<p>Ken Dravis: </p>
... <p>Ken Dravis: </p>
<p> </p>
<p>During Ken's early years, his step-father saw something musical in him. <em>“My dad could play just about anything laying around. He began showing me the first steps on his guitar"</em>. That was the beginning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At 16, Ken still recalls the first time he heard John Denver’s, “Annie’s Song” on the radio. He felt an instant connection with John's music. He said that he <em>“loved what John was writing and saying in his songs. I connected with every lyric and I learned to play each song the best I could.”</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>After high school, Ken packed his dirt bike and guitar into his ’76 Dodge van and headed west to Colorado. Within days, he was singing at bars and restaurants in Colorado Springs to make a few dollars. But the higher mountains were calling to him. Again on the move, Ken settled into the Roaring Fork Valley between Basalt and Glenwood Springs for the next few years. He continued to write and perform in the area and also worked as a coal miner near the town of Carbondale.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At 20 years of age and completely by great fortune, Ken had the opportunity to finally meet John Denver in person. He was offered a position as a security guard where John lived. During late nights, Ken continued to work on the songs that he was writing. After two years. Ken felt comfortable enough around John to bring his music to the star.<em> "We had a long talk one afternoon and one which I will never forget. I’m still humbled & grateful that John even took the time to sit and listen to my music let alone taking the time to critique my work and encourage me.”</em></p>
<p>With John's urging to continue with his obvious passion, Ken left Aspen Colorado to perform nearly full-time over the next six years. As a singer/songwriter, his travels took him to venues across Colorado, Texas & Louisiana. Ken kept in with his new friend touch until his tragic end in 1997.</p>
<p><em>“I always loved John’s music. After his death, I wanted to release my personal tribute to John and the man he was.”</em> In 1998, Ken released, <span>Rocky Mountain Memories</span><em>, </em>a 10 song collection of some of Denver’s hits. The album ends with the touching, <span>It Wasn’t My Time</span>, a Dravis original. <em>“This song found the words to put to my feelings which took me six weeks to come to terms with. Someone finally said the magic words, “it was just John's time to die”. When I heard those words I found what my own devastated heart was saying. It may have been John's time to die, but it wasn't my time to lose him.” </em>Dravis solemnly recalls.</p>
<p>“It is because of my Dad (a private pilot) and John that I have pursued my own love for music and aviation. I’ve even found a way to combine these two passions. Over the years, I have composed, recorded, and released 3 albums all about the fun, thrill, and excitement of flying”. </p>
<p>Ken’s aviation-related music has found its way to pilots all across the US, and around the world. <em>“Some of my songs have been featured on videos, used by aerobatic pilots during their routines, as music beds for commercials and background music during numerous aviation events. These songs have opened doors for me to perform from New England to the mid-west, and from Alaska to Florida. I’ve had the great opportunity to perform among a couple of largest airshows in the world including Sun-N-Fun in Florida and of course, the Oshkosh Air Show in Wisconsin.”</em></p>
<p>In 2004, Ken released an original country CD project, Never Felt Better.<em> “I've always wanted to record and produce an all-original project ranging from ballads to Kickin’-Country."</em> Ken was joined by ex-Doobie Brother's drummer, Chet McCracken, and also by John Sommers, a long-time John Denver band member. (John Sommers penned, Thank God I'm A Country Boy, In The Grand Way, River Of Love, and others. </p>
<p>After the release of his <span>Never Felt Better</span> album, can begin building his lifelong dream, a state-of-the-art recording studio. Aspen Leaf Recording became the go-to recording studio in western Colorado for the next 14 years. <em>“I had the great opportunity to work with and produce over 60 full albums at AspenLeaf.”</em></p>
<p>In 2015, Ken hooked up with some of the A-players from Nashville to record his second tribute to Denver entitled, <span>Rocky Mountain High: In The Spirit Of John Denver. </span></p>
<p>Ken’s next release came about in 2017. <span>A Season Of Jenny.</span> Each original track was written as a tribute to the new love in his life and for the woman he would marry in 2020. </p>
<p>Dravis then released his next album in 2019. <span>More, which</span> contains 15 songs, most of which were written or co-written by Ken. As with, <span>A Season Of Jenny</span>, many of the songs on this new album were written for his bride-to-be. </p>
<p>Ken and Allison finally married in the spring of 2020. They left Colorado and purchased a home in the hills of West Virginia. Just a year later, they embarked on an adventure of a lifetime. With backpacks loaded and secure, the newlyweds set foot on the Appalachian Trail in March of 2021, and by December, they successfully completed all 2,193 miles of the trail within 9 months. </p>
<p>In addition to Ken’s music career, he is a published author, a studio engineer, and still flies aircraft.</p>
<p><em>“For 14 years, I flew as a captain for the world's largest fractional aviation company. I’m currently a type-rated Citation aircraft captain flying for several corporations”.</em> It’s obvious that nothing keeps Ken tied to the ground or lets the grass grow under his feet. He and Allison are preparing to break ground on their new state-of-the-art recording studio, Aspen Leaf Recording (East).</p>
