It’s John Denver Week And I Should Be There

In my world, every week is John Denver week. In Aspen, Colorado, it's this week. And I should be there. Might have to add that to my bucket list.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have loved John Denver since I was a kid. My sisters had his albums first, but I'm pretty sure I played them over and over again when they weren't home.

Later in life, I met my friend Steve--who introduced me to all of John's newer music,by giving me 12 new JD cd's for Christmas one year. I still love his older stuff the best, but he put out some great music later in his life that didn't get the credit it deserved.

And then came the great moment of my life. After one of John's concerts at Radio City Music Hall in NYC, I had the opportunity to go to an after-concert-party, and meet him. He held my right hand for at least 5 minutes while we chatted. He was genuine, funny, and kind.

John died in a plane crash 2 years later. And I moved to Colorado a month after that.

Did he inspire me to move there? Probably. When I crossed the state border into Colorado, I made sure "Rocky Mountain High" was blasting in the car. And I made a point to stop in Aspen to pay my respects to the spirit of a man who truly made a difference in my life through his music.

It's tough to say what my favorite John Denver song is. There are so many. But if I had to choose just one--it would be this one. Enjoy.