John Denver 10 12 97

[jfrancispastirchak]

But getting back to John Denver...
Interesting, nobody has posted a word about his acting. Though not a terribly versatile screen performer, he did have a talent for introspective delivery. You could see the real J.D., warts and all, just by studying whatever character he was playing.

He made several TV movies. The standout for me was his portrayal of a minerals firm exectutive in Christmas Gift. As a recently widowed father, the firm dispatches him to Georgetown, CO. His assignment is to pressure the small town's hierarchy to basically sell their little village to his company, whose mining intentions would virtually strip it to bare dirt. The town resists, inspiring Denver's character to see the light and switch sides and ultimately thwart the mining project. Excuse me while I reach for a hanky...

Doing comedy, he held his own against both the Muppets and George Burns. Not too shabb
He could easily have been the dad in the right tv sitcom.

Yes, he played the role of a foil, the most effective character one could portray against Burns. And he complemented the muppets routine as a straight man.

 

[hornet61]

Frank Sinatra - Widely considered to be one of the best vocalists of all time is Frank Sinatra. He enjoyed a 60 year long career that lasted from 1935 to 1995.......consistently rated #1 on most polls, not all polls. a consensus favorite.

And that means absolutely nothing to the individual listener.

Oh, really ??? then why is there a Frank Sinatra Station and still no John Denver Station. "Thank god I'm not a country Boy"

 

[landtuna]

Oh, really ??? then why is there a Frank Sinatra Station and still no John Denver Station. "Thank god I'm not a country Boy"

The question you should be asking yourself is why is there a rap station and not a John Denver station.

 

[hornet61]

Oh, really ??? then why is there a Frank Sinatra Station and still no John Denver Station. "Thank god I'm not a country Boy"

The question you should be asking yourself is why is there a rap station and not a John Denver station.

huh ????

 

[unitron]

But getting back to John Denver...

Interesting, nobody has posted a word about his acting. Though not a terribly versatile screen performer, he did have a talent for introspective delivery. You could see the real J.D., warts and all, just by studying whatever character he was playing.

He made several TV movies. The standout for me was his portrayal of a minerals firm exectutive in Christmas Gift. As a recently widowed father, the firm dispatches him to Georgetown, CO. His assignment is to pressure the small town's hierarchy to basically sell their little village to his company, whose mining intentions would virtually strip it to bare dirt. The town resists, inspiring Denver's character to see the light and switch sides and ultimately thwart the mining project. Excuse me while I reach for a hanky...

And let us not forget his guest-star role on McCloud, where he and Dennis Weaver traded catch phrases at the end of the show.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

But getting back to John Denver...
Interesting, nobody has posted a word about his acting. Though not a terribly versatile screen performer, he did have a talent for introspective delivery. You could see the real J.D., warts and all, just by studying whatever character he was playing.
He made several TV movies. The standout for me was his portrayal of a minerals firm exectutive in Christmas Gift. As a recently widowed father, the firm dispatches him to Georgetown, CO. His assignment is to pressure the small town's hierarchy to basically sell their little village to his company, whose mining intentions would virtually strip it to bare dirt. The town resists, inspiring Denver's character to see the light and switch sides and ultimately thwart the mining project. Excuse me while I reach for a hanky...

Missed that episode myself. Wish I hadn't...

And let us not forget his guest-star role on McCloud, where he and Dennis Weaver traded catch phrases at the end of the show.

 

[Thomps2525]

Why did no one mention what a scumbag John Denver was to divorce his wife Annie in 1982, eight years after writing a song about her (Annie's Song) and having a number-one hit with it? In his 1994 autobiography, Take Me Home, Denver said that he was so angered about the divorce and the property settlement, he showed up at her house and tried to choke her and then threatened to cut up her furniture with a chainsaw (which he conveniently brought with him). I guess, after that, when he sang "More than anything else, I'm sorry for myself," he could really mean it.

 

[landtuna]

Why did no one mention what a scumbag John Denver was to divorce his wife Annie in 1982, eight years after writing a song about her (Annie's Song) and having a number-one hit with it? In his 1994 autobiography, Take Me Home, Denver said that he was so angered about the divorce and the property settlement, he showed up at her house and tried to choke her and then threatened to cut up her furniture with a chainsaw (which he conveniently brought with him). I guess, after that, when he sang "More than anything else, I'm sorry for myself," he could really mean it.

Hmmmmmm....so people who divorce their spouses are "scumbags"? I must have plenty of company.

I'm guessing you didn't live with the couple and didn't know what they went through to cause that scenario. I didn't either so I don't tend to judge. Life on the road, and he was on the road a lot, can be really tough on both parties - you don't have to look far to see that actors who marry are a higher risk than us average people. It takes very special people to remain together when most days are spent alone. Apparently neither John nor Annie were, at least not eventually.

But none of that changes what a gift John was to the music world and, to a lessor extent, the acting world.

I can't think of anybody I've ever known who had no flaws. I just choose to ignore his.

 

[Thomps2525]

Well, I guess I'll spare you my opinion of Garth Brooks leaving Sandy.

Millions of people divorce, but how many write and record a love song to their spouse? How many see the sordid details of the divorce plastered all over the pages of US, People, Star, Globe and National Enquirer? Maybe because John Denver was so well-known and made such a public display of his love for Annie by writing a song about her, I expected he'd try a little harder to stay in love with her. Believe me, I have flaws the same as everyone else. (I'll spare you those, too.) Maybe "scumbag" is too harsh a word for Denver. How about "big disappointment"?

 

[landtuna]

Well, I guess I'll spare you my opinion of Garth Brooks leaving Sandy.

Millions of people divorce, but how many write and record a love song to their spouse? How many see the sordid details of the divorce plastered all over the pages of US, People, Star, Globe and National Enquirer? Maybe because John Denver was so well-known and made such a public display of his love for Annie by writing a song about her, I expected he'd try a little harder to stay in love with her. Believe me, I have flaws the same as everyone else. (I'll spare you those, too.) Maybe "scumbag" is too harsh a word for Denver. How about "big disappointment"?

I don't follow Garth Brooks so can't comment on his successes or failures.

When people marry they characteristically declare their love for the other. Some do it privately and others more publicly. John wrote a song - natural, for he was a singer of songs. I bought mine a car - because I can't sing. Not as romantic perhaps but the idea was the same. In any event, people also fall out of love, or in love with another. There are all sorts of reasons. IMHO, Annie's Song is one of his best and it doesn't take anything away that he and Annie eventually went their separate ways.

Think about Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way or Greg Kihn's Breakup Song. He could have covered those and told the rest of the story. Or he could have been more truthful and wrote a song ala Taylor Swift spilling all the dirt. Nah.....that wouldn't have been him.

 

[Thomps2525]

You made some good points. If John Denver was so upset about the property settlement, I guess he could have written a song akin to Taylor Swift's We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. By the way, I do like John Denver's music. And thanks for admitting that you can't sing---now I know not to ask you to.