John Denver’s Untimely Death
Written By Doc Eason
As you all know by now, John Denver was killed in an airplane crash on October 12, 1997. John touched so many live in so many ways that his absence is still felt. It was a death in the family for me. I treasure my memories of John. When my oldest son was born and I was in the hospital nursery, holding my newborn son, I glanced up to see John in the gazing through the window. When I got up to give him a better look, I saw tears in his eyes. Later, when Mack was about 7 years old, he had a chance to be on stage with John and sing with him as a part of the Earthbeat choir. My heart was nearly bursting. When I travel these days, one of the frequently asked questions I get on the road is “What happened to the Tower after John Denver died?”
Contrary to some rumors, John did not leave the Tower to me. In fact, he didn’t leave anything to anyone, specifically; he died without a will at all. With two ex wives and three kids, and an estate of some size, to say that it was a stinky mess was putting it mildly. Once the dust settled, the swirling mass of lawyers figured out that the Tower did not represent a hill of beans in comparison to the rest of the estate. For those of you who have read this far, you will know that when John bought the Tower, it was a gesture of largesse for his good buddies, Crow, Paul and Michael. Over the years, Crow has died, Paul has changed occupations and the only remaining member of the original partners, Michael P Shore has run the Tower for the last 15 years.
So it was decided that Michael P. should “inherit” the Tower. And that is exactly what has happened. John was never a “hands on” owner, anyway. So the Tower continues in much the same way it did when John was alive. This does not in any way diminish the fact that John is sorely missed. He was a good friend, to this day my kids still refer to him as “Uncle John.” Thankfully, he has left behind a legacy of wonderful music that can still bring me to tears. I hope this answers the question.
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