Who is John Denver's successor?

The radically different sound of the American country singer John Denver (1943-1997) was very exceptional amid the massive rock and pop explosion at the end of the 60's. His simple lyrics about love, nature and the universe and his guitar and charming, unaffected appearance conquered the hearts of many fans all over the world. After his tragical death in a plane crash in 1997, nobody has taken his special place in the music scene so far. The question is, will there ever be a successor again? 

Country singer, romantic and conservationist of the 70's

John Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf in 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico. At eleven, he got an old guitar from his grandmother, which wouldn't let go of him anymore, and in the 60's he started singing with folk group The Mitchell Trio. In 1969 he decided to start a solo career and his first success was Leaving on a Jetplane, which he wrote for the group Peter, Paul and Mary. A few years later, he had his breakthrough with songs like Take Me Home, Country Roads and Rocky Mountain High. He got a record deal with RCA Records and, with his beloved wife Annie Martell by his side, sold millions of records all over the world. His sincere interest in nature, his curiosity about the immense universe and his open-minded view of love can be heard in in songs like Annie's Song, Follow Me and Sweet Surrender. In particular his early songs reflect an enthusiastic, very talented and inspired singer, who enjoys purely and fully all the miraculous things around him.

Waning popularity, dreams and ideals

In the 80's and 90's his popularity is waning. His new songs are not very successful, causing RCA Records to cancel the record deal with Denver. Likewise, his marriage with Annie Martell breaks down in 1982 and, being frustrated with his life, he resorts to drinking. Though his new love, Australian Cassandra Delaney, gives him new energy and inspiration for a while, not forgetting a daughter Jesse Belle, this marriage breaks down after five years as well as a result of drinking, jealousy and home violence.

Somehow, the fresh, inspiring sound that affected people all over the world seems to have disappeared from his music. The records coming out in this period are released on his own account and it is obvious they are not in the same league as his earlier bestseller albums. It seems as if the singer has lost his open-mindedness, dreams and ideals. Denver's change of heart at the time calls for a comparison of the hippie culture in the 60's and early 70's with the spirit of times in the 80's, when hippie ideals were waning and made way for the vision of living in a material world as symbolised by female singer Madonna.

Who is the new symbol of a human, sustainable and environment-friendly universe?

Today, in 2011, after a period during which consumer society was rampant, there is increasingly more global interest in the relationship between man and environmental issues again. There is a growing awareness that overconsumption is at the expense of nature and people in Third World countries. The pursuit of a sustainable life style is widely accepted and the changing climate is a source of great concern to more and more people.

Consequently, it seems the time is ripe for somebody who, just like young John Denver, sings passionately about the beauty of this world and the universe, somebody who, just like him, hears the most beautiful of symphonies and believes in the wisdom of children. However, for the time being such a person is non-existent amid all Lady Gagas, Shakiras and Justin Biebers. Maybe it is not only John Denver, but also the rest of the world that have lost the ability to look at all the beauty around them with the open-mindedness of a child. 

Sources: www.todio.nl