Twenty-seven-year-old John Henry Deutschendorf, inspired by an unexpected natural phenomenon, composed a song that not only became an international hit, but Colorado’s second official state song. By that time in 1973, he had adopted the name of his favorite city – Denver.  

Yes, John Denver, while camping with friends and his wife, Annie, one starless, moonless night beside a mountain lake outside Aspen, was treated to a Perseid meteor shower and as featured in the lyrics, he indeed “. . . saw fire in the sky.” The awesome sight aroused the creative spirit in Denver, and the result was the immensely popular anthem to the inspirational beauty of Colorado, “Rocky Mountain High,” whose fiery lyrics made their way into the refrain.

The song was first performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater in 1972 and became a part of Denver’s repertoire that reached Billboard’s Top Ten. Although wildly popular, his tribute to the beauty of nature was not without controversy. Some interpreted the line “Rocky Mountain High” to be a drug reference, and many radio stations banned it from being played on air. Denver asserted emphatically that it was a “natural high” he was referring to. In March of 1973, the Colorado state legislature designated the piece as a second state song. 

Denver wrote other songs relating to Colorado. “Annie’s Song” (“You Fill Up My Senses”) was an ode to his then wife, Annie Martell. Another was “I Guess I’d Rather be in Colorado.” Tragically, John Denver died in 1997 when an aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Pacific Ocean. His Centennial State legacy lives on through his timeless music. 

• Colorado’s other state song is “Where the Columbines Grow?” It was first designated by the Colorado General Assembly in 1915. 
• The Telluride airport, at an elevation of 9,078 feet, is the highest commercial airport in the United States? 
• Fear not! Coloradans long living in fear of prosecution for tearing a label from a pillow or mattress need not! The Colorado legislature passed a law making it legal in 2022.