Dow Patterson said one of his first memories of Denver are of him sitting on a yellow Coca-Cola crate in a residence halls shower, grinning, singing, and playing guitar. He told Patterson he liked the acoustics in the community restroom.
Patterson, who was an architecture major and fellow musician with Denver at Texas Tech in the 1960s, said he never would have guessed that smiling kid would become a folk music legend.
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., or “Dutch” to his friends, came to Texas Tech in 1961 to earn an architecture degree. In an autobiography published in the 1990s, he wrote that he came to college because that is what you were supposed to do.
As a Red Raider, Denver played with the folk band The Alpine Trio. The band was made up of several members of the fraternity Delta Tau Delta, and tended to rotate through members often. George Chaffee and Denver joined The Alpine Trio around the same time, and Chaffee said he was instantly impressed with Denver’s skills.
“Well the first time I met him, I remember, I knew this really fancy and fairly difficult finger picking introduction that Peter, Paul and Mary had used on a song,” Chafee said. “So I started playing that as we were getting tuned up. And John just started playing it right along with me just grinning like crazy.”
Chaffee said Denver was already writing some of his own songs during his time at Texas Tech. He said Denver was always a quick thinker, and had a music-oriented mind.
“We used to sing a song called pulling away, and it starts off on some minor cords and everything,” Chaffee said. “And we really needed a better introduction and he came up with one in just an instant. And he said, ‘Well, let’s try this,’ and he just made it sound gorgeous.”
Chaffee fondly remembered one show at an elementary school in particular where he and Denver were the only band members who could go. The trio was now a duet, and the principal of the school wasn’t thrilled. He said the show went on, but he has always wondered one thing.
“I’ll always just wonder if that principal will ever realize that that was John Denver playing for your school,” Chaffee said with a laugh.
Denver played with The Caravans, another band on campus, for some time as well. Patterson said The Caravans played the inaugural Kappa Alpha Grubber’s Ball, an annual event that was held for many years.
Patterson remembered Denver as the type that would play anytime, anywhere, and with anyone he could. Although they were never in the same band, Patterson said he often competed against Denver in battle of the bands competitions.
Kent Hance, chancellor emeritus at Texas Tech, was the president of Delta Tau Delta when Denver initially pledged. He said his musical skills helped Denver get into the fraternity. Hance said other members of the fraternity used to bring their dates back to the fraternity house, and have Denver play music for entertainment.
Denver’s heart was always in music, and his grades suffered. According to his autobiography, Denver gave himself an ultimatum to either raise his grades or leave for California to pursue his dreams. In 1963, he decided to head west and make his way anyway he could.
When Hance heard his friend Dutch was leaving, he tried to talk him out of it.
“You know, at times you can talk to somebody, and you’ll realize that you’re not going to change their mind,” Hance said. “So, it was obvious to me that I wasn’t going to change his mind, and I said ‘Dutch,’ back then we called him Dutch, ‘Dutch if you’re going to go, then be the best part time waiter part time singer they’ve ever had.’ And we had a laugh about it and agreed to stay in touch.”
Chaffee said when Denver first left, he thought he wouldn’t make it in the music industry.
“I remember we were at the student union building the last time I saw him,” Chaffee said. “He had a white, I think it was a 1956 Chevrolet, and he had it just packed to the gills, with his instruments, with his bags, well, everything he had. We’d walk him out to the car and everything, said goodbye, shook his hand and slapped him on the back, and watched him drive away. And I thought, man, that poor guy.”
It did not take long for Denver to find success in California. Denver met Randy Sparks, the founder of the folk group The New Christy Minstrels, early in his career. According to Denver’s autobiography, Sparks suggested he changed his name from Deutschendorf to something else, simply because it would not fit on a theatre marquee.
Patterson relayed a story he had heard about Denver and Sparks first meeting. Patterson said Sparks’ wife heard Denver playing in a club, and called her husband. She told him that although Denver was not that good looking, not the best singer, and really not the best guitar player either, there was something about him that made him a great entertainer.
Chaffee agreed that even during his time at Texas Tech, Denver was an impressive performer.
“He had all of the skills that he needed. Musically he had the skills, and then confidence wise, you know, he wasn’t really cocky, he just knew,” Chaffee said. “He just knew that he was an excellent singer, performer. He knew that he could entertain well.”
A few years after Denver left Texas Tech, he came back to Lubbock to visit his friends. Patterson remembered hanging out with Denver, and hearing about all of his success. Patterson said Denver seemed arrogant about his success, but later learned it was all just the truth.
Hance said he received a phone call from Denver years later. Although he did not think much of it at the time, Denver was beginning to find mainstream success.
“And he called me and said he had written a song that was going to sell a million copies,” Hance said. “And I said, ‘What’s the name of it?’ He said, ‘It’s called leaving on a jet plane.’ And that didn’t mean anything to me, and I said, ‘Who’s going to sing it?’ And he said, “Peter Paul and Mary.’”
“Leaving on a Jet Plane” became Denver’s first number one hit.
Andy Wilkinson, artist in residence at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech, said Denver got into the music industry at the perfect time. He said the artists were evolving in their roles, and now needed to able to do more than just sing and play guitar.
“He became popular at a time where there were other singer, songwriters that were beginning to be popular. Before that, the songwriter was someone who working away in a cubical in 17th street in Nashville or tin pen alley in New York.”
Chaffee said he stumbled upon Denver’s first record, but was not surprised that his friend had become popular.
“I lost track of him until his first album came out, and I was in some drug store or record store, I don’t remember, but I saw the album and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh look at what he’s become now,” Chaffee said.
One of Denver’s most recognizable songs, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” is about the backroads of West Virginia. Denver co-wrote the song, and the lyrics were actually based on an artists’ interpretation of the southern state. Wilkinson said sometimes lyrics do not reflect the artists’ actual experiences, but just simply sound good.
Wilkinson said songwriting talent like that is what made Denver famous.
“Let’s face it. Were there other good songwriters around at the same time. Sure. Were they famous? No,” Wilkinson said. “Some of that is luck. A whole lot of that is luck. But at some point, if you’re lucky, and you get the chance to cut a song, you think hmm, people like this vs. that.”
Hance said he had to remind West Virginia University where the roots of the school’s unofficial song truly were.
“When West Virginia got in the Big 12,” Hance said. “I bought a full page ad in the Morgantown, West Virginia newspaper and I said ‘Welcome to the Big 12 West Virginia, glad to have you. Just remember this. Our alum wrote your song.”
Denver’s popularity began to fade along with folk music at the end of the 1970s. He continued to produce albums, including a few for children. Denver focused most of his time on charitable work, and helped fund many scientific endeavors.
Denver died in a plane crash in 1997 at the age of 53.
Denver’s enthusiasm for music touched not only his fans, but other musicians as well. Chaffee said he learned one very important thing while working with Denver.
“He taught me a lot about the art of entertaining,” Chaffee said. “Not necessarily making music, but just enjoying it. Smiling while you’re on stage. You know you’re having fun, why not show it.”
Denver’s legacy of a friendly smile will not only live on in the entertainment industry, but at Texas Tech as well.
