A classically trained violinist and composer raised in Boulder, George Morrison Sr. pioneered one of Colorado’s first jazz orchestras, achieved international renown by the mid-1920s and was a kingmaker of talent in his music community.

George Morrison Sr.

John supervised Caribou and the staggering list of stars that recorded at the historic studio north of Nederland.

John Carsello

birthdays

A symposium at Fiske Planetarium convened members of Spontanuity, whose psychedelic light show provided visual background for the Dead’s 1969 concert in Boulder.

Grateful Dead/Spontanuity

For more than 25 years, photographer Garrett Hacking has captured the personalities and emotions of musicians at concerts across Colorado. He selected some of his favorite images exclusively for Colorado Music Experience.

B.B. King, Buell Theatre, 2008
Duncan Sheik, 1997

The hit “Barely Breathing” made an unlikely pop star out of Duncan Sheik, who went on to compose the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening. He died September 17, 2026, at age 56.

Elizabeth Spencer

The youngest of four children, Elizabeth Spencer was born Elizabeth Dickerson on April 12, 1871; her father died eight months later. In 1874, her mother remarried to Col. William Gilpin, who had served as the first governor of the Territory of Colorado in 1861. The family moved to Denver, where Spencer received vocal training and learned to sing, recite stories and poetry, and play piano and violin. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy and, after going on an extensive European tour, married Otis Spencer, an attorney.

Brent Rowan

Brent Rowan
Brent Rowan, a graduate of Arvada High School, became a premier session guitarist who supported Nashville's biggest stars, playing guitar on more than 10,000 sessions.

On Record Book Series

On Record book series

Each volume of the award-winning On Record series gathers over 200 limited and extraordinary images and 100 interview-based profiles spotlighting an array of musical artists.

merch

merchandise

Explore the Colorado Music Experience’s store, stocked with stylish products and gifts for music fans.

hosted by g. brown

A non-profit organization established to preserve the legacies of Colorado music, CoME serves as a repository for informational and archival resources.

Jon Rizzi, G. Brown, Mark Zaremba and Chip Garofalo