Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American country and folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and among the best-selling artists of that decade. AllMusic described him as "among the most beloved entertainers of his era." Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, around 200 of which he wrote himself. He released 33 albums and singles that were certified gold or platinum in the United States, with estimated sales exceeding 33 million copies. He primarily performed with an acoustic guitar and wrote songs reflecting his appreciation of nature, criticism of urban life, enthusiasm for music, and personal relationships. His music appeared on country, Billboard Hot 100, and adult contemporary charts, earning 12 gold and four platinum albums. Signature songs include "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Poems, Prayers & Promises", "Annie's Song", "Rocky Mountain High", "Calypso", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", and "Sunshine on My Shoulders". Denver appeared in several films and television specials during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1977 film "Oh, God!", in which he starred alongside George Burns. He continued recording into the 1990s and advocated for environmental causes, space exploration, and freedom of expression in music. Denver lived in Aspen, Colorado, for much of his life and was named the state's poet laureate in 1974. The Colorado legislature adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its state songs in 2007, and West Virginia adopted "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in 2014. An avid pilot, Denver died at age 53 in 1997 in a single-fatality crash while piloting a recently purchased light aircraft. Studio albums John Denver Sings (1966) Rhymes & Reasons (1969) Take Me to Tomorrow (1970) Whose Garden Was This (1970) Poems, Prayers & Promises (1971) Aerie (1971) Rocky Mountain High (1972) Farewell Andromeda (1973) Back Home Again (1974) Windsong (1975) Rocky Mountain Christmas (1975) Spirit (1976) I Want to Live (1977) John Denver (1979) Autograph (1980) Some Days Are Diamonds (1981) Seasons of the Heart (1982) It's About Time (1983) Dreamland Express (1985) One World (1986) Higher Ground (1988) Earth Songs (1990) The Flower That Shattered the Stone (1990) Different Directions (1991) Love Again (1996) All Aboard! (1997) <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/John+Denver">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.