"Show some respect" Aspen Times Letter to Editor by Barney Wyckoff-3/19/02
Kimberly
it,...ah-hum, interesting.
Aspen Times
March 19, 2002
Letters to the Editor
Show some respect
The recent attention being paid to Hal Thau has been met with great
amusement
by the many people who worked with John Denver over the course of his
career.
I would think that a respected periodical like Aspen Magazine or the
equally
respected Aspen Historical Society would have done a minimal amount of
research before aiding the incredibly unashamed self-grandization of one of
so little consequence.
Most of the people employed by John Denver were well aware of the fact that
Hal Thau was nothing more than John's accountant and had nothing to do with
his career management until 1985, when he became John's manager by default.
Can anyone remember anything great that happened for John's career after
1985?
It would be quite simple to find out the real truth concerning Hal Thau's
role in the John Denver organization, for all one would have to do is ask
any
of the scores of musicians, production staff, management and promotion
people
who worked for John.
They would eagerly tell the real story of this man who has now made himself
into the self-proclaimed genius of John Denver's career. To take advantage
of
a person's death in order to enhance a feeble career in the entertainment
business is to live a fraudulent life in its lowest form.
And for what? A chance to sell some book about yourself? Please, let's show
a
little more respect for John Denver who truly did do great things in his
lifetime.
Barney Wyckoff
Aspen
Claudia Levesque
Kimberly wrote:
Thanks, Kimberley!!!!!
Thank you, Barney, too....
Best ~ Claudia
Ladron23
"a little more respect for John Denver who truly did do great things in his
lifetime."
Peace,
Wendy
Christine Moon
was the subject header on her email!
If Barney's lurking - may I add my own "thank you, Barney!"
--
Peace,
Christine
*********************************
chri...@fojd.org.uk
www.fojd.org.uk
*********************************
"Claudia Levesque" <c...@reach.net> wrote in message
news:3C98897A...@reach.net...
SBodna
I'm confused. Why is there all this resentment toward Hal Thau. I don't know
much about him, but I was always under the impression that he was one of John's
oldest and dearest friends. Why wouldn't John or his fans be happy to see him
profit by writing a book about himself. Where's the harm? If he can sell it, I
would think, good for him.
Sandi B.
Diamondsnstones
continue to ride on John's coattails.
Christine Moon
and dearest friends.
March 21, 2002
A true friend
In reference to Barney Wyckoff's letter published March 19:
Everybody is entitled to their opinions and perspectives, and I would like
to share mine regarding the relationship between John Denver and Hal Thau.
I met John in 1966. The day before John and I were married on June 9, 1967,
I was introduced to Hal, John's business manager, and Hal's wife, Dorothy.
From the beginning until the end, John had two major business relationships:
Milt Okun, his longtime music publisher, and Hal Thau. Hal was never John's
accountant; outside accounting firms handled accounting.
Hal was John's business manager. From the moment John met Hal in the mid-’
60s, Hal became a constant source of guidance and friendship, playing many
roles over the course of John's life. When we had no money, Hal was the
source of financial loans and emotional support.
Hal always kept a steadfast and profound belief in John's talent. It was Hal
who introduced John to Jerry Weintraub, who was the catalyst for John's rise
to fame and great success in the ’70s.
When that relationship dissolved, John went through a series of managers,
agents and production personnel ... but the constant in his life was always
Hal. He was there at the beginning, the middle and, most importantly, the
end.
Hal supported John not only in his success, but also in his darkest and most
difficult times. Over the course of a 30-year relationship, I have known Hal
to be a kind person, an astute businessman and a generous contributor to
organizations in this community.
But, most of all, Hal Thau is my friend. Hal never lost faith in John, even
when John was losing faith in himself; and, to me, that's the truest
definition of a friend.
Annie Denver
Aspen
This sounds to me like she is reciting the plot of Hal's movie!
Any comment Sue?
--
Peace,
Christine
*********************************
chri...@fojd.org.uk
www.fojd.org.uk
*********************************
"SBodna" <sbo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020320184306...@mb-fc.aol.com...
Diamondsnstones
David Ladewig
"Christine Moon" <moon...@cmoon.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1016741015.18165....@news.demon.co.uk...
