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IN THIS ISSUE...
NEWSLETTER THEME QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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LETTERS |
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Higher Ground Australia – John Denver Tribute weekend in Robertson, NSW 11-13 October, 2013 - In loving memory of Max Moore - John Denver’s Australian Tour Manager (submitted by Janette Frawley - <JFrawley@insulagroup.com.au>) On Friday, 11th October, our members came from three Australian states to meet in Robertson, NSW. Some friends had to fly from Brisbane and Melbourne, whilst others made the road trip from Ballarat and from Newcastle, Nowra, and Cessnock. We met at a wonderful place out in the Australian bush, not too far from Sydney. Our destination was Lloran Log Cabins, which is situated outside of the little Southern Highland village of Robertson. We had a mission, as most of us had not seen each other for two years, since some of us were in Aspen last year. Once we were organised, and our first communal dinner organised, we sat down to the business part of the weekend and conducted our Annual General Meeting. The rest of the evening was spent catching up with each other and recapping the past couple of years. Saturday morning saw us up bright and early, breakfast eaten, and driving down to the Wingcaribee WIRES facility. This is a bushland property, where the owner, Peggy, is the local Wildlife Rescue person, but her specialty is the rehabilitation of birds of prey, namely the Wedgetail Eagle. Peggy has visited the United Arab Emirates in the past and brought home with her some wonderful new (for us) methods of rehabilitating the birds. The one main innovation she has built is the circular enclosure for the birds, which allows for proper flight, but also protects injured birds from other prey. Unlike the rectangular enclosures that the state parks recommend, this enclosure is purpose-built, fully enclosed, but housing two eagles getting ready to emerge fully rehabilitated. We returned to Peggy’s lovely home and listened to her as she outlined the costs of the buildings and the upkeep of the birds, and she also demonstrated the way in which they use bamboo skewers to mend broken feathers. That afternoon, we came together and started to organise our annual silent auction, raffle, peace-cloth signing, and book give-away, whilst others organised the dinner. As well as the aforementioned activities, our musicians and singers were preparing their instruments and voices for the evening’s entertainment. We had dedicated this weekend to our good friend, Max Moore, who, at the age of 88, organised our 2011 gathering in his home town of Bowral, NSW, which is not too far away. Max died in December 2011, and this weekend was dedicated to celebrating his life and his long lasting friendship with John Denver. Max was not just a manager to John, but over the years, was a firm friend, and John would often ‘slip’ into Australia and stay with Max and his wife in their family home. Our silent auction also included many personal articles that were donated by Max’s family, and that had a ‘John Denver’ theme, like the home video Max took whilst staying in Aspen at John’s house in 1996. We raised well over $1,000 from the silent auction, which will be donated to Peggy as a contribution and acknowledgement of her good work. We sang well into the night. Sunday is our traditional ‘tree-planting’ and ‘letter-reading’ time. It is a solemn beginning of the day as we read out the letters from Aspen and Monterey prior to planting a tree for John and laying a commemorative plaque in front of the tree. We went to the spot that the owner of the Lloran Log Cabins had indicated that we could use for our planting. Unfortunately, this was not satisfactory. A quick phone call to Peggy, who agreed to allow us to plant the trees on her property, and we packed up, and in convoy, sped off to her property. As we walked down toward the eagle enclosure, Peggy stopped and indicated that this would be a good spot for the trees. Between two ‘guardian’ trees, knobbly and ancient, we set about digging the holes for the two trees we were planting. The first was a dedication to Max, our friend and John’s tour manager. The second was the tree dedicated to John. We placed the plaques on an angle, so that they were slightly facing each other, as we watered them and stopped for photos. One of Max’s good friends also stopped and talked about the times he spent with Max, retelling some stories about his life, and telling us that there was an inexplicable bond between us all. Our weekend was almost over. We had one small ‘job’ to do before we had to wend our way to our various homes. Saying goodbye to Peggy, and with an enormous bunch of ‘stolen’ fresh flowers from the Lloran Log Cabin’s garden, we stopped in Bowral to pay our respects to our friend Max at his graveside. We said ‘Goodbye Again’ to our friends, with the promise of organising next year’s gathering in Boonah, Queensland, and sped away toward the freeway. ...until next year... *** How I keep John's Legacy Alive (submitted by Kathy Caton - <choralkate@aol.com>) *** (submitted by Marty Slim - <tmslimming@hotmail.com>) I will always be grateful, thankful and truly blessed to have met John after a concert many years ago. One of the highs of my life. I will never forget that. When JD died, a part of me died as well. It has been hard to accept his passing, however, his music has been truly meaningful for me in so many ways. I listen to the lyrics more now and get more meaning out of his songs. His legacy lives on in his songs and for me, I strive to be a better person for the planet and humanity all around. I pick up garbage wherever I go. I pick up litter in my community and at lakes I visit. This is something JD did and I feel compelled to continue in this fashion. I contribute to UNICEF now as one of the main charities I feel connected to. JD gave his song Poems, Prayers and Promises to this charity and I like to feel that by contributing to them, I'm still connected with JD. I play guitar and enjoy playing JD's music. My kids are now used to this and often sing along to many of his songs that I play. So, although they are 16, 21 and 24, respectively, they understand a little bit more of who this 'JD fella' was and what his music and his message meant. Thanks for letting me share! Peace, Marty *** Reflections on My Journey *** (submitted by Cathy Gianfala Carriere) In 2000, I had a very profound dream about him and wrote lyrics to Love Song A Tribute to John Denver. Nine years later, while inspired with new songs, I came across the lyrics. As I sat with my guitar, the music came in about 10 min. Because of my song, I was invited by one of John Denver's close friends to sing in Aspen in Oct. 2010 and every year since. It was also an honor last year to record with Chris Nole and John Denver's former band members in Nashville: Chris, Pete Huttlinger, Jim Horn and Jim Connor. Chris produced a great CD and told me that John would be pleased with my recording and at how well I sing his songs. That really humbled me and made me cry. I never expected that! If you are interested, you can read more and listen here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/cathygianfalacarriere Love Song is also available at Amazon and iTunes. In June, I recorded a new project with Chris and Pete, that includes The Wings That Fly Us Home. God bless you! Cathy www.cathygianfalacarriere.com *** JOHN DENVER TRIBUTE CONCERT—FEBRUARY 1, 2013 New York Community Bank Theater at Westbury, Westbury, New York (submitted by By Terri Donahue <ItsTerri215@aol.com>) Upon opening up my local newspaper one Sunday afternoon, there was a large picture of John Denver, which immediately caught my eye. It was an ad for a John Denver Tribute Concert in which JD would be starring and singing, albeit, not live, but via modern technology, on a huge screen backdrop, while four former band members and a drummer perform in the foreground. FAR OUT! What a weird feeling to see my beloved John in the newspaper again for a concert! I immediately purchased tickets to the first show of the tour at the New York Community Bank Theater at Westbury, in Westbury, NY, for February 1, 2013. There was excitement in the air as fans arrived to the show. Some, like me, wore a “vintage” JD tee-shirt, of which I received many inquiries and compliments. As I entered the auditorium, there was John Denver, bigger-than-life, on the screen! Bittersweet chills ran up my spine as I reminisced about the last JD concert that I attended at this same theater, back in 1996. Finally the lights dimmed and on the large screen were still photos of John’s mom and dad, home movies of Zachary and Anna Kate, and videos of past performances, while John narrated. (I think this part of the narration came from his autobiography CD.) Then, as John always did at his performances, he welcomed us to the show. It was so eerie; you almost believed he was really there. Then, from an old concert, he opened the show singing, “ Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning)”. The lines, “It pleases me to have you here for just a little while”, could have been what his fans would have said to John. Like, “we know you are not really here performing, but for just a little