A Man of Activism
It was in the mid-‘70s that Denver became outspoken in politics. In 1977, he co-founded The Hunger Project. He expressed ecologic interests in his 1975 song Calypso – an ode to the exploration ship once used by environmental activist Jacques Cousteau. In 1976, he helped campaign for Jimmy Carter, who became one of his close friends and allies.
John Denver Country Singer 1982. Photo By Phillip Jackson/Associated Newspapers/Shutterstock
As the ‘70s came to an end, he devoted himself more to humanitarian causes like wildlife, land conservation, hunger, and helping NASA explore space. It was as though he realized that he was past his musical peak and needed to move on to bigger and more important things. Denver and his first wife, Annie Martell, lived in Edina, Minnesota, from 1968 to 1971.