"He struck a chord in the people and they believed in him."
By Mary Curtius and Louis Sahagun, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Article taken from PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ON-LINE, October 14, 1997.
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. -- John Denver, 53, the earnest "country boy" who soared to fame in the 1970s with such sunny, folksy, just-this-side-of-corny songs as "Rocky Mountain High," was killed Sunday, when an experimental plane he recently purchased crashed into Monterey Bay during a test flight.
Denver's Long-EZ plane -- a home-built, single-engine two-seater -- plunged into a marine sanctuary thick with seals and sea otters Sunday afternoon. A veteran pilot, Denver had practiced three touch-and-go landings -- in which he swooped down to the runway and then pulled back up -- before receiving permission from the Monterey Airport to take the plane on a test spin down the coast.
Air-traffic controllers had no indication of trouble as Denver took off in clear skies. Denver's last words were a calm query about whether he had transmitted a four-digit code clearly. "Do you have it now?" he asked. Then controllers lost contact with him. Several witnesses heard a pop.
And at 5:28 p.m., the plane dropped straight down into the water. "It broke up badly upon crashing," U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jim Miller said.
Within three minutes after the plane slammed into the water, rescue crews had sailed to the scene. They found Denver's body floating near some debris about 20 minutes later but could not confirm his identity until yesterday.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.
Although the Long-EZ, designed by Burt Rutan in the late 1970s, is classified as an experimental plane, it is known as a "very strong, high-performance airplane," said NTSB investigator George Petterson. The model can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000 to build from the $250 blueprint, Petterson said. A check of NTSB records back to 1983 turned up 61 other accidents involving the Long-EZ, with a total of 21 people killed, the Associated Press reported. Pilot error was blamed in most of the crashes.
Denver had been in at least two previous plane accidents, but friends said he still thrilled at flying, often zipping up and down the coast from the Monterey Airport, near his Carmel Valley home.
Around Aspen, where he maintained another home, some of his buddies knew Denver as a bit of a daredevil -- inspired, perhaps, by his father, an Air Force ace pilot who broke several speed records.
Denver's former manager, Tim Mooney, recalled a favorite antic: The singer would cut the engine 35 miles from the landing strip and then glide in.
"He flew anything with wings and an engine on it," Mooney said, "from stunt planes to jets to Piper Cubs in the Alaskan bush."
Denver's zeal for flying in many ways mirrored the boyish enthusiasm he brought to singing.
"He struck a chord in the people and they believed in him," said Jerry Weintraub, who managed Denver during his superstar years.
Although Denver revealed a darker side over the years -- going through two bitter divorces, confessing to drug use and infidelity, and being arrested twice on drunken-driving charges -- during his peak he was seen as a wholesome good guy.
Even as he gained worldwide acclaim, Denver never tried to be hip, or sophisticated, or especially deep. Instead, he continued to compose upbeat songs about the glory of the great outdoors and the down-home joy of being a regular guy, in hits such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
Denver racked up 14 gold albums in the 1970s. His Greatest Hits album, with sales of more than 10 million, ranks as one of RCA Records' best-selling releases of all times.
Though his career sagged in the 1980s, he continued to draw loyal crowds on his tours -- the latest as recent as last week.
In addition, he recently released two albums: a family sing-along called All Aboard, and The Best of John Denver Live.
Denver also threw himself into causes, founding an environmental-education center and donating song royalties to UNICEF. He served on a presidential commission on hunger. He toured the Soviet Union, China and Vietnam long before they became chic.
President Clinton yesterday paid tribute to Denver, calling him a man whose "soaring music" touched millions and advanced understanding around the world.
Denver is survived by a son, Zachary; two daughters, AnnaKate and Jesse Belle; his mother, and a brother. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
In my own personal opinion, John Denver was a man who enjoyed nature, people, music, and most importantly, life. His songs never portrayed any negativity and always seemed to accentuate the positive aspects of living. His music revolved around what can be called "simple pleasures." In a time when society is becoming more and more hectic and skeptical, it is a shame when we lose someone who portrays positive values. John Denver will certainly be missed and definitely not forgotten.
John Denver 1943 - 1997
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