Notes On A Scandal – February 1976

Notes on a scandal…February 1976 … a glimpse back at music and celeb heritage

JOHN DENVER: “I Enjoy Hash!”

Described in Rona Barrett’s Hollywood, February 1976, the all-American boy, singer “John Denver” lately shocked the nation when he declared that he won’t get all his “highs” from the Rocky Mountains.

In a current stop by to Australia, Denver is quoted as saying, “sure, I appreciate hash, I use it. I have a great deal of exciting with the stuff.” As reported, Denver was referring to the drug “hash,” which (was stated,) is the strongest section of the cannabis plant.

“But it’s like alcoholic beverages,” he went on to reveal. “It should be managed with responsibility. You shouldn’t permit it get out of hand. You can get stoned on marijuana…but you can get significant just becoming up in the mountains. He went on to say, “I am not suggesting that little ones should to use it, I am just declaring that I use it and I never figure it’s carrying out me any damage. Everybody ought to make up their individual thoughts on that kind of point.”

The post goes on to say that his comments came as a complete shock to his legions of lovers who regarded as him one of their leading natural, homespun citizens. Immediately after his feedback ended up read around the globe, countries expressed their surprise and disappointment about the singer’s announcement. Just after a push conference on Denver’s arrival in Australia, an Australian newspaper documented that Denver’s opinions “endangered” his position in the place. The Reverend Fred Nile, director of Australia’s “Pageant of Mild,” said that he felt that Denver ought to be deported if he ongoing to smoke cannabis in Sydney: “He must be dealt with in the exact way as other pop stars caught with prescription drugs,” he stated.

The report finishes with: “the ‘clean-cut’ image Denver labored for so lots of a long time to attain appears to be like like it could be absent for good…Considerably-out!”

Background:

Just one of the world’s most effective-known and very best liked performers of the 60’s and 70’s, John Denver, gained worldwide acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. Spanning a few a long time, he acquired numerous songs awards as perfectly as honours, which includes the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Audio Award in 1993 and becoming inducted into the American Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 1963, Denver remaining house and moved to Los Angeles to be a component of the nascent California music scene. With his new dwelling came a new title. The former Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. selected the phase title John Denver, in homage to the stunning Rocky Mountain money metropolis of his residence state, Colorado. He by no means appeared back.

In no time Denver was climbing the Pop charts with tracks like “Get me Household, Region Roadways,” “Rocky Mountain Superior,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m A Nation Boy,” and “Calypso.” These Pop-hits, (modern qualifications music for the geriatric crowd) cemented his place as one of the decade’s leading pop stars. During his peak, gross sales involved 14 gold, and 8 platinum albums in the U.S. as perfectly as several gold and platinum sales overseas.

On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Very long-EZ plane he was piloting ran out of gasoline just off the coast of California – although the experimental plane is made for fuel-productive extended variety flight and can fly over 10 several hours and up to 1,600 miles on 52 gallons of gas (it is outfitted with a rear fuel tank which will allow a Very long-EZ to fly for 4,800 miles.) Whilst Denver was an expert pilot, he had only flown the Long-EZ for a 1-half hour orientation flight the working day before the incident.

Prior to the incident, the FAA found that Denver did not meet the health care criteria recommended in Element 67 of the Federal Aviation Polices because of to his ongoing drinking challenge, and a willpower was manufactured that he was not certified for any course of medical standards at the time of the accident. Reviews state that there was tiny left of the wreckage and that dental data have been necessary to determine the pilot as John Denver.