Where is John Denver Buried?
When you think of John Denver, it’s hard not to picture the sweeping landscapes of the Rocky Mountains and his hauntingly beautiful voice. Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. on December 31, 1943, in Roswell, New Mexico, Denver rose to fame in the 1970s with hits like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and “Sunshine on My Shoulders.” Throughout his career, he released nearly 300 songs, wrote more than 200 of them himself, and earned 14 gold and eight platinum albums in the U.S. alone. He also made his mark as an environmentalist and humanitarian.
Denver’s life came to a sudden and tragic end on October 12, 1997, when his experimental aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Pacific Grove, California. He was just 53 years old. Many assumed he would be buried in Colorado, perhaps in Aspen, where he owned a home for years. However, Denver wasn’t buried at all. He was cremated, and in a fitting tribute to the place he loved most, his ashes were scattered over the Rocky Mountains. There’s no traditional gravesite to visit, which means fans can’t pay respects at a headstone, but they can honor him by visiting memorials and natural landmarks tied to his music.
Ron Wolfson/The Everett Collection
Even without a grave, Denver’s legacy has been kept alive through tributes across the country. In 2007, “Rocky Mountain High” was named one of Colorado’s two official state songs. In 2011, he became the first inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. There’s also a bronze statue of him in Aspen, placed near the John Denver Sanctuary, where fans can walk among gardens, sit by the creek, and read the lyrics to his beloved songs etched in granite.
Remind 
70s Pop Idols
May 2019
The biggest and best from the worlds of rock and disco!
Buy This Issue