Claim: John Denver made American television appearances.

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. -LRB- December 31 , 1943 -- October 12 , 1997 -RRB- , known professionally as John Denver , an American musician , singer-songwriter , record producer , activist , actor , 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 '' .   Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs , about 200 of which he composed , with total record sales of over 33 million . He recorded and performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature , his disdain for city life , his enthusiasm for music , and his relationship trials . Denver 's music appeared on a variety of charts , including country music , the Billboard Hot 100 , and adult contemporary , in all earning him twelve gold and four platinum albums with his signature songs `` Take Me Home , Country Roads '' , `` Annie 's Song '' , `` Rocky Mountain High '' , `` Thank God I 'm a Country Boy '' , and `` Sunshine on My Shoulders '' .   Denver starred in films and several notable television specials in the 1970s and 1980s . He continued to record in the 1990s , also focusing on environmental issues by lending vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of Congress in protest against censorship in music . He lived in Aspen , Colorado for much of his life and was known for his love of Colorado which he sang about numerous times . In 1974 Denver was named poet laureate of the state . The Colorado state legislature also adopted `` Rocky Mountain High '' as one of its two state songs in 2007 . Denver was an avid pilot and died at the age of 53 in a single-fatality crash of his personal experimental aircraft .