Below are members of Johns band over the years. If you click on their
photos most of them
have links to their pages. Or the source when the information has come
from.
John Sommers has some pretty cool photos on his page. He sure is a
larrikin. More band members
coming over the next few days. The fonts used are off the
original
pages this is why they are all a bit different.
Most of the Photos are off their pages, Thank you to all of you for
the use your photos.
| Anne
Denver Vocals on "Aerie" |
David Spinozza Guitar and Electric guitar |
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| Annie
Denver, John's first wife and mother to their two children Zachary and Anna Kate sang vocals on the album "Aerie" John wrote : You fill up me senses like a night in a forest |
David
played with John in the early years. David was in the original Blues Brothers Band David was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band Between1980-1982 |
One
on-line discography lists over two hundred albums Griffin has played
keyboards on: Sixties New York pop like the Shirelles' "Tonight's the
Night," "Mama Said," and "Soldier Boy." Neil Diamond and Van Morrison's
first hits for Bert Berns. Folk rock albums by Eric Andersen, Tom Rush,
Peter, Paul & Mary's Album 1700 and Late Again ;
Judy Collins' Judith . Debut albums by John Denver and Carly
Simon. Bonnie Raitt's Streetlights . Jazz records by George
Benson, Quincy Jones, and Nina Simone. Albums by John Lennon, Yoko Ono,
Stephen Bishop and Blues Traveler. Sadly David passed away in 2000 |
Hal Blaine Drums and Percussion |
Glen D. Hardin Piano and Keyboards |
John Sommers Accoustic guitar,Banjo,Fiddle,Mandolin, and Background vocals |
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| Hal
Blaine may well be the most prolific drummer in rock and roll history.
He's certainly played on more hit records than any drummer in the rock
era, including 40 #1 singles and 150 that made the Top Ten. Eight of
the records he played on won Grammys for Record of the Year. Blaine,
who was born Harold Simon Belsky in 1929, became a professional drummer
in 1948 and joined teen idol Tommy Sands' band in the late Fifties. He
was the most in-demand session drummer in Los Angeles during the
Sixties and early Seventies, and a list of musicians he played with
reads like a who's who of popular music. DrummerWorld.com |
But Sommers never counted on John Denver to intervene in his small-town plans. Sommers, of course, knew of Denver, who was living in Aspen in the early '70s but was quickly rising to the ranks of a national musician. Sommers, though, had never met Denver when the singer showed up at a Liberty gig. Denver arrived in time to hear Liberty play “The River of Love,” a Sommers composition that was the only original tune in the band's repertoire at the time. "He came up and introduced himself and said he loved the song and wanted to record it," said Sommers. "We said, 'Yeah, sure.' That was the first conversation I had with him. |
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| Herb Pedersen Banjo,Acoustic guitar and Background Vocals |
James
Burton Electric and Acoustic guitars, Dobro |
Jerry Scheff Electric, bass |
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| Herb began his career in Berkeley, California in the early 60's playing 5 string banjo and acoustic guitar with people like David Grisman, Butch Waller, David Nelson, and Jerry Garcia. Herb has done well in adding his talents to the recordings of many folk and country music artists of today. | <>He
had established a pattern of remaining loyal over several years to
artists with whom he enjoyed working, and began to play this time with
John Denver. *** Burton quickly landed jobs as a side musician for a diverse cast including: Buffalo Springfield, the Monkees, Elvis Presley's band (from 1969 until Presley's death in 1977), Gram Parsons, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, John Denver, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard (with the latter two he was an important catalyst in the fine-tuning of the Bakersfield sound). VH1 |
The early eighties were spent once again rebuilding my recording career. Some of my old pals James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Jim Horn and Hal Blain had been working with John Denver for a few years. Emery Gordy had been playing bass for John and when he left, I moved in... John was a very gracious and generous person in material ways, and I worked with him on and off until 1993 |
Dick Kniss Bass, Guitar |
