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 N O V 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 November 1999 * Issue #67 John Denver on Television.............................1 John Denver Events....................................2 "Take Me Home: The John Denver Story" Denver Post - Oct 1999............................2 REVIEWS >>>>>>>> October Events in Aspen, CO: Jesse ........................3 Dreaux DeMack....................................4 Linde Fall.......................................4 Mickey McNeil....................................5 Amanda Prothero..................................5 Kathy .....................6 Debby Kohler ....................................6 October Events in Pacific Grove, CA: Annalisa Berns...................................6 Carol Baylock....................................6 Laurie Olson.....................................7 JD Tribute Concert in Fairfax, VA by Jane Usero....................................7 Unveiling of the Exhibit at the Babe Ruth Museum by Mary Ledford...................................7 John Denver Notes / Want Ads..........................8 ============================= John Denver on Television ============================= Nov 22, 1999 "Oh, God!" 2:35 AM TBS Nov 24, 1999 "Foxfire" 9:00 PM VISN - Odyssey Nov 27, 1999 "Oh God" 5:00 PM TCM Turner Classic Movies Dec 6, 1999 "Let This Be A Voice" ========================================== J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ========================================== November 1-5, 1999 "Calypso Cruise" aboard the M.S. Ecstasy 4 days/3 nights Deb Perry / P.O. Box 42 Carver, MN 55315 (612) 368-7550 November 7-26 David Brower will teach a 3-week college course at Schumacher College in England - "A Sense of Wilderness" November 13, 1999 - Fundraising Gala for Int'l JD Memorial Foundation / Epsom Community Centre 6:00 pm Auckland, New Zealand Info: November 18, 1999 "A Musical Tribute to JD" - Los Angeles, CA Royce Hall at UCLA * 7:30 pm * Maureen www.faroutinfo.com * Tickets: 1-800-824-7323 $25 - $127 November 20, 1999 * Santa Monica, CA * Phil Christie Concert free (310) 656-7838 http://home.earthlink.net/~pchristie/ November 21, 1999 * Altadena, CA - Ellen & Steve Stapenhorst in concert (626) 348-7917 November 27, 1999 Doylestown, PA - An Evening of Campfire Songs with Charlie Zahm & Chris Westfall. Salem United Church of Christ / 186 E. Court Street 7:30 pm $8.00 Ann Georgetown, Colorado Christmas Celebration Days with Special Events in Honor of John Denver: November 27 & 28th: 11/27 6:00 PM Tree Lighting Ceremony with John Adams 11/27 8:00 PM John Adams in Concert at the Red Ram 11/28 3:00 PM John Adams, Twirp Anderson, John Sommers and Cash Cashman singing at the Georgetown School * Alfie the Christmas Tree Coloring Contest and a sing-along 11/28 6:00 PM Twirp Anderson, John Sommers and Cash Cashman Concert at the Red Ram with John Adams on JD numbers. Info: Karen D'Attilo (303) 642-0562 All events are free. <<<<<<< >>>>>>> "Take Me Home: The John Denver Story" by Bill Husted * Denver Post 10/21/99 John Denver died two years ago this month but we can see him this winter on tv. CBS has given the green light to a 2 hour tv movie to air early next year. Chad Lowe will star as Denver, Kristin Davis will star as Denver's first wife, Annie Denver, and Vancouver will star as Aspen and Denver. It's hard to imagine a movie about John Denver that wouldn't be shot in Colorado - but shooting begins November 3 in Canada. (The city of) Vancouver is a veteran at playing Denver, having starred as our city in last spring's "Atomic Train." You might remember Lowe from "Life Goes On," where he played Jesse McKenna, a young man with AIDS. He also played Carter Gallivan on "Melrose Place," and featured in the flick "Highway To Hell". Not exactly a country road. Davis is currently staring as the least slutty cast member of "Sex and the City" on HBO. The movie will be based on Denver's autobiography "Take Me Home." Jerry London, whose credits include "The Barbara Mandrell Story", will direct. Fifteen songs by Denver will be heard in the movie, so we can all hum along. <<<<<<<<<<< REVIEWS >>>>>>>>>>>> OCTOBER EVENTS IN ASPEN, CO =========================== Jesse Aspen and the Rockies are nothing like what I've been told...they're MORE. The beauty and the majesty of those mountains was incredible. Aspenites were so friendly and talkative and I had the best time. The Wheeler! WOW! I was not expecting much. I think tribute concerts are cheesy at best and insulting at worst. This was just incredible. I'm so glad I was wrong. There was a lot of celebration of John Denver and his music. The show opened with the spotlight on the guitar and the roses and the recording of "The Music Is You" playing. Chris Nole, Alan Deremo, Michito Sanchez, Jim Horn and Pete Huttlinger took stage and when the song faded, launched into an incredible medley/overture of JD songs. Denny Brooks came out and made sure that everyone in the house knew what was expected of us all...to sing and clap and dance and have fun. No tears, no crying...we were here to celebrate John Denver, not mourn