QotD: Brush with Celebrity

Johndenver

1985. Talkeetna, AK. John Denver. He was there getting his float plane license; I was there with a crew doing an archaeological survey along the Susitna River. The town hangout was the Fairview Inn bar, where there was a house guitar, usually played by one of the locals for a sing-along. John D. came in, with entourage, and entertained us all with songs and shots of tequila. It was our last night in town before ending the project, so it was our kind of unofficial going away party at the bar anyway. The tequila got a bit out of hand, however. John D. got really, really drunk and had to be almost carried out eventually. As he drank, he got kind of sappy, talking about his ex-wife Annie (of Annie's song). It was one of those nights that thinking back on it, you wonder if it really happened. However, a few years ago I was in Alaska with my in-laws and husband and we stopped at the Fairview. They have a framed photo montage of "John Denver night". It includes a close-up of a shot of tequila. I am not in any of the photos, but some of my crewmates are. The thing is, John Denver had an amazing voice. Granted, we had been listening to the locals all summer, but it was utterly amazing to hear someone like that sing in close quarters to just a few people. It was kind of a surreal end to a somewhat surreal summer than involved all sorts of Alaska wilderness adventures.