============================================= *** 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 O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 Editor: Emily M. Parris ================================================ http://www.rockymtnhigh.org * emily@parris.net ================================================ Table of Contents October 2006 * Issue #150 John Denver Events..............................2 Aspen in October Events.......................3 Wrangell Mountain Song by Terry C. Blosser......5 John Denver Notes...............................7 Poetry Corner: "Too Sad" by Julie Gilliand...................7 "Silent" by Rita Carrington Bryant............8 John Denver Want Ads............................9 Events from the John Denver Spanish Club........9 ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ======================================= October 8, 2006 / Pacific Grove, CA - 9th Annual John Denver Beach Clean Up and Memorial Tribute / John Denver Beach / The turnout on Ocean View Blvd. between Acropolis and Asilomar. Clean Up and picnic starting at 11:00am / John Denver Memorial Tribute 5:00pm / Dinner at Gianni's after the Tribute. Debra < PixieDmyr@aol.com > October 14, 2006 - Doylestown, PA - An Evening of Music with Chris Westfall 7:30pm * Salem United Church of Christ pahough@aol.com October 21, 2006 / Pilot Mountain, NC - 8:00pm "An Evening With Christopher Westfall" - Sawbriar Acoustic Stage, a coffeehouse-styled venue. 111 East Main Street $10 http://chriswestfall.com * www.sawbriar.com October 28, 2006 / Dousman, WI - Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup Helpers needed & wanted! / Meet 10:30am at Kettle Moraine Golf Club / 4299 US Hwy 67 / Join the Wisconsin Friends of John Denver group afterwards for some food, fellowship and fun / Carolyn Churchill the_family_churchill@msn.com (847) 421-4609 October 28, 2006 / Annapolis, MD - 6th Annual "Music From the Mountains" - a tribute to John Denver / The Hard Travelers and friends / Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts 8:00pm http://www.mdhallarts.org * http://www.musicunites.com October 29, 2006 - Columbia, MD - Encore performance of the "Musical Tribute to John Denver" with the Hard Travelers and friends. Jim Rouse Theatre / www.musicunites.com 1:30pm Tickets: $35 Premier Seating / $25 General Reserved Reception follows http://www.columbiaorchestra.org October 28, 2006 - UK - John Denver Tribute Charity Concert by Neil & Gill Sharman / Brian Lupton will host. Other performers are Mark Robinson and Mike Bradbury on the keyboards. All proceeds are going to charity. The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, near Birkenhead, Merseyside, England http://www.timberwolf-studios.com / neilandgill@timberwolf-studios.com October 29, 2006 - Dublin, NH - October Highway Cleanup. Meet at Friendly Farm on NH Route 101 in Dublin at 1:00pm. Annual Soup and Salad Supper follows at the home of Kathy and Bill Engle in Dublin. Diane Nilsson (603) 878-0967 dnilsson@tellink.net November 11, 2006 - Vero Beach, FL - "Music From the Mountains" - A Tribute to John Denver / Benefit Concert for Indian River Memorial Hospital / The Wax Lax Center at St. Edwards School / 1895 St. Edward's Drive Tickets: $150 & $250 include a reception, dinner, silent and live auctions (772) 567-4311 http://www.irhf.org Indian River Hospital Foundation * http://www.musicunites.com/Schedule.htm November 11, 2006 UK "Denver Day" - Coventry / Performance by Steve Brook / http://www.stevebrook.com Info: president@fojd.org.uk http://www.fojd.org.uk November 11, 2006 - Bristol, PA - An Evening of Music with Chris Westfall 7:00pm / Silver Lake Nature Center 1306 Bath Road, Bristol, PA 19007 $10 (reservations) http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org pattianncr@verizon.net / http://www.chriswestfall.com December 3-10, 2006 - Richard Hatch's Jammin' Jamaican Adventure Cruise / From Miami, FL to the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and back. * http://www.richardhatch.com December 9, 2006 - UK - Neil & Gill Sharman's annual songs for Christmas Show. The Scout Hall, Chapeltown, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. http://www.timberwolf-studios.com 3:00pm neilandgill@timberwolf-studios.com ===================================== JOHN DENVER EVENTS in ASPEN, COLORADO ===================================== October 2, 2006 - Snowmass Village, CO - Windstar Foundation "New Choices for You Future Symposium 2006" 8:00am - 4:00pm (866) 927-5430 * http://www.wstar.org windstarco@wstar.org October 11, 2006 - Aspen, CO - "Friends With You" Concert at the Aspen Community Church - Mark Cormican, Chris Collins