him. Well, we did. Denny was joined by Molly Weaver and Jim Salestrom. Molly was a standout performer. The group did "Sweet Surrender", "Thirsty Boots", "Fly Away", "Matthew" and then introduced Bill Danoff. Bill performed "Baby, You Look Good to Me Tonight" and an incredible version of "I Guess He's Rather Be in Colorado". Bill Danoff has a very pleasant voice. I like Bill. He's pleasant and fun, and he's carrying on the "ugly shirt" tradition. That yellow piece of ugliness was just too funny! The other stand out performance came when Mack Bailey was introduced. This man can sing and his voice is incredible. Mack did "Aspenglo", "Farewell, Andromeda", and "Heart to Heart" with the purest tenor and it was incredible. The original group came back out and Jim Salestrom and Denny Brooks sang "It's A Sin to Tell a Lie" and dedicated it to Ms. Erma in the front rows. I found out later that she attended all three shows. They followed it up with "Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio". Jim Connor came out next, and as he wrote "Grandma's Feather Bed", he performed it with an extra verse. Then John Sommers came out and played "Thank God, I'm A Country Boy." After Intermission, Molly Weaver sang "The Eagle and the Hawk". This is my favorite song and it took my breath away. She did a beautiful job with it. She sang a lovely version of "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and finished it with a dedication to John Sommers and his wife of two years -- it was their anniversary that day -- and sang "In The Grand Way" for them. Jim Salestrom came back out and launched into "Poems, Prayers and Promises" and "I'd Rather Be A Cowboy." He told the story of how John loved to ski and his favorite thing was going "helicopter skiing" in Canada. Then he sang "Downhill Stuff" with the house clapping and singing along. Denny Brooks followed up with "Darcy Farrow", "Me and My Uncle" and "Today." Denny and Mack launched into "Boy From the Country" and their voices melded so nicely. Bill Danoff was back then, and had everyone giggling along with "Late Nite Radio." He also did "Potter's Wheel." Kenn Roberts was introduced next. Kenn has a very operatic voice and handled the vocals with Mack on "Perhaps Love" and "My Sweet Lady." The whole group was now onstage and they all performed "Eagles and Horses" and "Country Roads." After bows, they left. Of course there was an encore. The whole group came back and performed a rousing version of "Calypso" and an even more rousing version of "Rocky Mountain High." Then the house went black and a single spotlight picked up the lone guitar in front of the roses...and John was singing "This Old Guitar." * * * Dreaux DeMack 10/12 GREETINGS FROM ASPEN I feel like an eagle but I am also a hawk...I remember the day we lost John two years ago like it was yesterday, and believe me, the people here in Aspen this week have really done a magical thing to remember John as well. All of the events, the concerts, the HIH event Sunday, the photowalks, the Symposium Monday and the gatherings at various lodges late into the night have been a positive remembrance of JOHN. I was honored to receive a VIP pass Saturday night after the Wheeler Concert and was able to visit with Erma, Uncle Abe and Sammie, Zach and all the musicians. As gifted as John, they are all wonderful people and so approachable. As for the concert, how can you improve on last year? They did and it was a spiritual experience. Once again, the performances closed with "This Old Guitar" and the tears flowed easily by everyone. So many faces, so many voices and so many memories. * * * Linde Fall 10/29/99 I had an undescribable "rocky mountain high" during my Aspen trip. The tribute concert was wonderful and I am so glad I decided to go to another show which was possible because we were able to go a day earlier. We revisited Maroon Bells (after 20 years) and since it had just snowed, it was just so beautifully breathtaking. The aspen gold was still there against that background of white! However, the best part was being able to hear live that very tender and touching voice belonging to Mack Bailey. * * * Mickey McNeil 10/13/99 I had tickets for the Wheeler on Saturday night and thought that would be the best experience of the whole weekend, to my surprise although the concert was good, the best was yet to come. On Sunday morning I went to the Church service in Snowmass. As we crossed the creek we were handed pink roses. We were of the first to arrive and found our seats in the 4th row. The deaconess began to speak.."we are all gathered together here today in the name of the father, the son and the holy"....crackle crackle crackle, the sound system sent out 10 seconds of unbearable noise. Once the disruption was remedied, you could hear people laughing, and welcoming John into the room. A friend of the family joined in stating that that was John reminding us that he is still the star of the show. The service continued without incident. Children's choirs and Josh Adams sang JD tunes that tugged at the heart and brought tears to our eyes once again. Then came the sermon, "Rhymes and Reasons", and then the