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Most of you probably know that John Denver wrote "Annie's Song" for his wife...and although their marriage ended in divorce a few years later, Annie has confirmed that it was written during a time when they were still very much in love.
What you may not know, is that this "Great Song of 1974" was written on a ski lift!
John had just skied down a very difficult run on Aspen Mountain, and the beauty of his surroundings inspired him to think about his wife.
He wrote the song in 10 minutes!
Annie tells the rest of the story: "He got on the Ajax chair on Aspen mountain and the song just came to him. He skied down and came home and wrote it down... Initially it was a love song and it was given to me through him, and yet for him it became a bit like a prayer."
But before the song could be recorded, there was a problem: John's producer, Milt Okun, told him the song had the same melody as Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, Second Movement" and there might be a licensing problem.
So John walked over to a nearby piano, sat down, and less than an hour later, the melody had become the "Annie's Song" we remember. (There are still remnants of Tchaikovsky left over. click the link below and see if you can hear them!)
Annie's Song" became a HUGE hit...reaching #1 in the UK and Ireland, as well as #1 on the Top 40 and Adult Contemporary Charts in the US and Canada. It also made the Country Charts: #9 in the US and #3 in Canada!
"Annie's Song" by John Denver: One of his very best songs, and a "Great Song of the '70s!
Tchaikovsky:
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