“AN EVENING OF JOHN DENVER”
From Terri Donahue (ItsTerri215@aol.com)
On Saturday, October 27, my husband, Mark, and I decided to trek from Long Island, NY to Bridgeport, CT to the Downtown Cabaret Theater for “An evening of John Denver”. Unfortunately, it was not the “real” John Denver, but it sure was an acceptable facsimile. Ted Vigil is a John Denver look-alike. He comes complete with the ‘70’s long, blonde hair, suede floppy hat, blue jeans, boots, and even a bear claw necklace. He’s got the same squinty- eye, large boyish grin. And, he surprisingly sings pretty close to the original, even if he can’t totally hit all of John’s high notes. Ted is the headliner and he travels with and is accompanied by Steve Weisberg. Yes, the same Steve Weisberg that performed with John from 1973-77 as lead guitarist and low harmony singer. The venue was a true cabaret style with small round tables of six. You were encouraged to bring your own food and drink (alcohol included). The doors opened at 5:00pm and the show began at 5:30.
The show consisted of 75 minutes of “almost heaven” with no intermission. The two entered the stage to loud gasps of how closely Ted resembled John. He opened his show with my favorite, “Rocky Mountain High.” It was exhilarating and gave many eerie chills. Everyone couldn’t help but sing along. Steve accompanied Ted on guitar, although he was having some technical difficulties with his equipment. Ted went on to perform 13 more songs, which included many of John’s signature songs and audiences’ favorites like “Country Roads”,” Wild Montana Skies”,” Annie’s Song”,” Matthew”, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, “ Sunshine on My Shoulders”, etc. Ted also performed two original songs, “Even Angels Have Bad Days” and a song he wrote about John, “Sing My Songs.” Steve accompanied Ted with his guitar and dobro, and even sang one solo song that he wrote for John’s Christmas album, “Christmas for Cowboys”.
Ted’s visual appearance plus his voice helped to transport me back to a time when going to a John Denver concert was a true “Rocky Mountain High” for me. For a short while I was able to escape into the fantasy and relive the music that touched my soul for so many years. I sang along with every song and clapped my hands in tune to “Grandma’s Feather Bed”, and “Country Boy”. Ted encouraged us to sing verses of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by splitting the audience in half. He also told little stories in between songs in traditional JD style. He explained how he got started into the business by entering a singing contest, singing songs in different genres, until people mentioned how he looked so much like John. So, he decided to enter the “country” genre and sang “Rocky Mountain High” and won! The rest was history. During the show, Ted and Steve even used one of John’s familiar concert lines…..”This is our show!” To which the audience laughed.
As I watched the two of them perform, I thought about how weird it must be for Steve to be performing with the younger version of “John”, while he, himself, has aged. I thought about how these two came together to perform John’s songs. Ted could probably draw people to his concerts with his looks and vocals alone, but to have Steve there too! An original band member! And, for Steve, I’m sure he could get gigs on his own, as well, but what a dynamic combination to be able to do this together. It is like they are mutually successful as a team.
Anyway, while watching and enjoying the music, feeling that “high”, and escaping back in time, Ted began to sing “Sometimes I feel Like a Sad Song”, and my husband tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was alright. Well, the tears just started to flow. I was doing so well. I could appreciate John’s music, while having someone else perform. Even though he did resemble John, it just brought back that awful sadness that he is not here with us any longer. I ached for the songs that could have been written. The tragedy of fifteen years ago came flooding back along with my tears. His music still brings people together and there are fans out there that still remember. How ironic too, at that moment, I felt like a “sad song”. But the next songs brought back the joy of the evening with “Back Home Again” and “Calypso” and “Grandma’s Feather Bed.”
How quickly those 75 minutes went by and Ted and Steve thanked us all for coming. They welcomed us to meet them in the lobby for autographs, pictures, and conversation, then left the stage. But, again, in JD style, they came back for one encore……to what else, “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy”! And, so the show ended with a standing ovation, lots of applause and happy faces. It truly was a feel good concert.
Ted and Steve were quickly in the lobby and hugged people, posed for pictures, and signed autographs, while selling Ted’s CD’s and photos. They engaged in conversation and were cordial, appreciative and genuine. My husband, who has become a John Denver fan because of me, said he had a terrific evening. It truly was a “Far Out” time and I encourage you to try to catch their show whenever you can. Check out www.tedvigil.com for a tour schedule.
