John Denver was one of the country’s top singer-songwriters in the 1970s and was known for his political activism and humanitarian work. The star was also very interested in space travel and almost joined the ill-fated crew Challenger.
The stardom of John Denver in the seventies
Denver became a household name in the 1970s, writing hit songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “Annie’s Song”, “Leaving, On A Jet Plane”, “Rocky Mountain High” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” .
He has also starred in a series of television specials, toured around the world, and picked up Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Emmy Awards. In addition to his career in entertainment, Denver was also very interested in air and space travel.
John Denver’s love of flying and working with NASA
Denver was the son of a US Air Force officer and had always been interested in aviation. He was an experienced pilot and collector of vintage biplanes. He worked with NASA to create the Citizens in Space program and was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal in 1985.
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After facilitating the creation of “citizens in space,” Denver decided he wanted to be one of those citizens and began work to join the space shuttle Challenger crew. The singer passed the rigorous mental and physical tests required to go into space and was the lead candidate for NASA’s “First Civilian in Space” program. Denver planned to write a song while in space but was ultimately not selected to join the astronauts.
Instead, public school teacher Krista McAuliffe was chosen. Denver wasn’t the only celebrity passed over – Walter Cronkite, Geraldo Rivera, Tom Wolfe, and Big Bird were also not selected.
The tragic mission of Challenger
Denver was disappointed that he couldn’t get into space, but his disappointment soon became comforting. Challenger took off on January 28, 1986. 73 seconds after takeoff, the shuttle crashed and all seven crew members died.
The singer paid tribute to the tragedy that same year on his album, one world. Denver wrote “Flying for Me” with lyrics talking about his desire to go to space and how McAuliffe was “flying for me.”
John Denver continued to support NASA
Denver has continued to support NASA and has never given up on his dream of going into space. He even entered into discussions with the Soviet space program about paying to join one of their space missions. Talks failed after the singer-songwriter reportedly offered $20 million for the trip.
The star never reached space, but continued to collect and fly planes. This hobby eventually led to his death in 1997. While testing a small plane, Denver crashed and he died of blunt multiple trauma. He was the only passenger on board.
Millions around the world remember Denver for its musical talents, screen work, and long history of humanitarian work. He never made it to space, but Denver fans are happy to avoid the tragic Challenger mission.
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