Is THIS the most accurate LIVE vocal of ALL TIME?!? 

So did you get lucky? 😂

Admittedly Im part of that generation that did not appreciate John. Nerdy and popular on tv with older generations may have been part of that. And of course, rock was enticing as F... lol

I was a major fan of JD back in the day.

He was too WASP and is being allowed to vanish into obscurity in favour of those who aren't, if you get my drift. I wasn't and still am not a fan, but it's happened and is happening to so many others that it's pissing me off somewhat.

@@EliteRock In the context of my generation(Gen X), I don't think his being a so-called 'WASP' had anything to do with his estimation. In my case and for others, it was more the attraction of 70s classic rock that we heard on the radio which had such a magnetic pull- the loud guitars, the adrenalin, the edginess(Led Zep, etc.). John's music was considered mellow, old-fashioned, and square - like music our parents or grandparents would like...so we shunned it. What's interesting about that is that he was in reality more counter-culture, politically engaged, and activist than most of the edgy rock stars we admired (but we didn't know and wouldn't have cared- he would have been considered something of a 60's throwback hippie, which I think is more apt, but he arrived a bit too late to ride the wave of popular hippy-folk era singer-songwriters). He also wasn't a saint- he had troubles with drugs, alcohol, etc. as well as personal shortcomings. But these weren't well-known at the time - keeping in mind that this was prior to the Internet age. His image, like that of Karen Carpenter, was very much kept in the 'clean-cut' category - at least in our perception...however much that didn't quite square with reality. His perceived ethnicity or religion didn't factor into it at all.

@@EliteRock Pondering on this I can only think of one instance of what I think you might mean by this. Recently in a high profile Grammy Awards celebration it was obvious that when they excluded Celine Dion from any nomination it made a bold statement to me that those pesky bee like critters were discriminated against. Regarding Denver though I fail to see the connection. Am I even on a cold trail here?

Don’t be so modest, Fil…hit the like button for Charles Carter’s comment!!

@@QBAN2010 😁

John and Cass Elliot doing Leaving on a Jet Plane is very good too.

@Ozziecatsmom Cass Elliot and John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful did a good duet called Darlin' Companion. Also, on RU-vid.

So many great pairings on RU-vid. I saw the Beach Boys doing harmonies with Chicago on "Wishing you were Here" and Linda Ronstadt singing with the Eagles.

@@funny3272 I’ll check it out, thanks.

Ditto.♥️♥️♥️🫶🏻

Loved his yodel

The song that proves his vocal ability to me has always been "The Eagle and the Hawk". To sing that song properly you have to be able to make your voice sound as if it is soaring through the clouds along with the birds which does not mean just singing high. He's able to give his voice that soaring quality that I don't think most people can achieve.

Amen to this!

Beautifully explained

My mother loved him and he and his music has been one of the last things (besides family) she had forgotten with her Alzheimer’s.

John Denver passed?

@@TranslateToEnglishOct 12, 1997

Only one John Denver.....

I watched a video about his life recently and when he was too old fashioned for the changing era and the press mocked him, he rebuked them forthrightly and told them, "You are mocking my fans!". His voice is healing in these turbulent times.

It takes all kinds right ? I was a young waitress in Holyoke , Colorado when I met him while many were there hunting pheasant and such. He was a nice man to me but many hunters did not like him because he would hunt on land that he did not pay for. "or that is how it was explained to me". He was a nice man.@@steelmagnolia9906

I'm a soprano and his tenor is so high, it's actually difficult for me to sing with him. HIs voice was extraordinary. I tend to forget that until I hear him sing.

I'm a mezzo soprano and I enjoy singing his songs a lot. He was gone far too soon for sure. Brilliant singer and songwriter.

I am a tenor & I have trouble singing songs like this for the opposite reason - I can stay in the F4 to G4 range pretty easily… but when I have to go back down to the G3 or A3, it is a difficult & obvious transition. It’s hard to get it to sound correct

I am just guessing all the people reacting under this comment spent a lot of time on vocal technique sites😂

​@@reddragonreadythey might have if they are enthusiastic about singing and trying to better themselves vocaly.

