Readers: John Denver was a cocaine addict & drunk driver, so don't name peak for him

Our recent post about a petition to name the east peak of Mount Sopris for John Denver drew a couple of very strong "no" votes from a pair of readers. Check out their one-two punch...

By Michael Roberts

July 15, 2011

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Our recent post about a petition to name the east peak of Mount Sopris for John Denver drew a couple of very strong "no" votes from a pair of readers.

Check out their one-two punch.

Jude writes:

John Denver was a cocaine addict who once told TV Guide that the highlight of his week was mowing his Starwood lawn in the nude. I hate this idea. Hate it. I'm a 4th generation native of Garfield County. Leave our mountain alone.

Jgracie writes:

I agree with Jude, John Denver was a second home owner in Aspen -- you can't even see Mt. Sopris from there. As a third generation Roaring Fork Valley native, my impression of Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. is that of a terrible drunk driver and I don't want the mountain that I look at every day named for him. Besides, it's already named for some other dead white guy.

For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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