The late John Denver was not the type of folk singer to rustle feathers. He didn’t spark a feud with a Southern man (like Neil Young) or change his name and find religion (like Cat Stevens). He didn’t glorify protests (like Buffalo Springfield) or lowlifes (like Tom Waits).
No, he just wrote and sang a lot of happy songs. He had sunshine on his shoulders.
Roy Rivers is not John Denver, but he has a place in the sunshine too. And for scores of fans who miss Denver — the victim of a plane crash in 1997 — that’s enough to make him a suitable substitute.
Rivers will take center stage Saturday in “John Denver — The Tribute,” a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre to mark the 20th anniversary of Denver’s last performance at the venue.
“John Denver’s music is timeless,” said Shari Sullivan, a longtime fan and event coordinator on behalf of the Windstar Foundation, an environmental group founded by Denver in 1976.
“His lyrics evoke a sense of belonging by making us all feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves,” Sullivan said.
Rivers, who has penned more than 160 songs of his own, is quick to note that his life differs greatly from Denver’s, though the musical themes of peace, love and nature remain the same.
The moment when their lives first “crossed” is still vivid in his mind.
“It was just before my 16th birthday,” recalled Rivers. “My dad was a long-haul trucker, and each summer I’d get to make one run with him. I think we were in Kansas somewhere when we caught a radio talk show interviewing John.”
A self-described “unusual kid,” Rivers would often complete conservation projects on his family farm in Arkansas. He was captivated by Denver, who had similar interests in camping and nature.
“I just seemed to be going in the same directions and thinking about the same things,” Rivers said. “That meant something to me. I loved his music from the moment I heard him sing. My dad even commented about the similarities in our speaking voices and how this guy seemed to have his head on his shoulders.
“On the very next truck stop we pulled into, Dad bought the ‘Back Home Again’ record for me.”
Before world tours and hit singles including “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Annie’s Song” — and before he changed his name to reflect a certain city in Colorado — Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. was a military child from Roswell, N.M.
Before his own “Rocky Mountain Highs” and national recognition, Rivers spent eight years in the Air Force, later becoming a computer programmer in Salt Lake City. It wasn’t until 10 years ago that he traded in his QWERTY keyboard for an acoustic guitar to pursue his secret love.
“I started adding John’s songs in my gigs, and people really started listening more,” said Rivers.
Denver’s songs seem to have a particularly emotional resonance with fans who saw the singer during the peak of his success in the 1970s.
“His music was and still is the personification of what America looked like to the world,” said Liz Seeger, a longtime John Denver fan from Port Colborne, Ontario. Seeger is one of countless fans who correspond on the “Gathering Page” of john-denver , a website where people are invited to share thoughts on the late artist.
“(His music) was happy and optimistic with an awe for the beauty of the U.S., the animals and the birds, relationships between people and relationships between spouses,” Seeger said.
Denver’s reluctance to directly take on the social issues his peers tackled has led to criticism that his music reflected an overly simplistic worldview. This paradigm that rallied millions of devoted followers created nearly as many dissenters.
“Our minds need optimistic views of our world and dealing with its problems,” Rivers argues.
While Saturday night’s show will deliver a hefty dose of nostalgia, current environmental concerns will be brought to light through the presence of the Windstar Foundation.
Concertgoers can expect an informative display about the group’s ongoing initiatives, such as EarthCamp and their continued environmental education.
Rivers, meanwhile, is focused on his Colorado audience, often referred to as Denver’s most loyal. Red Rocks is the “mother church” of Denver’s music, said Rivers.
“Taking people back to a moment in time is important,” he said.
It’s this “X factor” that distinguishes re-creationists from those two awful words: cover band.
“Every time I sing one of his songs, I sing it as if I wrote it. I honestly do,” said Rivers.
Sound a little crazy?
Consider this: Rivers is one of the only John Denver tribute artists to share the stage with Denver’s original bandmates, most notably guitarist Steve Weisberg.
“I’m immensely blessed to have a friendship with several members of John’s early band that created the signature sounds on many of his hits,” he said “Steve Weisberg and I have done probably 30 shows together by now. When he tells me that playing with me is very reminiscent of his times with John, I just realize how great my own life is right now, and I must be doing something right.”
John Hendrickson: 303-954-1211 or jhendrickson@denverpost.com
John Denver – The Tribue
Live concert. Roy Rivers featuring Steve Weisberg. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison. 8 p.m. Saturday.$25. john-denver-tribute.com for info.
