The Colorado Music Hall of Fame will host an induction concert with performances from original members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Poco and Firefall, with a tribute to Stephen Stills/Manassas at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Paramount Theater, 1621 Glenarm Place.
Reserved seats are available beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at www.altitudetickets.com. The evening. presented by Comfort Dental, will feature video tributes, interviews with the inductees, celebrity speeches and performances featuring original members of the inducted acts and guest members of popular Colorado bands.
The pre-concert gala for VIP ticketholders (a catered meet-and-greet with the inductees) will also include a historic array of exhibits and archival photographs, to be relocated in the coming months to the CMHOF’s new home at the Trading Post at Red Rocks. Also being honored will be Chris Hillman, Richie Furay, producer Jim Mason and comedian/banjo player Steve Martin.
About the inductees:
Poco – In 1968, with Buffalo Springfield in disarray, Richie Furay and Jim Messina set about assembling a band of their own. They recruited pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young and drummer George Grantham from Böenzee Cryque, a Denver-based band. Following personnel changes, the band members – Furay, Young, Grantham, Timothy B. Schmit (later of the Eagles) and guitarist Paul Cotton—moved to Colorado in 1971. Furay, Young, Cotton, and Grantham will perform at the CMHOF event.
Firefall – The group’s blend of acoustic guitars, mellow pop melodies and vocal harmonies landed six singles on the Top 40 from 1976 through 1981. Two Firefall songs – the Top 10 “You Are the Woman” and “Just Remember I Love You” – have each been played on radio more than two million times. Firefall was founded by singer-songwriter Rick Roberts and former Zephyr guitarist Jock Bartley in the summer of 1974. The other charter members were Mark Andes (a founder of Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne), singer-songwriter Larry Burnett, multi-instrumentalist David Muse and the late Michael Clarke on drums. Bartley, Roberts, Andes, Burnett and Muse will perform at the CMHOF event.
Stephen Stills/Manassas – Searching for some peace from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1970, Stills would fly to airports in Boulder County that were close to his cabin near the town of Gold Hill, where he posed for his first solo album cover photo. He wrote many of the songs for his second solo album that winter while in Colorado; he also named his publishing company after Gold Hill. Securing the services of Chris Hillman and members of his touring band, Stills visualized a group that would bring together rock, folk, Latin, country and blues. The amalgam of players, dubbed Manassas, disbanded after two albums (the first earning a gold record) and two years of road work. Recording sessions for Stills’ next two albums took place at Caribou Ranch in Colorado.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Straddling such diverse styles as rock, folk, country and bluegrass, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s move to Colorado from Los Angeles in 1971 contributed to its rise in stature, both commercially and creatively. “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, the historic American music anthology, marked the acceptance of long-haired hippie types by country music establishment figures. In 1977, the pioneering Dirt Band became the first American group selected by the Soviet government to tour Russia. The band continues to record and tour. Original members Jeff Hanna, John McEuen, Jimmie Fadden and Bob Carpenter will perform at the CMHOF event.
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