>......, most of all, Hal Thau is my friend. Hal never lost faith in John,
even
> when John was losing faith in himself; and, to me, that's the truest
> definition of a friend.
> Annie Denver
> Aspen
>
> This sounds to me like she is reciting the plot of Hal's movie!
>
> --
> Peace,
> Christine
Yes. I would be most appreciative and grateful to have a friend who would
say things this nice about me. I also appreciate Annie Denver shedding some
valuable insight about Mr. Thau.
David
No 8 of 9
Ron's question about the welfare of John's mother. Is she being taken care of
the way John would have wanted? Why would Ron ask this if their wasn't
something to be concerned with?
Cindy
Diamondsnstones
>Yes. I would be most appreciative and grateful to have a friend who would
>say things this nice about me. I also appreciate Annie Denver shedding some
>valuable insight about Mr. Thau.
>
>David
Pay me what 'Annie and Hal got paid for that atrocious movie and I will drudge
up something nice to say about you too DAvid but it will be most difficult.
Maybe you should throw in the proceeds from the play as well.
allthisjoy
considered John like a brother, than why didn't he come and take care of John's
mom as well. I got the impression that Ron took offense that Hal would consider
John like his brother. I could be way off base with my understanding of what he
meant and I probably am! Just thought I would throw that in.
Best,
Dot
No 8 of 9
>Hal
>considered John like a brother, than why didn't he come and take care of
>John's
>mom as well
I think he meant financially. John always made sure that his mom had a very
comfortable life. Just as any good boy would do for a mother he loved so much.
I always loved to hear John talk about his love for his mother. It was always
so sweet to hear a grown man be so respectful and loving as he was. Oh and
that birthday letter!!!! sniff...sniff.
Cindy
jke...@yahoo.com
cheek, Emma is Ron and John's mother, not Hal's. Hal's comment that he
felt JD was like a brother is not uncommon. I have a true friend who
is like a brother to me, but I would never consider his father mine.
allthisjoy <allth...@ftc-i.net> wrote in message news:<3C9AB374...@ftc-i.net>...
jke...@yahoo.com
defended Hal, I would be touched beyond compare. For all of the
comments about Annie and Hal being one, we are talking about two
people who were in JD's life longer than most anyone except JD's
immediate family.
Again, Mr. Wyckoff may have been correct in his letter (although the
excerpt from JD's autobiography shed's new light on Barney's motives),
but his letter was classless. Hal's response and Annie's defense of
Hal Thau make this impartial observer question Mr. Wyckoff's motives.
Did JD have a svengali relationship with Mr. Thau? I've never read
JD's autobiography as Claudia said JD should have never wrote it in
his frame of mind at the time. Did JD talk about Hal at all in the
book? And what were his feelings at the time for Annie? What I read in
the excerpt from the book and as Mr. Thau pointed out, it was Mr.
Wyckoff who left JD's life, not Annie or Hal.
"Christine Moon" <moon...@cmoon.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<1016741015.18165....@news.demon.co.uk>...
> From the latest Aspen times letter, it seems he is one of *Annie's* oldest
> and dearest friends.
>
> March 21, 2002
>
> A true friend
>
> In reference to Barney Wyckoff's letter published March 19:
> Everybody is entitled to their opinions and perspectives, and I would like
> to share mine regarding the relationship between John Denver and Hal Thau.
> I met John in 1966. The day before John and I were married on June 9, 1967,
> I was introduced to Hal, John's business manager, and Hal's wife, Dorothy.
> From the beginning until the end, John had two major business relationships:
> Milt Okun, his longtime music publisher, and Hal Thau. Hal was never John's
> accountant; outside accounting firms handled accounting.
> Hal was John's business manager. From the moment John met Hal in the mid-?
> 60s, Hal became a constant source of guidance and friendship, playing many
> roles over the course of John's life. When we had no money, Hal was the
> source of financial loans and emotional support.
> Hal always kept a steadfast and profound belief in John's talent. It was Hal
> who introduced John to Jerry Weintraub, who was the catalyst for John's rise
> to fame and great success in the ?70s.
