John Denver … Thank God he was a Country Boy
Just past the 17th anniversary of the fateful plane crash that took the life of John Denver, the American folk-pop icon was immortalized Hollywood-style with a star on the town's Walk of Fame.
It happened Oct. 24 with an unveiling attended by his children, Jesse Belle Denver and Zak Deutschendorf (Henry John Deutschendorf was John Denver's real name). In honor of this well-deserved recognition, we at The Arcada Theatre hosted a special tribute concert performed by Jim Curry.
Curry has emulated the John Denver experience, not only by just naturally looking like Denver but also by using his own voice, which sounds incredibly similar to that of the famed superstar, gone too soon.
Song after song, it was a “close your eyes and John Denver was there” experience. Curry, who is truly “The real deal,” voiced Denver's songs in the CBS made-for-TV movie “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story.”
Curry's show at The Arcada was far from a Las Vegas-style impersonator act; it was a true John Denver experience, as though we were being serenaded by a fireplace in a Colorado ski resort cabin with snow-capped mountains and American Bald Eagles flying overhead. The evening was a fabulous John Denver jukebox filled with body-swaying emotion and sing-a-long memories.
To add to the legitimacy and to the musical quality of the presentation, two former members of John Denver's band were part of the show: guitarist/songwriter John Sommers and world-class drummer/percussionist Richie “Gajate” Garcia.
Sommers not only played guitar and sang backup vocals for Denver, but he also penned one of Denver's biggest hits, “Thank God I'm A Country Boy.” In actuality, he only wrote a handful of songs, but continued on as one of the most sought-after musicians in the biz. It is an interesting story of how his 15 minutes of songwriting fame (15 minutes that continues on today) came to be.
“I just got out of the Navy and was about to interview with TWA,” Sommers said. “But I wanted to take a little break before I did so I went to Aspen (Colorado) for a while.”
That “short vacation” turned into a love affair with the Rocky Mountains — one that would change his life forever. He began doing local folk music gigs, performing with a Navy buddy and another old friend. The trio called themselves “Liberty,” and they became local favorites. One night, after playing a song Sommers wrote called “A River Of Love” (the group's only original composition), local celebrity and up-and-coming performer John Denver approached the band and asked if he could record the song. Sommers was ecstatic.
Within a few short months, Sommers' song made it onto Denver's seventh album, Farewell Andromeda — the same album with the song “Zachary and Jennifer” about Denver's two children.
Soon after, Sommers was inspired to write “Thank God I'm A Country Boy.” He patiently waited as it was two albums later before it was released as a single. The patience paid off. It shot up not only the country music charts, but the pop charts, as well. Denver was now a bona fide superstar and Sommers, a hit songwriter.
Garcia also took the stage last week with the Jim Curry Band. Talk about the real deal. This guy not only toured with Denver, but he also traveled with Diana Ross, Phil Collins and a host of other superstars. He is, by the way, the regular drummer for Frankie Valli on tour.
Garcia's memories of John Denver center primarily on what a down-to-earth person he was. “We would be recording for hours, but when it was all over, John always had a restaurant booked for us and we hung out, jammed, and told stories for hours,” Garcia said. “He loved the 'toys' of percussion. From congas to the maracas, he had as much with them as I did.”
I have been as much of a fan of John Denver as the next guy. But as I was watching the show, I thought to myself just how many times I was driving along with the windows down and the radio on, singing “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Annie's Song,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Sweet Surrender” and, of course, “Thank God I'm a Country Boy.” It's gotta be thousands of times, a testimonial to how much his music has innocently touched our lives.
John Denver is a treasured piece of Americana, as much as baseball and apple pie. He was the essence of folk music as it originated. Of course there is Elvis, Sinatra and Michael, but in my book, this “Country Boy” is right up there among the music legends.
• Ron Onesti is president and CEO of The Onesti Entertainment Corp. and The Historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Celebrity questions and comments? Email ron@oshows.com.