I remember the John Denver of my childhood as a nice, gentle man with Kermit the Frog perched on his shoulder, and that's probably exactly how he'd like to be remembered. He was a man who loved the earth, flying, space travel, Muppets and free speech. Always unwavering when it came to standing up for his beliefs, he shocked the Tipper Gores of the world when he sat before the Parents Music Resource Center, not on the side of the moms who wanted to shut up the likes of Two Live Crew, but right next to Frank Zappa and Dee Synder. It was awesome.
On the negative side, I always associated him with a… well, lets just call her an unlikable teacher I had in 2nd grade. She was a John Denver nut who made us watch Oh God because he starred in it; she was also married to a professional storyteller and would make us listen to him tell stories all the time, ugh.
But it's a shame to let old memories mar the legacy of such a good person.
But what do you think?