As I was driving around one day, trying to figure out what my next Discover Colorado column will be, several John Denver songs came over the speakers of my truck. I sang along while driving past roaring rivers, bubbling brooks, trees dancing in the wind and a hawk missing my windshield by a few inches. All of it was invigorating. I realized that it wasn’t just the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains affecting me, it was the inspiring lyrics of a man who believed in being “green” long before being “green” was a thing. Naturally, I dug deeper.

John Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., in Roswell, New Mexico; he fell in love with Colorado and eventually changed his name to reflect his love of his favorite place; settled in Aspen with his wife, Annie, and their two adopted children. Mr. Denver wrote Colorado’s second state song, Rocky Mountain High.

Not only did JD (as I like to call him) have a positive impact on the environment, he also changed many lives with his music. So much so, that you can find evidence of it throughout our entire state.

Some of the places you can visit to see how he is being honored in Colorado are: the Downtown Morrison bridge mural, the Colorado Hall of Fame Museum at the Red Rocks Trading Post, the John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen, the week-long John Denver Celebration festival every October in Aspen and the countless of John Denver tribute concerts throughout our state, including Estes Park with Cowboy Brad.

His songs were a reflection of his love for Colorado, nature, people, peace and beauty. I will openly admit that he is my favorite singer/songwriter of all time. As the last JD song, I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado, played on my playlist, I pulled into Red Rocks. There I stood, in front of the Red Rocks John Denver Statue, hearing myself singing “you fill up my senses like a night in the forest, like the mountains in Spring time, like a walk in the rain…“ I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude.

I hold a connection with a man that I have never met. Besides John Denver, I don’t think I’ve ever known of anyone who has ever loved Colorado more than myself.

To find out more about John Denver, JD celebrations and more visit: https:// johndenver.com/