Question: Herb Metoyer is a Detroit-based singer-songwriter and novelist, best known for his folk music , he was an early mentor to, and lifelong influence on, Mike Taylor, who performed extensively with Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, activist, and humanitarian, whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer, known professionally as John Denver, died on which date?
Context: John Baxter Browning Bryant (born January 24, 1957) is an American singer-songwriter, whose greatest commercial popularity was before and during his early teens. Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, activist, and humanitarian, whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer.  After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family, Denver began his music career with folk music groups during the late 1960s.  Starting in the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists.  By 1974, he was firmly established as America's best selling performer, and AllMusic has described Denver as "among the most beloved entertainers of his era". Herb Metoyer is a Detroit-based singer-songwriter and novelist, best known for his folk music and other work involving New Orleans and Louisiana.  He was an early mentor to, and lifelong influence on, Mike Taylor, who performed extensively with John Denver and co-wrote the song Rocky Mountain High. William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star.  Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for The Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative music musicians.  He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary "". Frank Hannon (born October 3, 1966 in Sacramento, California), is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and a co-founder of the multi-platinum band Tesla, and is now established as a solo singer/songwriter with his album Gypsy Highway.  Drawing on his early childhood influences of American Folk artists such as Bob Dylan, John Denver, and Willie Nelson, Frank Hannon has showcased his lyrical, vocal, and "acoustic" storytelling song writing abilities on the self produced album.  Apart from recent Tesla concerts, Frank Hannon has been performing solo "acoustic" shows, one in particular was the KGGO "Summer Jam" in Des Moines Iowa where he performed throughout the day in between artist such as John Waite, 38 special, and BTO in front of 10,000 fans singing by himself with an acoustic guitar, and recently performing with Aaron Lewis who is also known for such solo acoustic performances.  Frank has recently formed the independent label RedHawk Records. John Denver's Greatest Hits was American singer-songwriter John Denver's first compilation album, released in late 1973 for the holiday shopping season.  A version known as The Best of John Denver with the same track listing was released in some countries. "Rocky Mountain High" is a folk rock song written by John Denver and Mike Taylor about Colorado, and is one of the two official state songs of Colorado.  Recorded by Denver in 1972, it went to #9 on the US Hot 100 in 1973.  (The song also made #3 on the Easy Listening chart, and was played by some country music stations.)  Denver told concert audiences in the mid-1970s that the song took him an unusually long nine months to write.  On April 10, 2017 the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of 500,000 digital downloads. Lui Collins (born in 1950 in Barre, Vermont) is a contemporary folk singer-songwriter.  She attended the University of Connecticut and played her first gigs as a student there.  She began touring in the mid-1970s as part of duos with Horace Williams Jr., Guy Wolff and Bill Lauf Jr., and all four received "produced by" credit on her first album, "Made in New England," 1978.  Originally a Philo Fretless LP, that album was later reissued as a CD by Green Linnet in 1985, GLCD 1056.  From her first recording, her albums included her own compositions as well as others written by her performing partners and friends, including Williams, Lauf, Julie Snow, and others.  Her albums have included some children's music, some of which she co-wrote with children's author Jane Yolen.  In 1997 Collins relocated to the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts, immersing herself in music.  In addition to her solo performances in concerts, festivals and schools, Collins has performed extensively with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dana Robinson.  Together they released two limited edition collaborative recordings, "Paired Down" and "Paired Down Vol.  2", in 1998 and 1999 respectively. An Evening with John Denver is a live album of music that was performed by American singer-songwriter John Denver.  It was recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California in August and September 1974.  He was backed by an orchestra conducted by Lee Holdridge.  Denver's manager, Milton Okun, was the album's music producer. The Music Is You: A Tribute To John Denver is an album consisting of songs originally performed by country and folk singer-songwriter John Denver.  It was released on April 2, 2013 by ATO Records.  Denver died in October 1997 when the single engine plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of California.  The album has been praised by some as a way to help Denver's catalogue reach a new, younger audience.
Answer: October 12, 1997