One of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s, John Denver began his career with folk music groups in the 1960s before shifting to a solo career. Born as Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. on December 31, 1943, he recorded and released approximately 300 songs in his illustrious career. The artiste, who mainly sang under the genres of country music and adult contemporary, went on to earn 12 gold and four platinum albums. However, the singer's career was tragically cut short when he died at the age of 53 in a crash while piloting his new light plane.
On the singer's 76th birth anniversary, here's looking at five of his more popular compositions:
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Written by Denver in 1966, the original title of the song was 'Babe I Hate to Go' and was originally recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. For his debut solo album in 1969, Denver had recorded a version of the song. The song was re-recorded in 1973 for John Denver's Greatest Hits.
Take Me Home, Country Roads
Written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver about West Virginia, the song was released as a single by Denver on April 12, 1971. The song is often considered to be one of Denver's more popular compositions and in March 2014, it became one of the four official state anthems of West Virginia.
Annie's Song (You Fill Up My Senses)
The full rock, country song written and recorded by John Denver was released as a single from Denver's album Back Home Again. The song was a tribute to Denver's wife Annie Martell Denver.
Sunshine on My Shoulders
Originally released as an album track in the 1971 record Poems, Prayers & Promises and then as a single in 1973, the song, which includes acoustic, double bass and piano was used in the John Denver Biopic Take Me Home: The John Denver Story (2000).
Calypso
The 1975 song is a tribute to Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his research ship, the Calypso and was featured on Denver's 1975 album Windsong. A filk (a musical genre tied to science fiction/fantasy/horror fandom) song exists in Star Trek fandom which is based on John Denver's "Calypso."
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