This future hitmaker and folk-singing icon is nearly unrecognizable in his yearbook photos from the early 1960s.
Showbiz
Guess This Unrecognizable Grammy-Winning Folk Icon!
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, despi...
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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 and pursue a career in music, in spite of the initial disapproval of his father, a decorated military pilot.
But this young man was , 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.
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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
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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.
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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