Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. was born on New Years Eve 1943
in Roswell, New Mexico and as a teenager began a career that would
establish him as one of the top singer songwriters of the 1970’s.  
After starting his recording career with the Chad Mitchell Trio,
Denver’s, "Leaving On A Jet Plane" became a chart topper
for Peter, Paul & Mary in 1969.

Changing his last name to “Denver” in honor of his favorite city, he
recorded hundreds of songs with more than 30 landing on the Hit Parade
of best sellers, starting with top five hits “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
in the summer of 1971, followed by “Rocky Mountain High” a
year later.  “Back Home Again” in 1974 and “Calypso” in 1975 also entered
the top five. Topping the charts with “Sunshine On My Shoulders” in 1974,
his “Annie’s Song” followed in that same year. In 1975 both
“Thank God I’m A Country Boy” and “I’m Sorry” were also #1 worldwide.

On October 12, 1997, John Denver died when the plane he was
piloting crashed off the coast of California shortly after taking off
from the Monterey Peninsula Airport. Cremated, his ashes were
scattered in the Rocky Mountains.
 
Visit the John Denver official website here.