Music legend Hazel Miller inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Two of Colorado’s most esteemed musical acts will be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame on June 10, as Hazel Miller along with Big Head Todd and the Monsters will be honored for their respective achievements as individuals as well as their longstanding collaborations.

Over the past four decades, Miller has earned a reputation as one of Colorado’s consummate performers, playing countless shows throughout the state including multiple stops at Red Rocks — where she and Big Head Todd will be inducted into the Hall at as part of an already-soldout show — and a recent trip to the Capitol, where she was honored with a proclamation for her contributions to the state.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

was founded in 1986 in Boulder and reached national commercial success in the 90s, particularly with their 1993 album “Sister Sweeter,” which has since been certi ed platinum.

Miller began collaborating with the Monsters in 1995 with the track “Wearing Only Flowers,” before accompanying the band on a number of tracks. eir collaboration has extended to multiple tours together, which Miller partook on until 2001 when she decided to focus on her career in Colorado.

Karen Radman, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame’s executive director, said that both acts were selected because of their impact in Colorado and beyond. e frequent collaborators, who Radman said have long been on the Hall’s shortlist, were inducted together in an e ort to keep with the Hall’s tradition of thematic induction classes.

“In the past, we’ve done larger induction class where we put together thematic induction, whether it be a genre of music, an era in Colorado music history,” Radman said. “And since we weren’t going to do a really large induction class, we really wanted to ensure we were inducting Hazel along with Big Head Todd for both their collaborations as well as their individual successes.”

Big Head Todd’s Todd Park Mohr said his band rst saw Hazel at JJ McCabes in the 80s.

“We had rst seen Hazel at JJ McCabe’s when we were students at Boulder in the ’80s,” Mohr said. “We thought she was a soul diva and she knew about music we did not. We invited her to sing on a track called ‘Wearing Only Flowers’ in 1995 but soon after she joined us a lot. We have had the pleasure of her company on many tours, shows and trips since but still maintain our separate identities. We have a close relationship beyond music and have been through a lot together over the years.”

Miller — an Arvada resident — said the collab began with ‘Wearing Only Flowers,’ but soon blossomed into a longstanding friendship.

“In the fall of ‘95, they said, ‘Well come sing on this song,’” Miller said. “A cab pulled off to my house, dropped off one CD, and left. I had a day and a half to learn this song… In 1996, I went out on tour (with Big Head Todd and the Monsters) for a month. They said, ‘Just come and see if you like it.’ And I did that till 2001, and I had a ball.”

Miller and Big Head Todd will be inducted at the Monster’s sold-out Red Rocks show on June 10.