Steve Weisberg Electric and Acoustic guitars, Electric and Acoustic Dobros, Pedal stell guitar and Background vocals |
Emory Gordy, Jr. Bass ,Guitar |
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Born in Portland, Oregon in April of 1937, the adaptable Mister Kniss (he played almost eight years with John Denver, co-authoring John's hit "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and "The Season Suite") |
Toured with John Denver in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Worked with him on several projects up until his untimely death, and has also worked on some John Denver projects afterwards. |
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| Jim Salestrom Acoustic and High-string guitars and the Banjo |
Efrain Toro Percussion, Drums & Bongos |
Jim Horn Flute,Recorder and Saxophone |
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Jim has performed on-stage, "sat
in" or recorded with such diverse performers as Dolly Parton, John
Denver, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris, Linda
Ronstadt, Pure Prairie League, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Michael
Johnson, Ronny Cox (harmonies with Wendy Waldman), Dave Loggins, The
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,
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Efrain
Toro is one of the world's most versatile drummer/percussionist, and
his unique approach to rhythm and education is a musical revolution in
the making. His career began in his native Puerto Rico. Efrain later moved to the New England Conservatory. While in Boston, he studied drum set with Alan Dawson. He moved to Los Angeles in 1979, where he has played on countless film and TV scores. |
Horn recalls, "John Denver's
music was always a challenge for me. He enabled me
to express myself on my instruments more than with any other artist I
have ever performed or recorded with." " In 1979, John called and said he wanted to try something new in his music. He thought the flutes, recorders and saxophone would be a nice addition to his songs. From then on, I was the wind, water and birds in his music. Calypso was one of my favorite songs to play. John would turn around a give me a big smile when he heard me emulating the sounds of the ocean and the sea gulls. That was our way of communicating on stage." |
Jerry Carrigan Drums and Percussion |
Danny
Wheetman Harmonica Fiddle, Mandolin |
Guitar |
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In addition to working with top country artists,
Carrigan played on recordings by Al Hirt, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joan Baez,
Kenny Rogers, Wayne Newton and toured the world with John Denver. Working with Denver brought him together with
Grammy-winning engineer and producer, Roger Nichols. Carrigan
contributed to the development of the sound library of the Wendel Jr.
Drum Replacement Unit, a Nichols invention. |
Former John Denver band member and
Tony nominated Broadway star Dan Wheetman plays guitar, fiddle, bass,
banjo, and blues harp for Marley's Ghost. In addition, he has recorded
two solo CDs on the Sage Arts label. Sage Arts Befor Danny joined John he was in a band called "The Humaine Society" |
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| Chris Nole Piano, Synth, Organ, Accordion,Keyboards and Vocals. |
Michito Sanchez
Congas and Bongos
Percussion |
Lee Holdridge Conductor and Composer |
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| From the very first time
he laid his eyes on a piano, Chris Nole was drawn to the magnificent
instrument. Born in Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania, Chris grew up surrounded by his musical brothers in the suburban town of Mantua, New Jersey, and at the age of nine, received his first piano as a gift from his parents. In the Nole house, there was always some form or another of music happening, whether singing around the piano with high school buddies or ‘entertaining’ the tolerant neighbors with their high decibel back porch jams! |
As soon as the job ended after two years, the phone began to ring. Sanchez had already earned a sterling reputation that would employ him with local bands such as Claire Fischer, Rudy Regalado & Chevere, The L.A. Salsa Society Orchestra, Bongologic and Cecilia Noel & the Wild Clams. At the same time, he toured for eight years with John Denver alongside Elvis' rhythm section, guitarist James Burton and bassist Jerry Scheff. When he left Denver in the spring of 1990, it was to join Crosby, Stills & Nash. |
