When most people think about Colorado music, John Denver is the first name that comes to mind.
That's understandable, especially since his last name is literally the state capital and "Rocky Mountain High" is the state's co-official song (the other is "Where the Columbines Grow" for you triviaheads out there).
There's a lot more to the Colorado music scene than Mr. Denver, and that's one of the key messages the Colorado Music Hall of Fame conveys.
"We want it so that when anyone comes through the door, there will be someone they recognize," said Gene "G." Brown, director of the hall. "We don't only want to celebrate the heritage of Colorado music, but the current musical community in Colorado."
The hall of fame started in the 1stBank Center in Broomfield. But its outreach was limited, since it could only really be opened during events, Brown explained. Eventually, an agreement was reached with the City and County of Denver, and through Comfort Dental's sponsorship, the hall was able to set up a more permanent location in June at Colorado's live music epicenter --; Red Rocks.
The hall set up shop at Red Rock's Trading Post, and now is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, which allows not only concertgoers but also trail runners, exercisers and musical pilgrims to stop in and learn about the many gems in Colorado's music history.
As the first inductee in 2011, and the most recognizable name in the state's musical history, Denver gets pride of place, with a statue outside the trading post and a full room dedicated to memorabilia and facts about his legacy. One of his sterling achievements was performing at Red Rocks 17 times.
"Instead of trying to set up some kind of hierarchical induction program, we thought it would be better to induct peer groups," Brown said. "We've turned the induction ceremonies into events unto themselves, and we get contemporary musicians to fill the gaps in some of these lineups."
So far, inductee eras include the '60s, which included artists like the Astronauts and Flash Cadillac; the folk-rock scene of the '70s, including Judy Collins, Poco and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; and early promotors Barry Fey and Harry Tuft.
The 2016 inductees, announced Jan. 26, focus on Colorado's jazz scene. Glenn Miller, Paul Whiteman, Lannie Garrett, Max Morath, Billy Murray and Elizabeth Spencer will all be inducted in April.
The hope is to soon move on to more contemporary musical figures, Brown said, which could include everyone from Big Head Todd and the Monsters to The Fray and Pretty Lights.
As someone who has been immersed in the musical scene for years, both as a fan and writer for , Brown is a veritable fount of knowledge, and he has stories and tidbits about every musical figure.
Walking through the hall, he points out facts like how the Astronauts were bigger than The Beach Boys in Japan, or that the Eagles were such acolytes of Poco's sound they lifted the band's bass player --; twice.
But his best stories are the personal ones he's seen and heard firsthand.
Brown tells a beautiful story about local supergroup Sugarloaf's induction in 2012. At the time, vocalist and keyboardist Jerry Corbetta was battling dementia, and wasn't expected to play at the ceremony. Because of a little miscommunication, he ended up on stage and in front of his keyboard for the band's last number. As Brown recalls, at first Corbetta was just playing some basic chords, but before long, his fingers began flying over the keys like he was Beethoven.
"I still get choked up thinking about it," Brown said. "He didn't know where he was, but he knew when he put his hands on his instrument."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Colorado-Music-Hall-of-Fame-highlights-states-varied-scenes,206366?branding=15
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