while, we can all pretend”. As if John’s “spirit”, aka, ghost, were allowed to “visit” with us and perform “for just a little while.” There were lots of sighs, smiles, tears, and applause throughout the show. And of course, just about everyone sang along to every tune. After the opening song, former band member, Jim Salestrom, who was the spokesperson for the group, welcomed us too. He spoke of how this night of all nights was most special because it was the first night they had ever done this kind of show. It was the first night of the tour. And, in JD style, he introduced the rest of the band members. There was Chris Nole on keyboard, from Nashville, Alan Deremo, from Laguna Beach, CA on bass, a drummer from Boulder, Colorado and from the Rose Hill Drive Band, Nate Barnes, the Legendary Jim Horn, who is the most recorded woodwind player of all time, and himself, Jim Salestrom, from Carney, Nebraska, who met JD when he (Jim) was 16. JD taught him the song, “Everyday”. Jim sang it while they flashed photos of he and John on the screen. Jim explained that the videos and songs were from the different times of John’s life and at concerts from around the world. A four piece string quartet entered the stage and performed, “Follow Me”, which John sang on screen during an Australian concert. As the song ended, someone else shouted, “God Bless, John Denver!” Yes, the audience was filled with John Denver friends, and fans who missed him dearly. The evening couldn’t have been complete without one person shouting out, “Far Out!” Each video clip they showed was timed to lead into another song and phase of John’s life. It was spliced together to make a statement about who the man was, what he believed in, and to illustrate his values. A video of Tom Crum, John’s co-founder of Windstar, spoke of how John wanted to make a difference in this world. There was a video of John singing, “Back Home Again” and followed by John, mountain climbing and looking at an eagle, to which John said, “When I die, I want to come back as an eagle.” Then the musicians played, and John sang, “The Eagle and the Hawk”. John said that this greatest inspiration was the out-of-doors, which was his best friend. His songs portrayed images from nature and about the universal experiences that people from all over the world could share. “Sunshine” was the next song. When they showed the video, Jim Horn was on screen playing his flute, while Jim on stage was playing it live, simultaneously, as it mirrored the image on the screen. What a Far Out special effect! It garnered a huge applause. After “Annie’s Song”, Jim Salestrom thanked John and said that he believed John was there tonight, listening. The song, “Ponies” was sung by Jim Salestrom, with Jim Horn on saxophone, which accompanied video of John riding his horse among dozens of ponies. Alan Deremo spoke of being in the Wildlife Concert in New York City and was with John the last four years of his life. During the next song, “Poems, Prayers, and Promises”, John prompted us all to sing along with him. There was a video of Dr. Robert Ballard, who spoke of being friends with John, as they shared a common interest, the sea, while “Calypso” followed. After that rousing performance, the video showed John talking about getting his first guitar from his grandmother, and then John sang, “This Old Guitar” as the band played softly in the background. Jim Salestrom thanked us for sharing the evening with them. Then John recited his poem about “Peace”. Jim said, John’s message is still loud and clear almost 15 years since he has been gone. And then he said to the crowd, “You make John Proud.” A wild rendition of “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy” brought us all out of our somber mood, with lots of hand clapping and singing. The video was upbeat, showing old clips of John Sommers and Steve Weisberg performing this song from the 70’s. There was a brief intermission followed by John speaking about the Rocky Mountains. Then for the most dramatic moment of the evening, Chris Nole took the stage by himself and performed, “For You”, on the piano, with no video accompaniment. He played the song, solo, and after playing almost the entire song, John’s voice came over the speaker and started singing, while the video showed images of sunsets. An emotional Chris thanked us for our applause when he was done. Videos of John skiing in the Rocky Mountains came on the screen as Jim Salestrom sang, “Downhill Stuff”. “Rhymes and Reasons” came next. There was a clip of Tom Crum again asking us what John would be doing if he were still here today. And then the song, “Druthers”, continued. Jim Horn spoke of his work with the