and the Boulder Canyon Band 7:00pm * apokey1@aol.com October 12, 2006 - Aspen, CO - Work detail at the John Denver Sanctuary 9:00am - Noon / Curtis.Griffy@guidant.com October 12, 2006 - Aspen, CO - Meet and Greet - John Denver Sanctuary 3:00pm * aspeninoctober@wowway.com October 12, 2006 - Aspen, CO - "Worship on the Mountain" John Denver Sanctuary 3:30pm Christian non-denominational service officiated by Pastor Keith Perry * aspeninoctober@wowway.com October 12, 2006 - Aspen, CO - 9th Annual John Denver Campfire at Maroon Bells East Portal 6:00pm * skyking@cell1net.net October 12, 2006 - Aspen, CO - "Thanks To You... an Appreciation Evening for the World Family of John Denver" Jim and Ann Curry / Ballroom of the Mountain Chalet. 9:00pm Meet and Greet/social followed by the performance. Free October 13, 2006 - Aspen, Co - Assisted Living Center Sing-along. Meet in Wagner Park at 9:00am / Singalong at noon * Shari Sullivan: apokey1@aol.com October 13, 2006 - Aspen, CO - Peace Cloth Event 1:00pm Mountain Chalet * eve@johndenverpeacecloth.com October 13-14, 2006 - Aspen, CO - 9th Annual "A Musical Tribute to John Denver" - Wheeler Opera House 7:00pm 320 E. Hyman Avenue / John Sommers, Mack Bailey, Chris Nole, Jim Salestrom, Bill Danoff, Mollie Weaver, Pete Huttlinger, Jim Horn, Richie Gajate-Garcia, Herb Pederson and Alan Deremo. Also Wendy Larson conducting "The Symphony In the Valley". Kathy Mattea will join the John Denver Band for the October 13th performance. The M.U.S.E. Foundation Tickets: $45, $75 and $125 VIP http://www.musicunites.com http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com (970) 92-5770 October 14, 2006 - Aspen, CO - "Let This Be A Voice" / Mt. Chalet 10:30am - 3:30pm $25 for concert/lunch/auction; $15 for auction/concert. Send check/m.o. to Pam along with a SASE Pam Beasley / 721 Ravencroft Drive / Garland, TX 75043 * Pam's NEW email: firendsky@mac.com October 14, 2006 - Windstar Land Conservancy, Snowmass, CO 1:30pm - 3:30pm Bring work gloves To be added to the volunteer list: curtis.griffy@guidant.com October 15, 2006 - Snowmass, CO - Snowmass Chapel Service in Snowmass Village. Reception in the garden following the service. 9:00am October 15, 2006 - Snowmass, CO - Windstar Celebration at the Windstar Land Conservancy 10:00am - 4:00pm $35 (Windstar Membership) * apokey1@aol.com October 15, 2006 - Aspen, CO - A Special Concert with Mack Bailey, Chris Nole, and Pete Huttlinger / Mountain Chalet Ballroom / 333 East Durant Ave. 5:30pm (reception) 6:30pm Concert / Reception includes a wrap and drink. Tickets $25 * Send check to "Spa Creek Music / PO Box 201435 / Denver, CO 80220 * karen@mackbailey.com scm@mackbailey.com * http://www.mackbailey.com October 15, 2006 - Aspen, CO - John Adams Concert at the Wheeler Opera House: Rocky Mountain High 7:00pm with Guido Bos, Dave Harding, Diane Ireland, Tom Paxton, Rusty Speigle and Randy Utterback. (970) 920-5770 www.wheeleroperahouse.com $35 / Children & seniors $20 October 16, 2006 - Aspen, CO - John Denver Sanctuary Picnic and Jam/Sing-along. Bring your own picnic lunch. 11:00am / Jam at noon / Please bring your own instruments. Event will end in time for "It's Goodbye Again" / (Mt. Chalet in case of rain) / Dale: renegadetroutfitter@networld.com October 16, 2006 - Aspen, CO - "It's Goodbye Again" 5:00pm Wagner Park on Durant Ave. (Ball field across from Mountain Chalet). Don't just leave! Come and bid farewell, reflect on the past few days, and look to the future. Bring kleenexes and cameras. Deb: aspeninoctober@wowway.com <+> <+> <+> <+> <+> <+> <+> Terry C. Blosser Havre, MT Wrangell Mountain Song When I hung up the phone after the interview my ears were ringing with John Denver's, "I can't wait to see the Wrangell Mountains." I'd just been offered a summer job at Kennicott Glacier Lodge, where I'd spend the summer in the dramatic mountain and glacier wilderness that inspired his famed 1970's Alaskan tribute. I was so excited that I sat down with my old Guild guitar and sang the tune over and over. Just a couple years younger than John would be, I've played his music for years. For a few summers I performed his songs in my Ranger programs at Glacier National Park, Montana. Soon after my arrival at Kennecott, the copper mining ghost town and National Historical Landmark, I heard there were some old photographs of John at the McCarthy Saloon, five miles down the dirt road. I found them on a wall, illuminated by a little lamp, near the same bar where John and his film crew enjoyed some evenings. Both images were simple snapshot enlargements, lovingly framed. One shows John in bellbottoms playing horseshoes in the street outside the saloon. In the other, John is giving a big hug to a lady fan. As I got to know more folks, I learned that he is fondly remembered in this tiny mercantile town at the foot of the 25-mile Kennicott Glacier. Catching on to John's sense of humor they surprised him one evening with a shoot-out at the bar. A local "roughneck" whipped out a gun loaded with blanks and shot it out with the bartender. John and his crew fled the bar but quickly returned after hearing all the side-splitting laugher inside. 