***
Saving Denver - John Denver's inspiration in my life helps to save abandoned animals
From – Annalisa Berns (aberns@hotmail.com) Big Bear, CA
John plays a huge part in my life. I remember being a small girl, singing under the dining room table at the top of my lungs to my favorite John Denver songs. I loved "Polka Dots & Moonbeams," "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Pegasus." I remember listening to "A Boy From The Country," and the following stuck-out in my memory:
"He tried to tell us that the animals could speak
Who knows, perhaps they do
How do you know they don’t
Just because they’ve never spoken to you"
My love of animals was evident to my parents when I told my Mother, poor Mother, that I wanted to be a cat when I grew-up.
Now, many years later my love and devotion to animals continues. I have a business that serves all but ignored animals - lost pets. I volunteer for many rescue groups, and try to be an animal advocate.
One of the groups I volunteer for is a great dog rescue group, the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County - www.gsroc.org. I came to this group because I found a German Shepherd on the side of the road in Los Angeles. I thought he was almost dead, probably hit by a car. The "easy" thing to do was to leave the dog, look the other way, and keep on going. But, my heart knows what John would do, help a creature in need. I took him to the local shelter, my thought was he was in too much pain to be saved. Two days later I found that the dog had a skin infection and inner ear infection that caused him not to be able to walk and his awful condition. I contacted many dog rescues, and all would not take a dog in such a bad condition. However, the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County was willing to take in this dog that was going to be euthanized - no one wanted to touch this dog with his infected skin, let alone adopt him!
After a long process, and thousands of dollars to rehabilitate the dog and treat his skin infection, they adopted him out to a loving home in the snow topped mountains in Mammoth, California.
I named the dog Denver, in honor of the man who inspires me to help animals on a daily basis. John, who sang songs and shared his outlook on life, now helps save dogs with my hands and show them love. To know, that the animals can speak and have wonderful things to teach us, if we will only listen.
***
From Evelyn I. Milian (evelyn@eveflyaway.com)
Hi friends,
When I first heard a John Denver song around 1994-95, I thought what a lovely song and soothing voice! It was "Sunshine on my Shoulders" on a TV ad; I think one of those Time Life music collection ads. A few months later I heard "Sweet Surrender" in a self-discovery workshop and it touched me deeply too. I had no idea of the chain of events that were in store for me after that. I did not become a full-fledged fan of John Denver until later though and then I heard about his death in 1997 and it broke my heart, I was just starting to become his fan. The workshops and learning more about John Denver's music and his work for the environment and other causes changed my life. I became more interested and passionate about nature, wildlife and science. I became a biologist and earned a Master of Science degree! I learned much more about John Denver's music and legacy through the Yahoo fan club "Poems, Prayers, and Promises" invited by its founder, Beth King. Thank you Beth!
My husband and I set a goal of living near the Rocky Mountains, probably in Colorado, and I'm happy to say that we have made our dream come true. Last May, we moved to Colorado and we love it. I know no place is perfect, but this is where we want to live for the rest of our lives. We have visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. I lived all my life in crowded cities, and I felt like I didn't belong there. I felt like there was a place calling me, and I'm there now. I'm home.
A few months ago I visited the Maroon Bells near Aspen for the first time and I completely understood John Denver's lyrics and passion about mountains, rivers, wind, and everything else in nature. I've never seen a more beautiful place. Then, a few weeks ago I went again to the Maroon Bells with my husband and his best friend who was visiting us from Puerto Rico. Our friend let me listen to Sunshine on my Shoulders in his I-pad and I just cried. It was a moment of total clarity, inner peace and happiness like never before. It was a moment of total enlightening and freedom of spirit. I really understood John Denver's music and what he stood for like never before. Then I listened to Rocky Mountain High and a few more songs and there are no words to describe the feeling of being there listening to John Denver’s music.
I've been very blessed and I wanted to share this simple story with great people like John Denver fans. I wish everyone in the world would have this incredible opportunity of finding who they really are, what they really want to do, and where they want to be.
***
INTERVIEW WITH GLORIA HUNIFORD - Great Britain, October 28, 1991
Virginia Allen (virginia522003@yahoo.com)
Gloria Hunford, host of this radio show from Great Britain, introduced John Denver as a global citizen, supporter of the Hunger Project, advocate for energy conservation, worker for better relationships with the USSR, and lover of flying and NASA.
