John Denver Wrote ‘Annie’s Song’ in Just 10 Minutes While Riding on an Aspen Ski Lift
It is probably the most iconic love song in all of country music. ‘Annie’s Song’ by John Denver has warmed hearts and souls for almost 50 years. It is amazing to think that such a cultural song could have been written in a mere 10 minutes and on a ski lift, no less.
John Denver found his home in Aspen, Colorado
John Denver was born on Dec. 31, 1943, into an Air Force family, according to IMDb. His father was an Air Force officer and moved his family around quite a bit. While in Tucson, Arizona, Denver’s grandmother gave him his first guitar. That guitar would be instrumental in helping Denver meet new people as he came to new towns and schools.
After Denver graduated high school, he moved to California and started performing in Leadbetter’s nightclub. His music career took off when he was selected to replace Chad Mitchell in The Chad Mitchell Trio. Denver stayed with The Chad Mitchell Trio until he decided to strike out on his own. Denver was a top-selling artist between 1969 to 1975, with 1975 being his peak year. He was awarded the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year in 1975. Denver dipped into acting with a few appearances in movies and TV shows. Record sales began to decline after that, but he started to fill his time with political activism, specifically environmental issues.
In 1966, Denver performed at the Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, with The Chad Mitchell Trio when he spotted a pretty sophomore in the Student Union. That pretty sophomore was Ann Martell, a.k.a. Annie, according to People. She said about their meeting, “I wore blue jeans, lumberjack shirt, and penny loafers. John later told me he fell in love on the spot.” It would still take a year before their first date, and the pair would marry in 1967.
Denver first visited Aspen, Colorado, while dating Annie and instantly fell in love. The couple made an offer on a lot three years later. Denver recounts, “There was nothing we could afford…This guy said, ‘Let me show you some lots.’ And he took us up on the hill there. There was lots of snow and it was near evening. Annie and I held hands and said, ‘We’ll take it.’ We had found our home. It’s as simple as that.” After Denver’s song, “Country Roads,” was a resounding success in 1971, they could finally afford the land and build their dream home.
Denver wrote ‘Annie’s Song’ on a ski lift
John Denver’s success was hard on Annie Martell. Superstardom can be hard on any marriage. The pressures of recording and performing eventually lead to the couple separating. The separation wasn’t long, lasting only six days, but it was tough on both of them.
According to Stereogum, Denver was out skiing during the separation, feeling overwhelmed by all the nature around him. All that nature made him think of his wife. It only took him 10 minutes to write “Annie’s Song” while riding on a ski lift.
According to Song Facts, Denver wrote, “Suddenly, I’m hypersensitive to how beautiful everything is. All of these things filled up my senses, and when I said this to myself unbidden images came one after the other. All of the pictures merged and I was left with Annie. That song was the embodiment of the love I felt at that time.”
Denver’s marriage to Annie was not easy. One problem was Denver’s inability to father children. However, that did not stop the couple from wanting children. They adopted Zachary John and Anna Kate. About his children, Denver said, “How did we ever live without those little children? We were always meant to be together, It enhances everything.”
John Denver divorced twice
According to People, In 1982, Annie Martell asked for a divorce from John Denver on their 15th wedding anniversary. It was hard on both of them.
Denver did go on to marry Cassandra Delaney in 1988 after dating for a couple of years. Delaney was 18 years younger than Denver. Denver and Delaney shared a daughter named Jesse Belle. They divorced in 1993.
The New York Times reports that Denver died on Oct. 12, 1997, in Monterey Bay, California. Denver was a licensed pilot. On the day of his death, he was alone in a light, single-engine, two-seat fiberglass airplane that he built himself. It is reported that he was about 100 yards off the coast of Pacific Grove at an altitude of approximately 500 feet. Eyewitnesses said the engine stopped, and the plane fell directly into the water. Denver was identified based on his fingerprints.
