Born: December 31, 1943

Died: October 12, 1997

From: Roswell, New Mexico, USA

Active Career: 1962 - 1997

John Denver (née Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.) was an American singer and songwriter with a career spanning 4 decades, and was an activist and a humanitarian. He began playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 11, after receiving one as a gift from his grandmother. He began playing in a folk band named the Alpine Trio while in college, but soon dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career where he joined the Mitchel Trio in 1965.

Four years later, Denver left the trio to pursue his solo career, which is when he became popular. In October 1969, he released one of his most recognizable songs, Leaving On a Jet Plane, which sparked his popularity. But he attracted his mainstream celerity status when he released his 1970 album, Poems, Prayers & Promises, that contained his signature song titled Take Me Home, Country Roads.

Over the course of his career, Denver released 25 studio albums, made numerous television specials, joined the Muppets and stared in movies. Outside of music, he was well known for his activism surrounding wildlife conservation and human rights. He also founded the Plant-It 2000 initiative and helped raise money for multiple organizations.