The first song played was ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH, considered an anthem of sorts for the singer.
John spoke about the tour in Europe.
“The tour was very, very nice. It was all sold out and wonderful audiences. It went very, very well.”
Gloria: “How often do you plan to do concert tours in this country?”
“Oh, every year in a half or two years is what we’ve done in the past and we’ll see how it goes in the future.”
Gloria mentions the popularity of Aspen and where blame falls.
“They blame it on me, too. The people go there because it’s world famous ski resort, the scenery is very beautiful. They sometimes find it’s more beautiful in the summer. There’s so much more you can do, so much more accessible. Spring time is glorious in the mountains and the fall we have is incomparable.”
Gloria: “Do you climb those mountains often?”
“I go hiking. I’m not really a climber. I have a friend who is an excellent climber who’s threatened me many times to get me out. I’d like to do that. I’ve never done any of that- technical stuff with ropes, pitons, that kind of stuff.”
Gloria: “So you go hiking in the springtime?”
“No, actually it’s pretty muddy in the spring and still a lot of snow, there’s still skiing in places, but once it’s gone, there’s wonderful, wonderful hiking. And the high alpine meadows when they come forth with their flowers, which is in the middle of summer, I’ve walked up in a meadow and you can’t believe all the colors- a carpet of colors.”
Gloria- “You have good skin.”
“Breathing that good clean air.”
They talk about the new ‘Earth Songs” album.
“Nature was always my best friend. I spent more times outdoors than in. Becoming more award of the world around me, I became very involved in the environment.”
Gloria- ‘So you redid those songs?’
‘I hope to do the same thing with all my love songs and with what I call the life songs or story songs, COUNTRY ROADS, POEMS, I WANT TO LIVE.’
He talked about the time and being bored with things.
“The people and the decade. We are an endangered species.’
‘All the issues I’ve been involved in over the years center around the environment. I think the problem of hunger in the world doesn’t have to do with over population in the world, as many people suggest. The earth is capable of producing enough food. The new nations show their maturity by purchasing weapons, armies, etc. instead of making themselves self-sufficient, by getting into the equipment and necessary know how to grow food for themselves.’
“And yet is some places, like Zimbabwe, they have become self-sufficient food wise and are selling food to other countries in Africa.
“It's a problem of opportunity. Abject poverty denies opportunity and given opportunity, people do very well for themselves. We’ve learned so much how tob etter take care of our topsoil, how to plant better, if we can get that technology around, I think a lot of good things can happen and I think it will also show up environmentally.”
Gloria: “Can we cut through red tape?”
Dennis Weaver started a program called LIFE. They go to grocery stores, get overdue products and distribute them to the poor over LA and the Southwest of the US.
“One of the lucky things about being a celebrity is being able to call by your celebrity people’s attention to things that you’re concerned about. Sometimes that’s just getting somebody elected or sometimes it has to do with a specific issue. It’s one of the things I’m grateful for, the profile that I’ve had to be able to do that.”
Next song discussed was LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
“I wouldn’t change the arrangement very much. I’d do it very simply, as the recording is and where it’s different for me is I think my voice is deeper than it was then, broader and not as high and reedy. And I’ve learned so much more that I can do with my voice. It would be a different song if I re-recorded it.”
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
Gloria mentions that the song was a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary, “who got it first.” They put it on their “Album 1700”. John recorded it for his Christmas gift album of 250 copies. In 1967-68, it was a #1 hit for the trio, their first #1.
“I was very, very pleased.”
Gloria: “So you wanted to be a singer-songwriter?”
“It’s not so much that. At first I sang everything, but once you get success, you want to express yourself musically or lyrically, and you find you can articulate things for people in a way they’ve never heard before. I don’t sit down every day and try to write a song. Sometimes it will be months, sometimes I write a bunch, then one and so on.”
They talked about his life as an air force brat.
“We lived in Japan, which is the only foreign country we lived in when I was a child. But we moved around a lot and it was a difficult thing for me.”
He turned to his guitar and it made friends for him.