service was moved outdoors to the memorial garden. As I walked out I expected to see a plaque and a few flowers. To my amazement I found the most beautiful memorial that I feel will never be surpassed in John's honor. In front of the trees stood circular stone engraved testimonials to the love and spirit that benefited us all. In front was a small patch of grass, the perfect spot to sit and appreciate the beauty of this memorial and beyond stood the great Rocky Mountains. After we all gathered, John Adams began to sing. Erma and Ron were in attendance and soon after Annie came to join them. As we all listened and sang John's song we marveled at just how perfect this site was. After "Yellowstone, Coming Home", John Adams sang "The Bells of Rhymney". One verse into the song a hawk appeared directly over the opening that was our piece of the sky. It circled falling and rising in time with the music, then at the part of the song where he hums higher and higher, the hawk caught the wind and circled higher and higher. At the precise moment the song ended, the hawk was gone. What followed was a bit of silence, amazement, a lot of 'whoas', and a realization that whether we wanted to read anything into the whole experience we were all feeling hope, exhilaration, and sheer amazement. * * * Amanda Prothero 10/16/99 I am just back from an unforgettable 5 days in Aspen. The turnout was overwhelming, such love, such devotion there. On Sunday I went to Snowmass Chapel. It was a time of such emotion with the chapel bursting to overflowing. The memorial celebration outside in the garden turned everyone to tears, and John Adams cast a spell that is unexplainable. I too felt John's presence there. How desperately I miss this gentle soul. He will live in my heart forever. * * * Kathy 10/14/99 The concert at the Wheeler was awesome. You could tell the performers were all having a great time and it came across. The ending was a tear jerker as we watched the spotlight on John's guitar. What a moment! Another special memory for me will be the service at the chapel in Snowmass on Sunday. * * * Debby Kohler 10/11/99 The Hearts in Harmony event was great. All the musicians were wonderful. Chris Nole and Pete Huttlinger were so cute and did just a couple of songs the way they wanted to. We also went to the Church service at the Snowmass Chapel. John Adams sang along with the Earthbeat Choir. JD's mom, brother, Annie, Uncle Abe and Sammie were there. Both Erma and Annie cried (along with the rest of us). The concert at the Wheeler was incredible! Very upbeat and happy. At the end there was a lone spotlight shining on John's guitar and they played a recording of John singing "This Old Guitar" followed by him saying..."I love you people." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + OCTOBER EVENTS in PACIFIC GROVE, CA ==================================== Annalisa Berns Oct 10, 1999 Hi all! I arrived 2 days ago and got hold of a computer at Kinko's so I just HAD to write. Well, I am having the best of times. Everything has been perfect, and I am very happy that I made the decision to fly down here even if the money is tight. For those who have never been to Monterey or the area, it is just incredible. I have never seen such big waves in my life! The sun was out both days, and so all I hope is that it stays out today too for the JD events. I went to Lover's Point and sat for some time...I thought that I would be sad and cry tons, but what I felt was at peace and happy. Yes, John died there, but in such a superficial way. I mean, he is still there, and his presence is so strong that I cannot imagine being upset. * * * * Carol Baylock 10/13/99 Just returning from a wonderful weekend down in Monterey celebrating John's life and meditating on his music and the impact he had on so many of our lives through his music. Surrounded by all the beauty that inhabits the Monterey Peninsula this time of year was absolutely an incredible experience on its own to begin with. John's spirit was definitely present throughout the entire weekend. Phil Christie, Jerry Kooyman and Terre did an incredible job sharing their talents through John's songs. Not a dry eye in the house, of course. But his legacy will always remain near and dear to our hearts forever. * * * Laurie Olson The Sunday evening concert was held in a small theater on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Phil Christie and Jerry Kooyman were the primary performers. Jerry repeated some of the songs he shared during the afternoon concert in the park, but he also added a few other favorites... such as "Flower That Shattered The Stone" and "Falling Lives". Then a woman joined him on stage to sing "Old Oak" which she wrote and "Fly Away." Phil also sang a wonderful tribute song he wrote when he went to Colorado in August. <<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>> To see photos from the events in Pacific Grove go to: http://pacificgrove99.osiriscomm.com & http://hometown.aol.com//pixiedmyr/myhomepage/business.html ============================================================ JOHN DENVER TRIBUTE CONCERT - Fairfax, VA 10/2/99 Jane Usero Oh