Diamondsnstones
Hal rushed in and took over what should have been family matters. I think Ron
was being sarcastic rather than *tongue in cheek* and after all Hal did say he
would take care of John's mother and children, not that I believe she needs
taking care of at this time. The fact remains that Hal looks out for Hal. His
book is out and it is about 200 pages, half of them on John. And as a last
comment, The play Almost Heaven is said to be Awesome and we will all be very
pleased with it. It opened last night here in Denver.
Christine Moon
--
Peace,
Christine
*********************************
chri...@fojd.org.uk
www.fojd.org.uk
*********************************
"Diamondsnstones" <diamond...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020322152950...@mb-ca.aol.com...
Diamondsnstones
through walls. How about a plane ticket. Maybe it could be staged in Aspen
for the 5th anniversary of John's death? Actually that would be a great idea
me thinks.
No 8 of 9
>cheek, Emma is Ron and John's mother, not Hal's.
Ron was very honest in an interview back in the mid eighties about how John has
provided his family so many wonderful opportunities that might not have come
their way if it weren't for John's success. Ron is a very frank person, and
there was no denying his appreciation for all John has done for them. Riding
his coattail would not be the appropriate wording. Ron WORKED for John at many
points of John's career. Ron also has his own career (and no he's not getting
paid to run Windstar).
And it's ERMA, not Emma. But, like I said earlier, I don't think Ron was
expecting Hal to come and physically take care of Erma. That has been Ron's
concern from the get go. Every interview or chat that Ron has given, he talks
about their mother. Both sons have alwys had a great deal of love and respect
for her. It broke my heart to see her break down at the Aspen memorial (on
TV), but Ron was right there with her and comforting her.
Cindy
Christine Moon
Yes, It would be great to have it staged in Aspen in October. That was my
first thought last year when I first read about the spring performances in
Denver - why not October in Aspen? Captive audience!
--
Peace,
Christine
*********************************
chri...@fojd.org.uk
www.fojd.org.uk
*********************************
"Diamondsnstones" <diamond...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020322160912...@mb-ca.aol.com...
allthisjoy
What a wonderful thing to do for his mom. I know that she cherishes that letter.
He definitely loved his mom.
Best,
Dot
No 8 of 9 wrote:
allthisjoy
does not care for Mr. Thau for whatever reason.
No, the comment isn't unusal at all. I have said many times that my friend of 26 years is
"like my sister".
Don't forget, John and Ron's mom name is "Erma" not "Emma". Typo? <grin>
Best,
Dot
jke...@yahoo.com
> >And Ron never rode on John's coattails? And while being tongue in
> >cheek, Emma is Ron and John's mother, not Hal's.
>
> Ron was very honest in an interview back in the mid eighties about how John has
> provided his family so many wonderful opportunities that might not have come
> their way if it weren't for John's success. Ron is a very frank person, and
> there was no denying his appreciation for all John has done for them. Riding
> his coattail would not be the appropriate wording. Ron WORKED for John at many
> points of John's career. Ron also has his own career (and no he's not getting
> paid to run Windstar).
So if Hal took advantage of those opportunities and Ron took advantage
of those opportunities...why would some view both men differently? Ron
was JD's family, but Hal was apparently JD's friend for a long time.
Again, I don't know Hal. I've only seen the brief snippet of him on
the TV special after JD died. But Annie said Hal was JD's loyal
friend.
As for for Erma/Emma, typo on my part. We have our Emma and JD had his
Erma!
allthisjoy
EmmaLdy
>defended Hal, I would be touched beyond compare. For all of the
>comments about Annie and Hal being one, we are talking about two
>people who were in JD's life longer than most anyone except JD's>>
Barney was defending John.
Someone said he should have also asked Mr Thau to say what the status of his
employment was with John in Oct of 1997.
emma
EmmaLdy
For the KB's out there, I should clarify,
"status of employment in Oct 1997"
means prior to the 12th.
emma
Hal Bidlack
threads. I apologize for leaping into the middle of an ongoing
discussion. I was a friend of John Denver, and I am currently a
friend of Hal Thau (when we are together, we simply refer to one
another as "Hal the other"). I do not know Mr. Wycokoff, as my
friendships with John and Hal were as a result of my environmental
work.
