DISGRACELAND: "John Denver: A Folk Singer, a Sniper and America’s Darkest Day"

Podcast: DISGRACELAND, Double Elvis Productions
Host: Jake Brennan
Air Date: April 1, 2020

Episode Overview

This special, tongue-in-cheek April Fool’s edition of DISGRACELAND explores a wild, fictional rumor: that John Denver—America’s gentle, peace-loving folk singer—was secretly a military sniper and a pivotal figure in one of the nation's darkest historical events: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Through a blend of dramatized narrative, music history, and playful conspiracy, host Jake Brennan skillfully weaves together fact, fiction, and satire, all the while winking at the listener.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Legend and The "Rumor"

• Opening Statement: The episode kicks off with Brennan signaling his intention to dive into the kind of stories that get glossed over in biopics and legacy media, focusing on the wildest of music rumors.
• Myth Introduction: Brennan introduces the central, outlandish claim—John Denver as not just a folk icon, but also a prolific sniper possibly involved in the JFK assassination.

  "John Denver, one of the biggest mainstream stars of the 1970s...was in fact one of the American military’s most prolific snipers, a veritable kill machine and quite possibly at the center of one of our country’s darkest days." (03:36)

2. Roots and Early Days

• Denver’s Beginnings: The narrative places a young John Denver (né Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.) at the heart of LA's 1960s folk scene, highlighting how he stood out for his wholesome, non-edgy demeanor.
• The Byrds Encounter: A dramatized scene at Ledbetter’s club features David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Gene Clark debating Denver’s suitability for their proto-Byrds group, showcasing Denver’s gentle, out-of-place persona.

  “There was something so appealing, so safe about him, you wanted to put him in your pocket and take him home with you.” (05:00)

3. The Sniper Origin Story

• Fantastical Flashbacks: Through surreal, dream-like sequences, Brennan weaves a parallel skillset for Denver—a preternatural marksmanship developed under the guidance of his stern Air Force father.
• Military Recruitment Fantasy: E. Howard Hunt (CIA operative, real-life Watergate figure) is depicted recruiting Denver for a clandestine sniper program, complete with LSD mind-control experimentation.

  "The kid could hit milk bottles off logs at 500 yards...and the coup de grace was the blindfold." (31:09) "If you gave blacked out catatonics a controlled dosage of lysergic acid diethylamide...then the catatonic’s repetitive motions could be controlled by another party’s command." (31:11)

4. The Lost Years and Reinvention

• Memory Holes and Guilt: Denver’s military service is wiped from public record by his hard-nosed manager, Jerry Weintraub. The false image of Denver as a peaceful, draft-evading artist is shown to be a PR construct.

  "Jerry Weintraub had John's record completely expunged, concocting some fugazi story...that John was marked 4F due to his flat feet." (43:36)

• Haunted by (Fake) Trauma: Allegorical dreams and blackouts plague Denver, hinting at both his real-life struggles and the fictional sniper backstory. The narrative purposefully conflates Denver’s real emotional struggles with satirical pathos.

5. The JFK Assassination Conspiracy

• Culmination of Absurdity: The episode builds to the ultimate reveal: Denver, under mind control and compartmentalized guilt, was the "third shooter" atop the overpass at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, pulling the fatal trigger that killed JFK.

  "...the actual shooter...fired the kill shot from the top of the overpass at Dealey Plaza. The one that hit Kennedy’s head straight on...Jerry’s guy even gave him the third shooter’s name. Deutschendorf...John Denver nearly dropped his drink." (54:32–55:31)

• The Satirical Reveal: As Denver recognizes his own identity as the assassin, the entire narrative structure is revealed as a purposeful April Fool’s spoof—exaggerating and satirizing the conspiratorial, myth-making tendencies of both music and American history enthusiasts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Satire and Deadpan Delivery

• On John Denver’s personality:

  "He wasn’t special, but still you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. There was something so appealing, so safe about him, you wanted to put him in your pocket and take him home with you." (05:00)

• Introducing the Absurd Military Plot:

  "John Denver...was in fact one of the American military's most prolific snipers, a veritable kill machine and quite possibly at the center of one of our country's darkest days." (03:36)

• Peak Surrealism:

  "He could shoot a straw off a camel’s back at a thousand yards. He could shoot a gnat at the end of a country mile." (14:26)

• Conspiracy Satire at Full Speed:

  "It said so right there in those documents that Jerry was talking about...The name Deutschendorf spiraled from Jerry’s lips to John’s ears, it was like all the interior parts of a combination lock falling into place." (62:14)

• April Fool’s Admission:

  "John Denver and the long, totally false rumor that he was one of Vietnam’s most prolific snipers has been a myth forever that I’ve wanted to mess with, and I was happy to do so in this episode. Okay, of course, again, totally not true. And neither obviously is his involvement of any kind in the JFK assassination. It is all, as I said at the introduction to this episode, satirical. I hope it got you." (65:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Theme Statement: 03:19 – 05:36
• Early Folk Scene & Byrds Encounter: 05:36 – 11:36
• Military/Marksmanship Origins & Surreal Sequence: 11:36 – 19:00
• National Stardom, Dreams, & Personal Demons: 19:00 – 26:45
• CIA Recruitment & LSD Mind-Control Satire: 30:59 – 43:36
• Manager Jerry Weintraub & Myth-Making: 43:36 – 48:18
• JFK Assassination Conspiracy Spoof Unfolds: 48:18 – 61:47
• Satirical Secret Reveal, Legacy, and Close: 61:47 – 65:11
• April Fool’s Disclaimer: 65:11 – 66:18

Structuring the Parody: How the Episode Works

• Scripted Satire: The episode is a masterclass in genre-bending—blending documentary-style narration with fever-dreamish fictional vignettes and dry wit.
• Mounting Absurdity: Each act escalates Denver’s fictitious double life, from hesitant folksinger to CIA-manipulated assassin.
• Foreshadowed Hoax: Even as the story wends its way toward utter preposterousness, Brennan maintains an earnest delivery, only revealing at the very end that it’s all an elaborate April Fool’s satire.

Overall Tone and Takeaways

DISGRACELAND’s John Denver “sniper” episode is both a hilarious send-up to the rumor-mongering ethos of rock history and a gentle poke at America’s obsession with conspiracy theories. Brennan’s writing is sharp, absurd, and reverent, always aware of Denver’s genuine warmth and talent, even as he spins the wildest of tales.

For Listeners:
Even if you haven’t heard the episode, this summary gives you a clear sense of the episode’s plot, humor, and satirical approach—reminding us all to check the date before believing any story that sounds a little too wild to be true.