John Denver, Judy Collins and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have for decades symbolized Colorado music, reinforcing the sense that our folk, pop and rock scenes are the foundations on which all others have built. As Colorado music diehards know, it’s just one perspective on history. That’s clear in the (CMHOF), ranging from the aforementioned to jazz great Charles Burrell (“the Jackie Robinson of classical music,” per the hall’s website), to big-band legend Glenn Miller, blues singer-songwriter Otis Taylor, surf band The Astronauts, and vocalist Dianne Reeves.
“The first nine years of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame were really focused more on celebrating the past and educating people about our music history,” said Karen Radman, executive director of the nonprofit organization, which was founded in 2011. “We’re going to continue to do those types of inductions, but our board did some soul searching after a couple of really quiet years, so this year is about expanding.” On Saturday, June 29, the CMHOF will induct its first opera honoree in the form of the Central City Opera.
The performing arts company, along with opera singers Cynthia Lawrence and Keith Miller, and the late conductor John Moriarty, represents the CMHOF’s first “destination induction,” as Central City Opera called it, and heralds a year of change for CMHOF. Its budget has jumped year-over-year since the pandemic, this year landing at roughly $400,000. Thanks to donations, services and ot.