“I always wanted to be a pilot. It got to a point in my career and my success where it was appropriate to charter an airplane. Then one night on a flight from Dayton, Ohio to Minneapolis and we flew over Chicago at about 35,000 feet and it was clear night and I could look down there and I could see the city in a way I’d never imagined- very, very beautiful- and all of a sudden I had to fly. And I started working on it immediately, instruction and solos. Then I told my Dad about it and we had to get an airplane. We had a little Cessna 210, which is a single engine airplane and because of a big single engine, retractable landing gears and adjustable props, then I had to have 50 hours of dual time in it on instruments before I could fly solo and my Dad and I spent most of that time together and that’s where we finally felt a close relationship.
“I really enjoy flying. It relaxes me. I get away from telephones and it’s wonderful. And it’s especially wonderful to be flying upside down around the Rocky Mountains.”
Gloria: “So you do acrobatics?”
“I can show you the mountains the way only the eagles and I get to do. I think Cassie enjoys flying.”
On concert tour “we use the Lear jet. If we’re traveling in the afternoon, then I’ll do the afternoon flying, but if we’re traveling at night after a concert, I’m pretty tired, and I like to have a beer and I can’t fly.
“It is wonderful. Traveling has got to be so difficult in airports. Business people say having your own plane can add 30 days to your business year. What it does for me is add 30 days home, which is important.
Gloria brings up NASA and his participation in the Civilian Space Program. He got it started. The Russians offered him a flight for $10 million. Space is one of the few things they have to offer to get money.
“I had $10 million raised, but I thought it was inappropriate to pay for that, because of the relationship between the Soviet Union and our country and there were other reasons I wanted to do it anyway. I was in the Soviet Union, I had a flight scheduled, it was two years and was a meeting away from getting the price waived and it was the weekend that he called the ambassador starting Glasnost and I lost that meeting. And I went back to the States and found out Cassie was pregnant, which was quite unexpected for us and I determined that I wanted to be home with her during her pregnancy and the birth of our baby rather than in the Soviet Union trying to get a space flight and had to let that go.
“I would still very much like to fly, during the last year the issue has come forward again and some support for it.
“This was written in Alaska some years ago on my second and third visit to that glorious, glorious country. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen and it’s magnificence is because it's truly a wilderness. There’s not that many places in the world left that are truly wildernesses. And the wildlife you see, the run ins I’ve had with grizzly beard, Kona bears, it’s a very unique place on the planet and it’s a treasure to me and it would be to all people.
TO THE WILD COUNTRY
“I have been up above the Artic Circle, in Barrow and other places. The sun doesn’t set, it never goes below the horizon. There’s a wonderful evening light, a rich light- peachy color- lasts 4 to 5 hours.”
Now they talk about politics.
“It was one of the great moments of my life to meet Gorbachev, who knew who I was because of the work I’d done in re-establishing a cultural exchange between our two countries. It was a great thrill to meet Dung Chou Ping and to make an impression on him.”
Gloria: “Do you have a relationship with each of the presidents?”
“No, not really. I had no relationship with Reagan. Pres. Carter, we were friends. Pres. Bush, I think we are friends. He’s doing a wonderful job with foreign policy; he is neglecting some of the issues at home. And I don’t think he’s the environmental president. He did a wonderful thing with the Clean Air Act. But it’s a dismal situation for the wetlands. And in many places, a kind of hedging about some of these issues is detrimental. He is an oil man, I believe, and industry. There are some people who surround him that have no regard for the environment. And I they’re unfortunately ill informed.”
Gloria: “Do you lobby them a lot?”
“When I can, when there’s something worthwhile and I have an opportunity, yes.
“Our house is solar heated, about 85% of the heat we use per year is solar energy. We put in new neon lights, that are better quality lights than the old light bulbs- 7 or 11 Watts. They have a lifetime of 6,000 hours. Being able to do more with less…”
Gloria: “Is Cassie in gear with all this?”
“I don’t think so. I can’t get her to turn the lights off. One little thing.
“Jesse is two and a half years old. I miss her more than you can know. It’s really a miracle in Cassie and my life. I’d been married 15 years to Annie and at that time it was determined I was very unlikely to have children. Not that I was sterile, but such a low sperm count. It was just very, very unlikely. And then I was about three years on my own, Cassie and I were together three years, and the week we got married, she got pregnant.”
Gloria: “Thanks.”
ANNIE’S SONG
Thanks to Sylvia Airlie |
