttlinger WWW Page)..................3 Jon Sommers - now in the duo "Sommers and Biff".......4 No Star For John on the Hollywood Walk of Fame........4 John Denver News Items................................5 Poetry Corner: "To John Denver" by Sunny Jo Waters................6 John Denver Memorabilia & Want Lists..................7 - - - The Rocky Mountain High Newsletter is written and edited by Emily M. Parris (emily@sky.net) ****************************************** John Denver: A Legacy of Song ****************************************** Cherry Lane Music is producing a large coffee table book called "John Denver: A Legacy of Song". The book is $34.95 in hard cover and $24.95 in softback. It is part of a series of legendary books. Cherry Lane Music was founded by Milt Okun. To find out more check out the Cherry Lane Music WWW Page: (http://www.cherrylane.com) ========================================================= John Denver To Be Inducted Into The SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME ========================================================= John will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York on June 12, 1996. There should be a press release concerning this in future newsletters. =========================================================== MARDY MURIE.....of Jackson Hole, Wyoming =========================================================== Mardy Murie and her now deceased husband, Olaus, were the inspiration for John's song - "A Song For All Lovers". Her real name is Margaret Murie but she goes by the nickname "Mardy." She now lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and is 93 years old. A lifetime of work has earned her a reputation as the "godmother" of the environmental movement. Margaret (Mardy) Thomas was born in Seattle, Washington. The family moved to Fairbanks, Alaska when she was only 9 and that began her love affair with Alaska and the wilderness. She later married Olaus Murie and together they surveyed the wild regions of Alaska. "It was like a dream world, so beautiful that there is hardly any way to tell about it" she said of the Alaskan wilderness. In 1927 the Muries moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and in 1937 they joined the Wilderness Society and fought to protect the remaining wilderness areas in the U.S. Olaus died in 1963 and Mardy has continued her work to protect the wild regions alone. Mardy has written several books which are available from the Grand Teton Natural History Association: "Wapiti Wilderness" ($12.95) paperback, and "Two In the Far North" ($14.95) paperback There is also a biography about her which is a children's book called "Margaret Murie: A Wilderness Life". ($14.95) Include ($3.00) postage for one book or ($4.00) if you are ordering all three. They are available by writing or calling the Grand Teton Natural History Association P. O. Box 170 Moose, WY 83012 (307) 739-3606 A VALEDICTORY VERSE TO "CALYPSO" ================================ From: Jim Bearden To: emily@sky.net Subject: Sinking of the Calypso I appreciated your article about the sinking of the Calypso, in the last newsletter, and your "Ode to the Calypso" which accompanied it. What we really need is a final verse to that song. What would be ideal, of course, is if J.D. himself would write a valedictory verse, but unfortunately, that probably won't happen. So unless the unlikely happens, and he decides to do a better job on this than I could ever do, how about this for a final verse? CALYPSO (Continued) VERSE 3: And now we must bid you a final farewell, To return to the ocean that gave you birth. But your spirit lives on, and your work will continue, As your family sails over all of the earth. And wherever we go, no matter how far we travel, You'll always be with us -- you were the first! CHORUS: Aye, Calypso! -------------------------------------------------------- (Note: See the February 1996 issue for the article about the sinking of the ship "Calypso.") * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN'S BAND JOINS THE WWW..... From: Peter Huttlinger To: emily@sky.net Subject: Re: JD friends Hi Emily: I'm Pete Huttlinger. I've played in John's band for the last two years. I wanted to let you know that I have a really cool CD out called "CATCH AND RELEASE." It is an all acoustic, all instrumental CD with tunes I wrote out of my experiences from the outdoors and Flyfishing. I love flyfishing for trout in many of the rivers here in Tennessee and last summer John and the band went to his cabin in the rockies and we did some fishing there. It was great fun. Http://www.jtr.com/tri/huttlngr.htm Samples of the tunes can be heard at this site. Thanks. Pete HUTT1@ix.netcom.com * * * Editor's Note: For more about fishing check out..... alt.fishing rec.outdoors.fishing.fly - rec.outdoors.fishing J.P.'s Fishing Page: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~Jsuchosk/fish/fishpage ======================================================= JON MARTIN SOMMERS ======================================================= Bluegrass fiddler and banjo player, Jon Martin Sommers has found his niche playing in a duo called "Sommers and Biff". His partner is guitarist Chris Phillips. "The music that comes out of the pair is a blend of stylings that is hard to put a finger precisely on, but one thing is for sure. It's good." That's what the Aspen Times Staff Writer wrote about their performance last September. The two acoustic musicians trace their partnership back to 1975 when both played in the World Famous Bluegrass Salad Boys. They regrouped in the spring of 1995 to play as a duo, and it has simply taken off, as Sommers and Biff play just about as many gigs as they can. ============================================== No Star For John on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ============================================== by Emily M. Parris The "Rhymes and Reasons" John Denver fan club has been working since 1993 to obtain a star for John on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Apparently the money to do this was already collected from fans, and the only delay was in arranging a suitable date for the presentation. When Rick Pethtel of R&R caught up with John at the Choices Symposium in Aspen, however, John said he didn't want it. He said "who's going to appreciate it