His words were different than the other popular artists at the time. But if you're different, the critics will attack - unless you're on the cutting edge. They don't judge the music the way most people do. We don't need to be told we are fools.

Beautifully said. 💗

what Suzanne said.

That is my favorite song of his! That would be awesome, thank you for mentioning it.

@@mariestriegler1109 It truly does show off his voice, stamina and range. Another song, "Calypso", also shows off both the soft and soaring side in the guise of a beautiful sea shanty tribute to Jacque Yves Cousteau and his team aboard the Calypso.

@@ChuckHackney yes! Thought of Calypso too. Great song.

I agree, one of the best songs!!❤️❤️ & Boy From the Country

Tenor, not soprano.

supposedly, he was furious during one tonight show appearance when they had him play in the wrong key and straining his vocals.

One great thing about Johnny Carson was that singers never lip synched their performances on his show. Always live. There were some great performances on the Tonight Show over the years.

@@robl5455and you know that how?

@@tatersprout Watched his show hundreds of times. Usually easy to tell when someone is lip synching. It sounds just like the recording because it is. Never saw that once on Carson.

"Poems, Prayers and Promises" is my favourite song by John...

He performed it live, and absolutely beautifully, at Wolftrap. There’s a RU-vid video of the entire concert.

John Denver will never fade into oblivion. ❤

Very true. He struggled with alcohol at times, likke so many, but it never negated his musical brilliance.

He didnt fade away. His music was always on the radio,and he was on tv shows as well. That he is only now being rediscovered by this generation is testimony to his longevity.

Did he though? "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is one of the most requested songs at karaoke bars, at least where I live (Norway).

@@xScooterAZx he absolutely faded away. Of course he was played on the radio….you completely missed the point I made in my post because you are exactly the person I directed my original post towards! John Denver was a multimedia mega superstar at his peak! Movies, tv specials…lots of them! Muppets!!!

I agree. I was in college and his songs bring back great memories of that time.

Always. ❤

Same. It was around the same time Diana died in Paris. And Mother Theresa if I remember correctly. It was a weepy week for me especially for John. I adored him. He was one in a bazillion.

Right! His storytelling was incredible. He pulls you into the time and place and his vocals kick it all up a notch.❤

@NanaRae5683...what a lovely comment Nana! 😊

My husband and i saw him when we were in college in the early '80's. He was by far the most entertaining performer I've ever seen in concert. The band took a break and he kept right on singing, just him and his guitar...it was pure magic!❤

I always enjoy your reviews of the various preformers . Fil I have learned so much from you concerning voice, concerning instrumentation, just music information general. I was never privileged to learn music growing up so you have filled that void in my life. Thank you for reviewing one of my favorite singers, John Denver. I always appreciated his music but your review just emphasized how great he really was. Thank you Fill.

John Denver was my first concert. I love his voice and I love the way he plays his guitar. Even my grandmother appreciated that he sang about the mines and the green river in Muhlenberg county, Kentucky. He was a man so affected by his natural environment and it came out pure and true in his singing.

Oooo, Sunshine. . . Brings back great memories!

yeh thr ghits record has many memorable songs

He was incredibly successful, but kept his sincere, boyish image to the end. That ran counter to the Sid Vicious attitudes of the later ‘70s.

❤welcome to the amazing rabbit hole of JD's music and legacy!

Yes! She had a beautiful voice.

That would be great!

His best songs are ones that weren't played on the radio much.

We were lucky to have grown up during that time! We experienced the very best music ever and lived through an Era that saw the best and worse of time's!

I grew up in the 70s and I used to sneak my sister’s records, and I always loved John Denver! There was something so soulful about his music. I really love his song Matthew also.

Yes, he always gets to me still. For 50 years. ❤

❤ amazing! And amen!