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- John Denver's song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” was certified in the US for sales of one million copies. Although the song refers to West Virginia as “almost heaven,” Denver and co-writers Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert had never visited the state before writing it.
- John Denver’s first major hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 behind the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?”. Denver and co-writers Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert had never visited West Virginia when they wrote the song. The lyrics were inspired by postcards from West Virginia that Bill Danoff received from a friend living in the state. The song later became one of West Virginia’s state anthems.
- John Denver's eighth studio album “Back Home Again” spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. It included the hits “Annie's Song” (US #1, UK #1), “Back Home Again” (US #5), and “Thank God I'm A Country Boy” (US #1). The album was certified gold in England and triple platinum in America.
- John Denver, who was still on probation for a 1992 drunk-driving conviction, was again charged with driving under the influence after crashing his 1963 Porsche 356 into a tree near his home in Aspen, Colorado. It was his second such case within two years. The first trial ended with a hung jury, and the second trial was still pending at the time of his death on October 12, 1997.