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.
The independent concert promoter and landlord became a force in Denver’s live music scene, booking impressive talent into the area.
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.
The enormous impact of MTV’s revolutionary all-video format of the early 1980s transformed a slew of artists into iconic acts. Brian Brainerd’s portrait photography cemented the golden age of their appearances in Colorado.
David Clayton-Thomas, the husky-voiced lead singer for Blood, Sweat & Tears, passed away in Toronto on June 24, 2026. He was 84.
When Peter, Paul & Mary’s 1963 recording of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind" became an unofficial civil rights anthem, the identification of the folkies with the politics of progress was cemented. Though the music industry continued trying to capitalize on the folk boom, the music’s implicit and explicit politics made many major corporations nervous, and a lot of effort went into developing purveyors of well-scrubbed folk-pop like the Serendipity Singers and the New Christy Minstrels.
Brad Corrigan
Dispatch, a jam band based in the Boston area, developed a following via word-of-mouth and file-sharing in the late 1990s; drummer Brad Corrigan grew up in Littleton.
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.
merchandise
Explore the Colorado Music Experience’s store, stocked with stylish products and gifts for music fans.
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A non-profit organization established to preserve the legacies of Colorado music, CoME serves as a repository for informational and archival resources.