'If you think they're wild." the song quips. At nearby Kennecott town, John's crew filmed what's been described as a "Keystone Cops" comedy sequence in the 14-story copper milling building anchored to the mountainside and deserted since 1938. The structure is chocked full of massive, mysterious machinery, with chutes, ladders and steps connecting a maze of rooms. Locals still talk about one part of the filming where John scampered about on an outside stairway that miners once used as a shortcut from the building's top to bottom. It was a high-wire act since the rickety steps were far above the ground and had no hand railings. Insiders have since dubbed it the John Denver Memorial Stairway. Soon I got my chance to fly with one of the local bush pilots, and once again John's music rang in my ears, the joyful words of a bush pilot returning home to his loved one after the Vietnam War. With my heart swelling, I soared over the peaks of the 13-million acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. John likely fit right in with the area's bush pilots who ferry visitors to the Park's back country ridges and remote glaciers. They're a friendly, laid- back bunch in blue jeans, plaid shirts, and beards, with eyes that sparkle good humor. Then one day I met up with Rebecca, the 12-year-old daughter of one of them. In a trailside chat with her family somebody mentioned John Denver. It quickly became apparent that this gal with the blonde ponytail knew scores of his songs by heart and had been singing them for years. I was thrilled that this little lady was carrying John's music into her own generation. Then another local fan named Hollis added things up: He prodded Rebecca and I to perform at the McCarthy Saloon's weekly Open Mike Night. Rebecca had quite an ear for belting out John's songs and after two practice sessions we were ready. Meanwhile Hollis whipped up local interest and got us billed as the first act. Richard, the saloon's volunteer MC, got the two old photographs off the wall and delivered a tribute to John, recounting the McCarthy visit. All the locals and seasonal staffers of the area's visitor trade fell into respectful silence. Rebecca and I looked out upon a full house, with all the bush pilots and their families sitting in the front row. Then strumming my Guild F-20, similar to the small guitar that John backpacked in Alaska, we sang out "Alaska and Me", eased into a two-part harmony with "The Flower that Shattered the Stone", then did "Rhymes and Reasons", and eventually closed with "Wrangell Mountain Song". It brought the crowd to their feet. Someone yelled, "far out." I'm so grateful for having John's music in my life, and that it gifted me with such a fabulous summer. The "Wrangell Mountain Song" rings ever more truly in my ears these days, "McCarthy lies asleep beside the glacier. It's a strong and gentle people living there. I can't wait to get back home to you." ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= The State funeral for motor racing legend Peter Brock included a John Denver song sung by his close friend, Aurora Kurth. John was one of Peter Brock's favorite singers. The funeral took place in Melbourne, Australia. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Atlantis Space Shuttle began its day with the song "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver on 9-18-06. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Yokota Air Base, Japan - In September 1946, Yokota Elementary School opened on nearby Johnson Air Base with just two teachers and 12 students. It was renamed Yokota West in April 1973. ...And the school's most famous product? The late singer/songwriter John Denver, a former Air Force dependent who attended Yokota Elementary." from an article by Vince Little in "Stars and Stripes" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily < emily@parris.net > The information compiled by William Addams Reitwiesner on John Denver's Ancestry is amazing! It turns out that John's father was born the same day as my mother, Frances Bennett. She was born on April 15, 1913 and he was born in 1920 on that date. Check it out at the John Denver Espana Club website: http://www.johndenverclub.