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Nov 28, 2009, 3:46pm

Starwood - The Spirit of John Denver :: Singer, Lyricist, Musician :: Concerts :: My first John Denver concert

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Topic: My first John Denver concert (Read 336 times)

jdspirit
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My first John Denver concert
« Thread Started on Feb 2, 2007, 6:16am »

I'm going to come back later to add so much more to this, but here's just a wee bit of my first JD concert.

It was in Biloxi, MS, and I was 16 years old. Unfortunately, I don't remember what month and year it was, only that I was 16.

I belonged to a youth group that worked the Miss. Gulf Coast Coliseum as ushers (we were compensated by things like game tickets, etc, not money).

I had a ticket to the concert, so I told my usher-friends (many of whom I went to school with), Ha ha, I'm going to be there as a ticket-holder, not ushering!

The following day, at school, I met up with my buddies who'd worked the night before as ushers at the Coliseum. The concert was on a Tuesday night.

One of my friends, after I asked him how it went for him and everyone, said, "Well, he came into the room and..."

Me: He came into the room?
Gene: Yeah, he....
Me: JOHN DENVER CAME INTO THE ROOM??
Gene: Yes, he....
Me (screeching): JOHN DENVER CAME INTO THE ROOM??
(lol, poor Gene...) Gene: YES, he... STOP IT and LISTEN! He came into the usher room, for about ten minutes, and sat down to talk to us. He wanted to tell us what we had to do....

Needless to say, by this point I was just about literally dying. I still die inside a little, actually, still wondering which would ultimately have been better: Going as a ticket holder as I did (I was in the THIRD ROW), or ushering and actually MEETING him, but having to stand up by the exits at the top of the aisles and such, and working.

One of the things Gene told me John told them was that he didn't like people getting up and moving about while he was performing. He asked the ushers that if someone got up, such as to go to the rest room or concession stand, to not let them return to their seats until he was done singing whatever song he was singing.

I know ushers are about the lowest of the low when it comes to those putting on a concert, but Gene said John was very personable and friendly, and really TALKED to them, not just AT them, and listened to people's questions and feedback. I think that's so cool.

If I'd met him, working as an usher, I probably would've been all ga-ga and come off sounding like an idjit or something, lol!

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wildmanbill
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Re: My first John Denver concert
« Reply #1 on Mar 28, 2007, 12:07am »

I too was at the concert in Biloxi, Ms. It was a wonderful night of John in the Round! He started the night with, Take Me Home, Country Roads. He did most of his hits from his '70's albums. My favorite to this day, he played, and it is "The Eagle and The Hawk"
Sunshine on My Shoulders, along with, Starwood in Aspen were greatfully acknowledged. I remember that night so clearly... It was raining a torrent, as it does frequently in Biloxi. A thunder crash split the silence as he spoke... My sister, Nadine, along with my girlfriend, Monet', and I, had arranged beforehand that on the next crash we would count 1, 2, 3, and yell..."Far Out"!
We did,and John answered..." Yes it is!" " You folks really know how to throw a rain storm." The electricity went out a time or two and his staff turned on his own personal generators and we were treated to John with no house lights and spotlights surrounding him. The concert lasted almost 3 and a half hours.His last song of the evening was a plea to us all, as he put it..."Follow Me"! I always was a rocker, Kiss and the like, but when I got serious with my guitar, I was 13 and John Denver made me quit banging power chords and try a melody or two.
I moved from Biloxi to Florida and after being eaten up by mosquitos, I moved to Denver and then to Empire, 56 miles west of Denver. I ate watermelon and spit seeds on July 4th, and 2 hours later was throwing snowballs on Loveland Pass!
I followed John here and here I'll never leave!
Thanks John... I go to Rocky Mountain National Park and drive to the top of the world, pull out my guitar, play The Eagle and The Hawk, and I hear your voice telling me "There you go, Bill. Good Job!" John, you made me who I am... Thank You!

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