besides me, you, and a few others?" He then said that they should give the money collected to charity. In the 70's I lived in Hollywood. I lived there when I first discovered John's music and played "Take Me Home, Country Roads" over and over. I remember walking along Hollywood Boulevard and wondering when John would have a star there on the Boulevard. I used to walk along there and imagine his having one. So I'm disappointed in John's attitude. There is already a star for John in the Netherlands on a similar "walk of fame." So why can't we have our star for John in the U.S? Somehow I think that John has lost touch with us - his fans - the very people who brought him fame in the first place. He showed us his soul and we connected; we understood; we shared in his feelings. But where is that unity of feeling now? The people who donated that money thought it was going for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, so I don't think it was right for John to cancel the project. JOHN DENVER NEWS ITEMS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ John Denver at the Pebble Beach Golf Tournament =============================================== John Denver played in the Pebble Beach Golf Tournament last month. It was broadcast on tv by CBS. Some rain slowed down the action but did not dampen the spirits of the celebrities and fans in attendance. On the Celebrity Golf Shoot-Out, John Denver's team came in third, and he said on camera that he was donating the $4000 he won to The Windstar Foundation and Plant-It 2000. The team of Bill Murray and Glen Campbell won the shoot-out, and the team of Kevin Kostner and Andy Garcia came in second. John Denver was paired with Michael Chiklis of "The Commish". John Denver on Good Morning America =================================== In February John also appeared on a segment of Good Morning America that was broadcast from Aspen, Colorado - his home town. Mark Stern is Back! =================== Due to popular demand, Mark Stern is back as John's publicist. Several of the J.D. clubs staged a protest that worked and he will now be keeping us informed on what John is doing. Tom Paxton wrote "Ballad of Gary Hart" ====================================== I was informed this week that Tom Paxton is the author of the song, "The Ballad of Gary Hart" - not John. I want to apologize for the fact that I had given John credit on copies of the lyrics. Since I had only heard John sing the song on the radio I just "assumed" he was the author of the song. The lyrics (with incorrect credits) appeared in the very first issue of the RMH Newsletter in May of 1994. The U.S. John Denver Fan Clubs are......... =========================================== Hearts in Harmony * 1213 River Road * Quarryville, PA 17566 Rhymes and Reasons * 9315-A Willow Creek Drive * * Gaithersburg, MD 20879 Rocky Mountain High * 3820 Baltimore * Kansas City, MO 64111 * Email: (emily@sky.net) The Higher We Fly * 1620-17th Ave * Kenosha, WI 53140 "Minneapolis Does Denver" Cd Jacket ==================================== The "Minneapolis Does Denver" album has the Rocky Mountain High email address and www page address. Thank you, October Records. Tom Crum's Aiki Works, Inc. =========================== Tom Crum's Aiki Works now has a www page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~aiki Tom Crum co-founded the Windstar Foundation with John. John in LIFE Magazine ===================== There's a photo of John in this month's LIFE magazine from Mikhail Gorbachev's First Annual State of the World Forum. It's a full page, black and white photo. P O E T R Y C O R N E R ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ TO JOHN DENVER by Sunny Jo Waters It must be awesome to be you Loved by so many I'm sure you think about it often Why you, and not someone else I sometimes wonder Is it part of the bigger plan? You've given so much of yourself More than most will You inspire me I think God is generous He gives us what we need He gave us you We have only shaken hands Exchanged a few words Yet are very related NAMASTE: An Indian greeting. I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of light, of love, of hope, and of peace. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me We are ONE. Namaste John, Namaste. Copyright Sunny Jo Waters John Denver WANT LISTS ====================== David S. Maxwell is looking for copies of "Aerie" and "Windsong". Daniel A. Nathan is looking for a copy of "Autograph." Karen Narang is looking for a copy of "Stonehaven Sunset." Terry Booysen is desperately seeking a copy of "Whose Garden Was This". Emily Parris is collecting John Denver lyrics and news articles in ascii. If you have any that are already typed out please send via email. John Denver CD's Available by Mail ================================== "The Very Best of John Denver" cd is available from Heartland Music * P. O. Box 1034 * El Segundo, CA 90245 1-800-788-2400 John Denver Songs Done by Others ================================= "Minneapolis Does Denver" - This J.D. tribute album by Minneapolis artists is available from October Records (october@designstein.com) http://www.october-rec.com "A Blazing Grace" by Jason and the Scorchers is on Mammoth Records. They do a medley of "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads". "Rocky Mountain High School" by Heavy Denver. Heavy Denver is composed of three young men from Australia who play hard-rocking versions of John Denver songs. Their demo album is available for $5.00 (cash only)..... Heavy Denver * 1/52 Lewisham Road * Windsor 3181 * Australia R O C K Y M O U N T A I N T H A N K Y O U ----------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to Ann Schitz, Mary Ledford, Sunny Jo Waters, Mark Stern, Pete Huttlinger, October Records, Jim Beardon, Hal Bidlack, and The Grand Teton Natural History Association for information used in this newsletter. As always, please feel free to send in articles, comments, poems, essays, news or anything related to John Denver for inclusion in future newsletters. Emily Parris emily@sky.net ------------------------------------------------------------- ENDFILE *********************************************************** Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club March 1996 * Issue # 23 * emily@sky.net ***********************************************************