Beatles. Jim has played his music on 118 artists’ recordings. They flashed many vintage album covers of these artists on the screen, while the band performed Canned Heat’s,“Goin’ up the Country”, which Jim Horn wrote. John talked about his childhood and his “Grandma’s Feather Bed”, as they all performed this signature song. The video of John cuddling with a cougar, as he talked about wild land, tugged at the audiences’ hearts. He performed “You Say that the Battle is Over”. This song was followed by “Song for All Lovers”, and “Matthew”. The show was nearing its eventual end when Jim acknowledged all the behind-the-scenes people. He introduced the performers once again, and spoke of the representative of the Estate of John Denver, Brian Schwartz, who was responsible for the show. These accolades were followed by a video of Bill Danoff, who spoke of how he met John and how the two of them co-wrote, “Country Roads”, which was performed next. John spoke about the song he wrote for his father, as he spoke the lyrics to “On the Wings of a Dream”, which prophetically was also speaking of his own death and his dream of flying. The band performed “Around and Around” followed by “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, with a video laced with glider shots and the eerie words, “Oh Babe, I hate to go” and “Hold me close and never let me go”. These brought tears to my eyes, as if it were John speaking to us once again…..he had to leave us, but we will never “let him go”. We will hold him close and remember him and keep his spirit and his music alive. It did ‘please me to have “him” here for just a little while’. The video and song closed with John saying his good-byes and thanking us for a wonderful evening, as he said, “God Bless”. The band left the stage, and in true John Denver fashion, came back for one encore. Jim said, “How could we leave? There is one more song we have to play.” And so, they closed with my ultimate favorite, “Rocky Mountain High”. And, I left the concert on a John Denver High! Thank You, John Denver. Yes, “God Bless, John Denver.”
*** (submitted by Rich Romanowski - <romanowsk1@aol.com>) John Denver Tributes on YOUTUBE.COM I searched YOUTUBE.COM for John Denver videos one day and started to play a few of his well known (and not so well known) songs. While the songs played, I read the postings that other viewers had written. There are entries that span three generations of people whose lives were affected or changed by his music and who he was. These come from all over the world and sometimes are written in their native languages. What a tribute to John! Some postings are snarky and sometimes vulgar written by those who “just don’t get it”. Enough said. Here are some examples. Rocky Mountain High - Grew up listening to this in the car with my Mum and Dad, always good for a sing-a-long on a long drive. Now I'm the Dad and my 5 and a half year old son is the one in the back of the? car singing his little heart out! John Denver lives on in our hearts with his music. - When I? wrote JD to get his autograph for an admiring girlfriend at the time, I told him I saw him perform in Washington DC when he succeeded Chad Mitchell in his trio. That was in '65. He sent an autographed photo to my girlfriend. - The sadness of his death is eased by the joy of his voice. Country Roads - In my opinion, John Denver is one of the finest and most under-rated contemporary composers of the age. Such a sad loss, I am sure he had so much more brilliant creativity left to share. I remember buying his "An Evening With John? Denver" album for my late dad in '75. Always great memories brought back listening to John Denver. - John Denver's songs always brought back childhood memories. Whenever I am ill (and not just during such times), his songs help cheer me up! Thank? God for John. - The song of the freedom and my young life. Rest in peace John and thank you for your? wonderful songs. Thank God I’m a Country Boy - Growing up listening to his songs in Beijing. Love his songs, so? sad about the accident that took his life. Heart broken. Gospel Changes - Cool song. Neat. Only? a believer could sing a song like this. He was more than just spiritual. He is singing with the angels. This song is too beautiful to be sung anywhere else. Amen. Rhymes and Reasons - I saw John live in concert 8 times. I live in a part of the country where the population will not support huge concerts. When John came here, he came alone with no band. I always thought this? is where he shined. This was him at his very best. Just John and his Guitar. I wouldn't have changed anything. A part of me died along side of him. I truly miss him, though his music lives on. - John Denver is and will forever be the greatest songwriter that has graced? this planet. All of his songs are filled with unconditional love. May the peace of all understanding be with those who listen, hear, and continue on in these teachings he has left behind. One Earth. Our Life. Take care. [Thanks to everyone for their contributions! – AS]
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NOVEMBER November 8, 2013 - Burlington, KY - Mark Cormican performing with his band, Starwood. 