Colorado has ties to music and artists from every genre, ranging from big band swing to pop rock. Here are a few of the state’s notable music connections:

Glenn Miller, one of the most successful band leaders of the 1930s and 1940s big band era, moved to Fort Morgan as a teen and attended high school there. He received the first-ever gold record in 1942 for the song “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” When he spoke of home, he usually meant Colorado.

John Denver, a country and folk singer-songwriter, took his stage name in the early 1960s from Colorado’s capital city. His love for the Rocky Mountains inspired many of his songs, and he later made his home in Aspen. Denver was the first inductee to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2011.

Judy Collins, a Grammy-winning folk and pop artist, moved to Denver in 1949 as a child. She studied classical piano with
Dr. Antonia Brico, the first woman widely recognized as a leader of world-class orchestras. Collins considers Colorado her home state and still records and performs music worldwide.

U2. An almost-canceled Red Rocks concert in 1983 instead became a turning point for alternative rock band U2. The band performed live in a storm and produced an iconic video of the concert titled U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. Many fans consider it the band’s burst onto the music scene.

Hazel Miller & the Collective. A 1984 automotive mishap stopped Hazel Miller in Denver. She decided to stay. Her band blends R&B, blues, jazz, funk and more, and their music airs on national and local radio stations.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The rock band was formed in 1983 in Littleton, playing original material with a blues foundation. Sister Sweetly, their 1993 breakthrough album, went platinum, and 2026 marks more than 40 years together.

The String Cheese Incident. The jam band got together around 1993 in Crested Butte. The group helped pioneer the concept of using the internet for communicating with fans. Their sound ranges from bluegrass to jazz to styles from around the world and they have added rock and electronic touches. They frequently perform at Red Rocks.

The Fray. The alt-rock band formed in 2002 in Denver. The foundation of the band’s sound is piano-driven rock arrangements. They have two Grammy-nominated singles, “How to Save a Life” and “Over My Head (Cable Car),” and released their most recent album, A Light That Waits, earlier this year.

OneRepublic formed in 2002 in Colorado Springs. The group achieved global fame with their smash hit “Apologize” from their debut album Dreaming Out Loud (2007). From pop rock, they have expanded into orchestral rock and arena, alternative, electronic and cinematic pop. Their newest single “Pay That Toll” came out in August.

The Lumineers are an alt-folk and folk-rock band originally from Denver. Their breakthrough self-titled debut album in 2012 went triple platinum and received two Grammy nominations. Their most recent album Automatic was released in 2025.

Gerald Albright. The Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B saxophonist moved to Colorado in 2005, inspiring his album New Beginnings. During his acclaimed career, Albright has performed with artists including Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, Phil Collins and Anita Baker. He continues to record and perform internationally and serves as artistic director of the Lone Tree Arts Center’s Lone Tree Sessions, bringing jazz, R&B and blues artists to the south metro area.

For more of Colorado’s musical ties, visit the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at cmhof.org.

 

By Susan Helton; photo by Terri Wiebold