Twenty five years ago today we lost John Denver to a tragic plane crash when he left not on a jet plane but an experimental Rutan Long EZ for the last time over Monterey bay California before plunging into the ocean a few hundred feet off the coast of lovers point. As such, John Denver's music has had quiet a profound impact on my life and the following is my epitaph in memoriam to the man and his music as we have now entered a quarter of a century without him.

John Denver has had quiet the profound impact on my life, my love for his music can be traced back three generations now. It all started with my Grandma who would play John Denver with my dad and his brothers when they would take trips half way across the nation through California all the way up to Washington state and back to Texas in the late 1970's / early 1980's. Often times as recounted by my father some of his fondest memories growing up were listening to John Denver and truly appreciating the natural beauty and awe of places such as the Redwood national forest and the lush vibrant greenery of Oregon.

It was these very memories that had made their own profound impact on my dad, who many years after the fact, took me with him at a young age to get the live album known as ''An Evening with John Denver''. We listened to it all the way home and it was all so different to my young mind, John Denver's lyrics of love, nature and the very joy of life itself inundated me with a very comforting presence, almost like being sung a lullaby, as was the gentle strum of his guitar, I was entranced by the majestic Rocky Mountain High and the energetic performance of Farwell Andromeda.

These days, I from time to time struggle with many of the same things we all do. Career concerns, fear of loss, occasional confusion and upset with the current state of the world, but then I listen to John Denver and he tells me don't worry about any of that, look at the mountains and the streams, you see all these living trees that make oxygen for you to breath, isn't the delicate dance of life something to truly behold? Not only that, but look at those who do love you, look at the value your life has to so many others, even at your lowest you are deeply important to someone and never forget that, for life is not a curse, but rather a gift, though it may be difficult at times, the experience as a whole is something that I shall forever be thankful for.

To me, John Denver's music is essentially what a Bob Ross painting would sound like. Thanks for the music John, I will forever be grateful for how so much of your music has enriched my life. Though it'll never be, I wish you were here so I could tell you how much your artistry has brought to my life. Though your end was tragic your music has rippled through my family for the sum of three generations now. You have made a lasting impact on me, the life I live and my family's as well.

Even though acoustic style folk music had fallen out of favor by the late 1980's, John continued to refine his ability to sing and perform as evidenced by his December 1987 Cedar Rapids performance of Calypso in which his voice transcends to ethereal levels which is listed below.

So in closing I will say, Though John Denver may be gone from this earthly plane of existence, all of his good work lives on through his music, his deeds and through all of us who were moved by him. He has even been one of my largest influence's in picking up the guitar for myself.

Listed below are only but a few examples of my favorite performances by John Denver, so as it state's at the entrance of the John Denver sanctuary in Aspen Colorado...Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky, Pause, Reflect, Enjoy.

Thank you for reading.