John Denver was an American singer-songwriter and musician born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in 1943, best known for his folk-pop music and environmental activism. He achieved major success in the 1970s with hit songs like "Rocky Mountain High," "Annie's Song," and "Sunshine on My Shoulders," becoming one of the best-selling music artists of that decade. Denver was also an accomplished guitarist, actor, and humanitarian who died in a plane crash in 1997.