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R P O E T R Y ======================================= Too Sad by Julie Gilleand Today is too sad, I cannot write Yesterday John Denver flew his last flight His music will forever be part of my soul A treasure from Heaven more precious than gold. Thank you, Lord, for the light that he gave His rhymes and his reasons which brightened our days. Mend our sad hearts and dry all our tears As we say goodbye to our friend so dear A cloud hovers over Colorado today Over the mountains in Aspen, the skies are gray The lovers of music have lost one of their own As the singer of songs now has gone home. ________________________________ Copyright 1997 by Julie Gilleand * * * Silent...for John Denver by Rita Carrington Bryant Last night was dark and muggy still Nothing to see but a muddy sky Air thick with unknown feelings... In my mind all eagles could fly. As I trod that well beaten path Through the forests of my soul My Minds eye could see the dim folly That all of the ancients know. A strong breeze from the south Held me in its damp thrall... Billowing the sails of uncertainty Headed for uncharted ports of call Pillars of the Acropolis tumbling Underneath the moonlight's eerie glow A song dying in the wind A friend drifting in the water below. Had I but known it then A yes... but nothing to be done But I did know and listen not Tis my folly...and my grief all in one. I awoke to a gentle rain Quiet thoughts drifted by... Why I never know... Just how high an eagle could fly. ________________________________________ Copyright 1997 by Rita Carrington Bryant ================================================= JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E ================================================= Kevin Ingalls is looking for a copy of "Rocky Mountain Holiday, John Denver and the Muppets" for his children to view. If you have a copy please email him at aspeningalls@msn.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Patti Williams < dorothysmom1958@yahoo.com > I'm from North Carolina. I'd love to have some pen pals. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Peace Cloth store. All proceeds benefit the John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth. http://www.johndenverpeacecloth.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - < * * * > VIDEOCLIPS From SPAIN Events from the John Denver Spanish Club The John Denver Friends Meeting III took place in the city of Eyne in France. It is a place located in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, surrounded by nature and fantastic landscapes. In addition to this, Steve Brook, Vicente Solivelles and I played a tribute concert to John in Puigcerda, a place very close to Eyne. The concert was a great success. The concert hall was crowded and the followers of John Denver's music had a very good time there. We played 27 songs. Most of them were John's and some others of our own. Some of these songs were adapted to Spanish and we made a fantastic design using video and music. You can see all the concert in small pieces on my web page... http://www.tomhernandez.es You can find all this in NEWS or clicking directly in J.Denver club. You can also find information about this on the club web page at http://www.johndenverclub.com Obviously, the quality of the videos is not the best but I think it is enough to show what we do in Spain to remember John and his band. The III meeting DVD and the concert will soon be available in case any of you would be interested in getting it. Next year the meeting will be organized in Ciudad Rodrigo. It is a medieval city. We expect to organize another tribute concert with more Spanish and foreign artists, trips and activities. Would you like to come? We would love to have any of you here. Thanks for your time Tom Hernandez tom@tomhernandez.es John Denver Espana Club http://www.Johndenverclub.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Aspen in Summer Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonstarjd/sets/ John's Bench at Dersingham Bog www.flickr.com/photos/moonstarjd/sets/72157594296522532 North Carolina Friends of John Denver www.ncfriendsofjd.com/2006-August-September-Newsletter.html It's About Time Newsletter http://home.comcast.net/~tybrenn/iat/ John Denver Videoclip http://home.wanadoo.nl/mtenbrug/denver/ Alaska Slideshow http://www.youtube.com/watch?y=5XmJZYhdt1c "Don't Close Your Eyes Tonight" video http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/denver_john/artist.jhtml 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 October 2006 * Issue #150 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************