7:00 pm Boone County Library, 1786 Burlington Pike, Burlington, KY 41005 - The concert will feature a John Denver tribute. The Library number is (859) 342-2665 Admission is free November 9, 2013 - state College, PA - 7:30 pm: Chris Collins and Boulder Canyon: Tribute November 9, 2013 - you can join Chris Westfall as he returns for a true "coffeehouse" performance at his home-away-from home at the beautiful Salem United Church of Christ in Doylestown, PA. Beginning at 8:00 pm, Chris will present an evening of "Acoustic Classics". You'll feel like Chris grabbed a few guitars and a long list of his favorites and just settled in for the evening. For those of you who love to hear Chris accompany himself on piano, (*raised my hand*), there is a beautiful one in this venue... There will be lots of refreshments during the intermission...you'll feel like you're at home with lots of friends! Admission is $10 at the door. For more information, you may email kurthhoner@msn.com. Put 186 E Court St Doylestown, PA into your GPS and get ready for a great time! DECEMBER December 10, 2013 - Holland - The yearly Denver Day. The Italian John Denver Project Band will make its appearance, as well as quite a few of our talented Dutch JD tribute singers. December 6, 2013 - Gettysburg, PA - 7:00 pm: Rocky Mountain Christmas with the Music of December 8, 2013 at 4pm, get into the spirit of the season with "Christmas with Christopher"! Join Chris Westfall at the St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Cherry Hill, NJ. Do you love holiday music as much as I do? Chris promises to sing many of your favorites as well as a few surprises! Tickets will be $10 advance/$12 at door. (Children 12 and under- $5) For additional information, you may call 856-429-4469 or connect to the church's website www.saumcnj.org. The church is located at 327 Marlton Pike West Cherry Hill, NJ. December 14, 2013 at 8:00 pm, come on back to Doylestown for a "Sounds of the Season" coffeehouse with Chris Westfall ! Lots of holiday music, lots of holiday cookies, (all made by Chris, of course!), and lots of special selections...and lots of holiday cheer. (The information for contacts and directions are the same as the Doylestown event listed above.) Ring in the New Year with Chris Westfall as he celebrates his tenth appearance at "First Night Haddonfield". Chris will be playing two sets at the Haddon Fortnightly, the first from 7:45-8:45 and the second from 9:30-10:30. First Night events are very family friendly and the purchase of a special button gets you admission into all the evening's performances and festivities! Check back at www.firstnighthaddonfield.org for more details regarding Chris' shows, and when and where you can buy your buttons ahead of time...this popular event usually sells out! 2014 January 9, 2014 - Brooksville, FL - January 11, 2014 - Venice, FL - January 25, 2014 - North Port, FL - February 1, 2014 - Woonsocket, RI - February 1-7, 2014 - Aspen, CO - The Magic of Skiing - Full Program February 8, 2014 - Spring Hill, FL - February 15 - 22, 2014 - February 23-26, 2014 - Aspen, CO - March 24, 2014 - Fort Myers, FL - March 25, 2014 - Marco Island, FL - March 31, 2014 - Port Charlotte, FL - August 29-September 5, 2014 - Seattle, WA - Branson, MO -
(thanks to Emily Parris and the Rocky Mountain High newsletter and Chris Westfall's Newsletter for these dates)
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If you would like to submit articles, news items, stories, poetry, or any other pertinent information to IT'S ABOUT TIME, please e-mail any of the IAT staff. The submission deadline for the next edition is February 19, 2013. Please be sure to include any contact information so that members can e-mail or snail-mail for further details. The contents of this newsletter are entirely at the discretion of the "It's About Time" staff. Contributions, as always,
are welcomed, although inclusion is not guaranteed. All contributed material may be subject to editing for content and length. |
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Co-Founder/Former President -- Marcelle Orswell (notmartha2@yahoo.com) |
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