One of the world's best-known and best-loved performers, John Denver earned international acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. John’s music has spanned three decades, outlasted countless musical trends, and garnered numerous music awards and honors, including a 1996 Induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and in 1993, the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Music award. The son of a U.S Air Force officer, John’s artistic journey began after the family moved to Tucson, where at age eleven, he was given his grandmother’s guitar. John eventually took up guitar lessons and joined a boy’s choir, which led him at age 20 to take matters into his own hands and pursue his dream of a career in music. In 1963 he struck out on his own, moving to Los Angeles to be in the heart of the burgeoning music scene. It was during this time that Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. was urged by friends to change his name if a recording career was to be in his future. His friends suggested the name John Sommerville, but he ultimately took his stage name from the beautiful Rocky Mountain capital city of Colorado, his home state.