John Denver up for Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

It's been a big year for John Denver, even though he's been dead since 1997. Last April, the mop-topped troubadour who was born Henry John Deutschendorf was one of the first inductees in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame; the other, Red Rocks, wasn't available for comment, either. Last month,...

By Patricia Calhoun

April 10, 2012

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It's been a big year for John Denver, even though he's been dead since 1997. Last April, the mop-topped troubadour who was born Henry John Deutschendorf was one of the first inductees in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame; the other, Red Rocks, wasn't available for comment, either. Last month, Denver was one of four people added to the Denver & Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame.

Record Store Day, coming up April 21, will be marked by the release of a series of seven-inch vinyl records with various artists covering John Denver songs. The John Denver -- The Music Is You series includes "Leaving on a Jet Plane" covered by Priscilla Ahn (Japanese electronica remix); "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by Sea of Bees; and "Leaving on a Jet Plane," by Slightly Stoopid.

And now John Denver is one of twenty nominees to join the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum and Hall of Fame, which is working hard to update its image. Voting closed yesterday.

Denver was touted for bringing international attention to Colorado Ski Country, as well as for composing "Rocky Mountain High," now one of two official state songs. And as the nomination letter from fan/musician Jim Salestrom notes, "John Denver loved skiing and was very accomplished even with the challenge of lacking a few toes on his left foot."

Now we know how he hit those high notes.

See John Denver skiing -- and singing -- here:

Get more info about JD in our post "John Denver: Five things you may not know."

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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