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This future hitmaker and folk-singing icon is nearly unrecognizable in his yearbook photos from the early 1960s.
The singer played football in high school, despite struggling to fit into the athletic mold, and he later found his niche in folk music and acting.
He dropped out of college in the mid-'60s to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in music, in spite of the initial disapproval of his father, a decorated military pilot.
But this young man was born to be a star among the best, and he stood out thanks to his wholesome, boy-next-door looks, sandy-blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses, which gave him an intellectual yet down-to-earth aura.
His first major success came when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded a song he'd written, which became a hit for the folk trio in 1969.
This music star's own breakthrough as a singer came about in 1971, when he released a folk-country anthem about nostalgia and the yearning for a place called home.
By the late '70s, he had branched out into acting and scored a leading role opposite the cigar-chomping comedian George Burns in a hit film. Can you guess who he is?
This future hitmaker and folk-singing icon is nearly unrecognizable in his yearbook photos from the early 1960s. The singer played football in high school, but he struggled to fit into the athletic mold, and he later found his niche in folk music instead
This singer (front row, center) had his first major success when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded a song he'd written, which became a hit for the trio in 1969. He had his own musical breakthrough in 1971, and later scored a leading role opposite George Burns in a hit film. Can you guess who he is?
The future music icon is John Denver.
Denver's biggest hits spanned the 1970s and '80s, and included Take Me Home, Country Roads; Annie's Song; Rocky Mountain High; Sunshine On My Shoulders; Thank God I'm A Country Boy and I'm Sorry.
He famously starred with George Burns – then in his early 80s – in Oh, God!, which was a critical and box office smash when it was released in 1977.
But Denver's life tragically came to an end in October 1997, when the experimental single-engine aircraft he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, near Pacific Grove, in California. He was 53.
Denver, the eldest of two sons, was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico.
His father was a US military pilot, so they moved around consistently, which Denver later said made him feel as if he never belonged in any particular place, though he was able to find solace through music.
The shy, introverted teenager may have been a member of the football team at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas, posing with his teammates in rugged gear as seen in old yearbook photos, but he preferred playing the guitar over sports – to his father's chagrin.
At 20, Denver dropped out of Texas Tech University in his junior year and moved to Los Angeles to be a part of its bustling music scene.
He's John Denver, whose biggest hits spanned the 1970s and '80s, and included Take Me Home, Country Roads; Annie's Song; Rocky Mountain High; Sunshine On My Shoulders; Thank God I'm A Country Boy and I'm Sorry; pictured in 1978
Denver - seen in a 1961 yearbook photo taken during his senior year at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas - was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr in 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico, the eldest of two sons
His father was a US military pilot, so they moved around consistently, which Denver later said made him feel as if he never belonged in any particular place, though he was able to find solace through music; Denver is pictured in his sophomore year at Arlington High School in 1959
He dropped out of college in the mid-'60s to move to LA and pursue music, in spite of his father's disapproval; seen in a photo from his junior year at Arlington Heights High School
On the advice of friends, he changed his name to John Denver, taking his surname from the gorgeous capital city of his favorite state, Colorado.
Denver gained fame when his song Leaving On A Jet Plane was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, making it the group's first and only number-one hit.
Soon, Denver was being recognized as a chart-climbing solo artist, and he used his talent to benefit environmental and charitable causes.
Though he was often labeled a country music artist, Denver's music was something of his own creation, blending folk, pop and country.
In 1985, he was invited by the Soviet Union of Composers to perform in the former USSR. The experience inspired the song Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?)
'Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves we are the same,' Denver said, according to one biographer.
The success of the USSR trip led to a subsequent concert tour of the Soviet Union in 1986.
In October 1992, Denver became the first singer in the West to do a tour of Mainland China, where his song, Take Me Home, Country Roads, was said to be the most popular song imported from the US.
Denver was shy and introverted as a teenager; pictured back row, far right, with classmates during his junior year at high school
Denver – seen in his junior year singing an original song, One Little Kiss, at the TXAY Talent Show – was a star in the making
On the advice of friends, he changed his name to John Denver, taking his surname from the gorgeous capital city of his favorite state, Colorado; pictured in 1979
Denver – seen in 1990 – gained fame when his song Leaving On A Jet Plane was recorded in 1969 by Peter, Paul and Mary, becoming the group's first and only number-one hit. Soon, Denver was being recognized as a chart-climbing solo artist
Denver famously starred with George Burns in the comedy Oh, God! It was a critical and box office smash when it was released in 1977
His life tragically came to an end in October 1997, when the experimental single-engine aircraft he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, near Pacific Grove, in California. He was 53; pictured in 1994
Denver was considered a charming natural-born actor. His television acting credits include The Christmas Gift (1986), The Leftovers (1986), Foxfire (1987) and Higher Ground (1988).
He also starred in Walking Thunder (1997), a survival-adventure film set in the Utah mountains.
Included in the mix were television guest appearances and specials, including John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) and Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets (1983).
Denver was married and divorced twice. His first wife, Annie Martel, inspired his song Annie’s Song.
They were married from 1967 to 1982, and they adopted two children: Zachary and Anna Kate.
He was married to his second wife, Cassandra Delaney – with whom he shared one daughter, Jesse Belle – from 1988 to 1993.
Denver’s autobiography, Take Me Home, was published in 1994, three years before his tragic death.
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