All profits from the sale of this CD will be donated to The Hunger Project. WWW:http://www.thp.org. Frank sang this song in Aspen during the October 12, 1998 memorial. He also performed in April 1998 at The Mint in Los Angeles. He has recorded several other songs, two of my most favorite are I Could Never Let You In and I'd Rather Be In Colorado.

From Carol Cooley

to Carol Campisi, October 30, 1998

John Denver meant a lot to me from his early days in the Mitchell Trio. As a 16 year old high school sophomore and newcomer to the Chicago area, I attended the Mitchell Trio’s concert at our 1966 Homecoming. Though I liked my new home, 9 months still found me feeling a little lonesome for my home, school, and friends in Fort Worth, Texas. There was this lively guy, the singer, who kept talking about "Texas this" and "Texas that" on and off through the show. I elbowed my girlfriend and said that after the show, I was gonna go talk to that guy and find out where his hometown was...

John was as friendly as anything and seemed delighted to meet a "fellow Texan." He shared a couple of funny high school experiences. He knew the area I was from though he was from across town. He signed his autograph to me "yea Texas!" (I still have that autograph.) Some newspaper shots were taken by student journalists, and I still have those too. I wasn’t involved with that, and so the fact that I have them is really an "accident."

As John rose to stardom in the 70’s, I was an avid fan; saw several of his concerts. Seeing him brought back a lot of weird memories. At one point, we had lived close to the flight pattern of Carswell AFB, and it makes me feel odd to think his dad was probably flying some of those planes. These memories warmed my heart. At 8, Texas seemed larger that life already!! The memories get all jumbled up with those I have of the early days of the space program, etc. etc. etc. To be in Texas in those days........

Like John’s, my family moved often. We weren’t in the military, but as a kid, I went to 6 schools in 3 states. I knew what it was to be new on the block, especially with a Texas accent!! When I read his book later on, I could really identify with that part of life.

As time went on, I "grew up" with him. As the 70’s moved on, environmental consciousness was in us all, and there he was singing "Eagle and the Hawk", or riding horseback in Alaska. I dreamed of going there too, and actually did, about 9 years later! I visited Colorado, shot lots of photos, and painted several paintings of the Rockies - even painted one of John in his cowboy hat! I made a fall slide show, and used his fall selection of the "Seasons Suite" as the background music. I still show the slides.

When he and Annie had trouble, my own marriage did too, and after I remarried, I heard he had done that too, and in my heart I was so glad. It broke my heart when I learned that that relationship also broke up. How could that be? But then I do understand...it happens. Life isn’t easy.

I’ve read his book over and over and I understand the problems he had with his father. I had problems like that too. And then, like John, I lost my dad.

For several years I just wanted to write - to say hi - say how much I enjoyed the book....you know I never did write that letter. I figured - yeah right---people probably fight with each other over who is taking care of John Denver. I figured that that bit of encouragement, or good will, or fan admiration, or just plain hello could come from anyone...maybe he wouldn’t remember me anyhow.......

It is said that singers touch our hearts, reach out and capture us right in our own living rooms, just with their music, and a sort of "relationship-feeling" develops.

I’m not a nut. I’m an educated, professional person with a serious job, a son, a marriage, and a life. I sing in my church, and say a prayer for John and his mom whenever I think of them. Today I have a lifelong love of birds and a reverence for the outdoors that I can’t help but believe that John’s presence and music contributed to. And things like that return again and again.

I guess this teaches me that if I feel the leaning to encourage, to say hi, to reach out to someone ... that I best not procrastinate but to just do it. Make the time to share the feeling.

I’ll never forget John. I look at the pictures, read the book, look at his autograph, and of course, play the tapes and records. I’ll be driving down the road and sing to myself: "We didn’t know who we were, we didn’t know what we did; we were just on the road..." The good memories will live on to connect with other events in our lives and produce more good memories, and we can share them with those who are around us, just the way John shared "Back Home Again."

Love, Carol Cooley

Carol Cooley 1966 and John signing autographs

TAKE ME HOME SKYWAY ROADS

Almost heaven, California
Cascade mountains
Sacramento River
Life is old there, older than the trees
younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze
chorus-

Skyway roads, take me home
to the place, where I belong
California, golden mama
take me home, skyway roads
All my memories, gather round her,
sailor’s lady, neighbor to blue water
Light and golden, painted on the sky
miss the smell of salt air
teardrop in my eye

chorus

I hear her voice in the morning hours she calls me
radio reminds me of my home far away
flying through the clouds I get a feeling that I should have been there yesterday
yesterday

chorus

I first heard John Denver sing on a car radio while I was on vacation in Virginia in July of 1971. At first he was just another great voice singing a pretty song "Country Roads." As the years went by and I got to know John through his music, I realized what a precious gift he was from God. His wonderful words changed my way of thinking about the world, helped me to be more compassionate towards other people, and taught me that I am a special person too, in my own way. He helped me to see the beauty in everything around me, from something as small as a blade of grass, to the vastness of the ocean.

I will miss John every day of my life. My only regret is that I never had the chance to meet and talk with him. Every morning when I awake and every night before I fall asleep, I say this prayer for his beautiful soul: "Dear God, I pray for my beloved friend, John, in the hopes that he is at peace and living in the mountains of heaven."

Dear John, you are more special than you ever realized and there are millions who love you and still deeply mourn your loss. But I know that you are still with us and taking care of us. Please be at peace, my dear friend.

With love, Georgianne