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Sweet Rocky Mountain paradise

AMANADA RISTspecial to the daily

It’s not uncommon to venture out into the Colorado wilderness and hear John Denver’s voice being whispered amongst the all-seeing eyes of lonely aspen. Standing on top of the world at the peak of Trail Ridge Road can make anyone experience a bona fide Rocky Mountain High. Thousands of people who visit Aspen each year have ski and snowboarding supplies strapped to the top of their car, but it’s a much different scene each fall in the sweet Rocky Mountain paradise. This year marks the 12th annual John Denver Week in Aspen.Highlights for the week include John Denver tribute concerts Oct. 9 and 10.On both nights, the Wheeler Opera house will be filled with John Denver fans from around the world.For the first time, the Windstar Foundation and the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will be the beneficiaries of both concerts, being sponsored by the Expect a Miracle Now Foundation. The concerts will feature special guest Michael Johnson, along with John Denver’s former band members and colleagues, such as: Chris Nole, Pete Huttlinger, Alan Deremo, Mack Bailey, Bill Danoff, Jim Horn, Mollie Weaver, John Sommers and others. Oct. 9 concert will also include the presentation of the John Denver Music and Humanitarian Award. Both concerts will be held at the Wheeler Opera House, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55, $75 and $125 for VIP, which includes a reception after the show. Tickets may be purchased through the Wheeler Opera House. For more information, please visit: http://www.expectamiraclenow.org.

nnual celebration at the land conservancy. The event will feature live music, a silent auction, an environmental presentation by John Fielder, a Windstar History presentation, Q & A’s with Windstar President-Ron Deutschendorf, John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth display, EARTHcamp and connections presentations. Windstar will also be inviting people to join the Windstar Foundation and become part of John’s dream of peaceful coexistence with the environment. The celebration will last from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. For more information, visit http://www.wstar.org or e-mail ComingHome@wstar.org

“He sounds exactly like me.” That’s how John Denver described John Adams after the two sang a duet of “Whispering Jesse” on national television in Adams’ native Holland. For those who are ready and willing to walk down memory lane and relive a John Denver concert, the John Adams and Friends concert is the one to see.Adams story is anything but simple, boring or common. After his duet with John Denver, the two developed a friendship that lasted years after. Among the memorable experiences together, the most vivid ones were their conversations about life, their common love for acoustic guitars and environmental awareness. After John Denver’s tragic and untimely death, Adams moved to the United States with one goal in mind: To keep the music and message of John Denver alive. For the past 38 years, Adams has performed throughout the United States, Germany, England, Belgium, Holland, and extensively throughout Colorado.At “Breck 150” at the Riverwalk Center, Adams, along with his band, brought in an attendance of 600. Throughout his concerts, Adams happily shares stories about the times he spent with John Denver.When it comes to this guy, what you see is what you get. He’s just as warm, sincere and down to earth off stage as he is on stage. As he puts it, “It’s not about me or you. It’s about me and you.” Keeping John Denver’s memory alive goes beyond the music. It’s a way of life. He is everything John Denver stood for and believed in. I’m not sure how he does it, but Adams brings the spirit of John Denver alive on stage. Concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the Wheeler Opera House at (970) 920-5770. Tickets are $35. For more information visit http://www.johnadamsmusic.com


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