Who wrote the song "Babe I Hate to Go"?

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording "John Denver Sings". Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave them out as presents for Christmas of that year. Denver's then-producer Milt Okun convinced him to change the title; it was renamed "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1967.

In 1969, folk group Peter, Paul and Mary's version hit number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100, their most successful single. It also reached number one in Canada and number two in the United Kingdom. That same year, Denver recorded the song for his debut studio album, "Rhymes & Reasons", and it was released as a single in October 1969 but didn't chart.

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American country and folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the best selling artists in that decade.

Denver died on the afternoon of October 12, 1997, when his light homebuilt aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California. He was the plane's only occupant. The post-crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the leading cause of the crash was Denver's inability to switch fuel tanks during flight.