Every day's John Denver day on YouTube

Despite (or perhaps because) of the fact that I'm a native Coloradan, I despise John Denver's music. But there's no denying that his compositions continue to connect with amateur musicians in this country and beyond. Footage of Denver lovers trying their hand at one of his tunes pops up on...

By Michael Roberts

May 5, 2009

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Despite (or perhaps because) of the fact that I'm a native Coloradan, I despise John Denver's music. But there's no denying that his compositions continue to connect with amateur musicians in this country and beyond. Footage of Denver lovers trying their hand at one of his tunes pops up on YouTube with frightening regularity; there have been six posts in just the last day. Here's your chance to see if performances by the likes of Ilona, who was eleven when the bizarre video above was shot, and the quintet of fresh clips on view after the jump deepen your love of J.D.'s work or add to your loathing. I know what they did for me...

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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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