My! The tribute concert on Saturday in Fairfax, VA was absolutely wonderful, fantastic, spectacular, stupendous....I liked it quite a bit. The only problem was that I really kept looking to the side of the stage waiting for John to walk out, pick up his guitar and say, "Sorry for the mix up folks, but I'm back!" Everyone who performed did an outstanding job and we all had so much fun...all while fighting back the tears when a certain song came on or a certain statement or phrase was used or when John's guitar was lit up just right. I did very well until the end of the concert when they darkened everything except John's guitar and played John singing "This Old Guitar." I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. It was a beautiful way to close on a beautiful evening. A "newcomer" or the "young guy" as they all kept calling him is someone you have to hear. His name is Bailey. He is wonderful. Have a great JD day! Peace, Jane <<<<< >>>>> UNVEILING OF THE BABE RUTH MUSEUM From: Mary Ledford Hi Everyone. I attended the very special unveiling of the exhibit depicting the 23 years of "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" being played during the 7th inning stretch at Camden Yards (the home of the Baltimore Orioles) in Baltimore, MD. The exhibit is in the Babe Ruth Museum located on Emory St. in Baltimore. Despite the torrential rains, it was a wonderful evening. The exhibit contains photos of John singing the song, the original music score, the Orioles jacket John wore, and there is a video that is shown along with it. I was pleased to provide them with footage of John singing our National Anthem and a clip of him singing "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" during the 1983 World Series. There were about 2000 people in attendance including John's brother, Ron Deutschendorf and his lovely mother Erma. I had the chance to chat extensively with both of them. Erma looked positively radiant! Jim Connor, author of the song "Grandma's Feather Bed" was there also, along with John Sommers. The Hard Travelers were scheduled to sing but were rained out. There was a live sports/travel auction and by the time we left, there were up to about item number 5 or 6 (out of 10) and had already raised close to $20,000 which will go to a needy children's organization. The current issue of Baltimore Magazine (September 1999) has an article about the exhibit and a little history of the song. There's also a 4x6 color photo of John from his attendance at the 1997 game. They were giving copies away free to those in attendance. They also had some great t-shirts which have the concert with Vince Gill at the Baltimore Arena on the front and a photo of John on the back. It was an incredible evening, one I'll never forget. I know John would have been very proud and he was certainly with us even if he was singing "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." http://www.baltimoremag.com ________________________________________________________ Mary is the President of the "Rhymes & Reasons" Fan Club ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= Emily There were so many things to include in this issue of RMH that I didn't have room for them all. For a text file with more reports write and ask for "Nov-1999.txt" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bill Young I have to let everyone know that the California Friends of John Denver was the group that got the city of Pacific Grove to allow a memorial for John. *** CA Friends of John Denver *** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Debra Phil Christie landed the coveted job of performing John's vocals to re-create the Mitchell Trio sessions for the upcoming CBS movie of "The John Denver Story"! Although most of the movie will utilize the original recordings of John's solo performances, the producers did not have isolated vocal tracks available from the early, Mitchell Trio days. The movie is due to air in Spring 2000. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tina DeVore I found my video copy of John's memorial service and if anyone is still looking for that I'd be willing to make copies for anyone for the cost of making the copy and mailing it. - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kim Vickers In the October edition of Reader's Digest, on page 96, there is a little story called "Secrets of the Fall" by Bill Bryson. He writes: "When I reached the preternaturally clear air of Killington's summit, with views to every horizon soaked in autumn luster, I found it was all I could do not to fling open my arms and burst forth with a medley of John Denver tunes." In ending he writes: "They miss not only the heady joys of the out of doors, the fresh air, the rich organic smells, the ineffable delight of shuffling through drifts of paper dry leaves, but also the singular pleasure of hearing the hills ringing with "Take Me Home, Country Roads" sung in a loud voice in a pleasingly distinctive Anglo-Iowa twang. And that, if I say so myself is definitely worth getting out of your car for." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Michael Johnson is beginning a tour with Paul Revere and the Raiders. He has also just released a 2-cd set that has his first 3 early acoustic albums.."There Is A Breeze", "For All You Mad Musicians" and "Aint Dis Da Life". It is available on his www page at http://www.mjblue.com * He also has a newsletter to which you can subscribe. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily Parris Cath Meadows wrote some beautiful thoughts on John Denver in "Just the Thought of You." For a copy write and ask for (cath10-3.txt). Also, Tom Crum wrote a letter for the Anniversary of John's death. (Tom-Crum.txt) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kathie Gilbert I listen to a station in Indianapolis because it regularly plays John Denver songs. It is WMYS AM 1430. :-) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10/14/99 +------ TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY ------+ * Melba Montgomery was born in Iron City, Tennessee. * Roy Orbison was added to the West Texas Walk of Fame (1989) * John Denver launched a concert tour of China in 1992. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ann Schnitz If you don't have the 'new' album "Portrait" yet, go to www.connect2music.com/johndenver/ to hear the previously unreleased song "Don't Be Kind". You need to have RealPlayer to hear it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tara The song Lyle Lovett sang at John's Memorial Service in Aspen is titled "Texas River Song". The song is on a Lyle Lovett cd entitled "Step Inside This House" =================================================== JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E =================================================== Jim Horn has a new Christmas cd out just in time for the Holiday Season. It is called "Christmas Like A Lullaby". Jim toured with John for over 15 years. Jim Horn Records P. O. Box 50005 / Nashville, TN 37205 To order: 1-877-get-mycd http://www.jimhorn.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Matthew Dodwell Does anyone have a taped copy of the song "Wandering Soul"? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wayne I am looking for JD fans in the Lafayette, Louisiana area. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Joyce Does anyone have a copy of John's album "Aerie". - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chris Taylor We sell VHS, DVD, Laser Disc, and T-shirts of all artists and all music. We have on video..."A Portrait", "Montana Christmas Skies" with "JD & the Muppets: A Christmas Together", or as a single video, and "The Wildlife Concert" http://musicvideodist.com * Music Video Dist / P.O. Box 280 / Oaks, PA 19456 800-888-0486 x231 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Loraine Wingham I recently purchased a bunch of "16 Magazines." One of them from Oct 1975 has lots about John including a gorgeous, full-page colour pin-up. I'll sell it for $10 including postage. - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Maureen Anderson. We have Jim Horn and Mack Bailey cd's as well as a variety of John Denver recordings available for purchase. http://www.faroutinfo.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Marie Horton Did anyone go to the JD Christmas Concert in Knoxville, TN in December 1993? If so do you have videos or pictures of the concert that you would like to sell? Let me know at the email above. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Annalisa There are a couple of us out here in Idaho who would like to start an Idaho JD fan club. Anyone interested please email me. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There is still time to get a tape of John St. Augustine's interview with John's manager, Hal Thau on 10/08/99. $15.00 WDBC Radio / 604 Ludington St / Escanaba, MI 49829 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - Johnny Ray Watson Does anyone have a taped copy of the made-for-tv movie "Sunshine"? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gerald Keil We will be offering free John Denver web site hosting. We are also redesigning our site to help speed up the download times, making it a Mac, PC, and WebTV friendly site, and more. Email me for more information. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gregory Neal We have cd's of "Aerie", "Rhymes and Reasons" and "Whose Garden Was This" imported from Japan; the "Higher Ground" video from 1988; "The Christmas Gift" video and many other rare items. 800-280-29990 x20 http://www.ImportMusic.com/jdenver - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ken Califf Would love to have a good video copy of the memorial service. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WWW Pages: John Denver Memorial Fund http://john-denver.org/web/causes/fund.html Tom Crum's Letter about John Denver http://www.wstar.org/Tomsletter.html John Denver Photos: //www.homestead.com/johndenverlives/Photos_Pg10.html If you live in the Kansas City Metro Area, email me and I'll let you know about JD events & gatherings here in K.C. ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily November 1999 * Issue #67 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************