John Denver a Republican?? Wow. In many areas he is virtually my hero, but I have never (and would never) consider his pacifistic, environmentalist, socially conscious outlook to be Republican. Maybe you could expand, Mick. Maybe he was Republican in some of his economic views, but he would be largely outside the mainstream of the Republican party today.

Denver viewed himself as a "Western" singer, although he loved country music and had a couple of "Country" hits. He felt betrayed and abused by Nashville, and I think Nashville never could really grasp some of his socially conscious songs. He went one way and contemporary "country" went another. I believe John chose the wiser and better path.

If I can have my last wishes, there will be nothing sung at my funeral if it was not written and/or performed by JD. That way, if people are not sad that I'm gone, they will at least miss that someone is dead.

Like other posters above, I never really viewed Denver as a "Folkie," whatever that really is, but more as a iconoclastic artist who sang songs that had meaning and significance. Most of his body of songs have significant orchestration (which I do not typically associate with "folk" music, although it does not preclude "folk"), but I think JD was at his best with just a small ensemble of guitars, drums and a mandolin, or solo with just his 6 or 12 string guitar. I think that John got a bad rap early in his career, and then when he went through his problems with Annie and the inevitable slump in popularity he also produced some weak songs. However, some of the most beautiful, and most powerful, songs that he wrote were written toward the end of his life. I think he was on the verge of a "Renaissance." I just wish he had gone golfing with his friends instead of heading to the airport to fly his new purchase.

Freightdawg