John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.) was an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, activist, and humanitarian. John was born in Roswell, N.M., on Dec. 31, 1943. His real name was John Deutschendorf Jr., and his father was in the military. He took the name Denver from the city in which he lived. He was a nature lover, a quiet man and, like his songs, a nice one.
An avid pilot, Denver was killed at age 53 in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light plane in 1997.