I am very proud Hal Thau lets me call him fried. He is a very kind,
very warm human being. He has worked tirelessly since JD died to
support the family and John's memory. I have had the honor of being
involved in a small portion of that work, and know that Hal
consistently and quietly labors to support JD's family and his legacy.
I am very proud to be going to JD's induction into the Colo
performing arts hall of fame as Hal's guest, and look forward to the
opportunity to again tell him how much I respect him and value his
friendship. I once mentioned to John that it was fun to be able to
call him friend, and he replied "Well, Hal, say it loudly and often,
because it goes both ways." I am happy to make that same proclamation
today for my friend Hal Thau.
Hal Bidlack
Colorado Springs, CO
jke...@yahoo.com wrote in message news:<931ac3a.02032...@posting.google.com>...
David Ladewig
as the status on the 20th or 30th?
"EmmaLdy" <emm...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020325161331...@mb-ma.aol.com...
Diamondsnstones
jke...@yahoo.com
No, Emma, I reread that letter again. He is attacking Hal Thau, not
defending JD. There is no need to defend JD. Nor was there really a
need to attack Hal Thau in a public forum in the manner that Barney
did. Like I said, anyone who knows neither party personally or through
rumor could not have come through this thinking that Barney Wyckoff is
a class act. And I doubt that was the impression that Mr. Wyckoff
meant to leave.
jke...@yahoo.com
> Someone said he should have also asked Mr Thau to say what the status of his
> employment was with John in Oct of 1997.
>
> emma
You've rhetorically asked that then. So, what was Mr. Thau's status before 10/12/97?
col...@bigpond.net.au
On Wednesday, March 20, 2002 at 3:23:40 PM UTC+8, Kimberly wrote:
> A friend sent this to me tonight and I thought some of you may find
> it,...ah-hum, interesting.
>
> Aspen Times
> March 19, 2002
> Letters to the Editor
>
> Show some respect
>
> The recent attention being paid to Hal Thau has been met with great
> amusement
> by the many people who worked with John Denver over the course of his
> career.
> I would think that a respected periodical like Aspen Magazine or the
> equally
> respected Aspen Historical Society would have done a minimal amount of
> research before aiding the incredibly unashamed self-grandization of one of
> so little consequence.
> Most of the people employed by John Denver were well aware of the fact that
> Hal Thau was nothing more than John's accountant and had nothing to do with
> his career management until 1985, when he became John's manager by default.
> Can anyone remember anything great that happened for John's career after
> 1985?
> It would be quite simple to find out the real truth concerning Hal Thau's
> role in the John Denver organization, for all one would have to do is ask
> any
> of the scores of musicians, production staff, management and promotion
> people
> who worked for John.
> They would eagerly tell the real story of this man who has now made himself
> into the self-proclaimed genius of John Denver's career. To take advantage
> of
> a person's death in order to enhance a feeble career in the entertainment
> business is to live a fraudulent life in its lowest form.
> And for what? A chance to sell some book about yourself? Please, let's show
> a
> little more respect for John Denver who truly did do great things in his
> lifetime.
> Barney Wyckoff
> Aspen
cath...@gmail.com
Late newbie here, rediscovering John Denver.
Wondering.... I have the book "The Last Days of Dead Celebrities" by Mitchell Fink and it talks about John's life/death briefly.
Page 205 has Hal Thau talking about John's beautiful daughter Jesse Belle "John said the baby was his, so everyone accepted it as fact. There were never any blood tests. He just accepted the responsibility of the baby." "....he treated all his children equally. He was that kind of guy." What kind of friend writes something so derogatory about his close friend?
& the movie where Chad Lowe was directed so badly, making John look like a bumbling idiot with Annie being the beautiful wife? If Annie loved John, he wouldn't have been presented like this in this movie and Cassandra Delaney (Jesse Belle's Mum) look like some cheap random chick.
I think John's story needs to be re-written showing the truth and updates of his family and children.
John Denver is still much loved by many all over the world. I'm sure he'd be upset to know that his family have not been respected as much as they should be.
I'm also sure John must be furious and saddened to see how the world is in this day and age, what with our technology.
Cheers
Cath