Lee Holdridge was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He spent his early years in Costa Rica, beginning music studies on the violin at the age of ten with Hugo Mariani, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. At fifteen - now determined to be a composer - he moved to Boston to finish high school and study composition with Henry Lasker. |
| Connie
Reeder Backing Vocals |
Renee Armand Backing Vocals |
Elizabeth
Lamers Backing Vocals |
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| This
retreat I’d driven her to was a favorite of mine and
my friend John Denver, who I sang and traveled with for over twenty
years John and his music was not on my radar growing up and before meeting him in the flesh his image conjured up a dorky guy with simpleton songs for a simpleton audience. At first I reluctantly told my friends about my gig with John, especially jazz musicians, but John, tall, good-looking and not dorky, soon won me over, not necessarily for his music, but for his truth, his sincerity and a genuine affection for people and nature. (Also see Roger Nichols ) |
Renee Armand has been living on her farm south of Nashville since the 80's, continuing her singing/songwriting career. Although not a performing member of the Coyote Sisters on "Women and Other Visions," she is represented as a songwriter one "The Bath," a lovely composition written with Marty. "I've recently gone back to the way I started in the 60's in San Francisco, singing jazz (my mentors were Coltrane and Carmer Macrae, and the incredible Betty Carter)... I prefer live performance, and am writting a vocal pice called "The Divine," about women's real thoughts about God...what has been left out of all religions, the things that were never said, or were known and said, but silenced or disappeared," writes Renee. "I still write poetry as the basis of all my songs and am also writing a Nashville mystery about - what else? - the music business.Renee Armand has been living on her farm south of Nashville since the 80's, continuing her singing/songwriting career. " |
The lovely Elizabeth Lamers has been a favorite
of audiences around the world. She was a featured singer on the Linda
Rondstadt "Lush Life" tours, and has toured, recorded and performed
with countless artists, ranging from Red & The Red Hots to John
Denver. Also see this URL Hi-Fi Quintet |
| Mike Crumm Back up Vocals |
Denny Brooks Guitar-Background Vocals |
Cassandra Delaney Back up Vocals |
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| In 1963, Randy Sparks decided to give up performing with the New Christy Minstrels, the folk ensemble that he'd founded two years earlier. His exit, and the decision to move group-member Barry McGuire to center-stage as his replacement as "leader" of the Christys on stage, caused singer Dolan Ellis to quit the 10-man group. After briefly trying out Doug Brookins for the spot, Sparks latched onto Gene Clark, a member of a group called the Surf Riders, and put him into the Christys. As compensation for breaking up the Surf Riders, Sparks and his manager, Jack Daley, agreed to put the other two members of Clark's old group, Jimmy Glover and Mike Crumm, into a new group that eventually came to be called the Back Porch Majority. |
John and Denny grew up playing music together, beginning in 1964. Denny was John’s background singer and guitarist from 1976 to 1986. Denny’s stories and songs of John’s recording and touring years, along with songs of those years by James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, and the like, bring a show for all ages. |
Back in Australia, Cassandra began alongside her mother, Lorraine Delaney, as the Australian counterpart to the Judds. They loved the classics of country music; Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline,Tammy Wynette, Emmylou Harris, and Roseanne Cash. |
| Other
Band Members No photo Available |
Behind the Scenes | Behind the Scenes |
| Mike Taylor- Guitar Ted Sommor- Drums Russ Savakus- Bass More band members coming over the next few days |
Jerry
Weintraub-Manager Hal Thau-Business Manager Kris O'Connor-Road Manager Tom Crum-Security Barney Wycoff-Road Manager William Regan Watson- Road Manager Steve Voudouris-Production Manager Ron Lemire - Physical Theripist/Healer and Security Mike Fitzpatrick- Stage Manager Doug Belscher-Road Manager Sal Bonafede- Management III John Clark(JJ)-Tour Co-ordinator Michael Crowley |
David Beecham-Sound Engineer Steve Matty-Monitor Mixer,Sound Technician Doug Gentile-Lighting Designer, Engineer Jim Moody-Lighting Director Phill Seaman-Lighting Technician Ernie Zeilinger- Sound Engineer Tim Tommerson-Sound Technician Howard Sinclair-Travel Consultant |
