Moving into our second decade, the Hall’s board of directors is thrilled to present the inaugural members of the newly formed, Colorado Music Hall of Fame Board Emeritus. These four individuals consist of former board members (some, even founding members!) who have contributed to the Hall of Fame’s evolution and success.
Journalism intern from University of Denver, Haley Birt, interviews our inaugural Board Emeritus:
JC Ancell
Associate Director, University Memorial Center/ Staff Advisor, CU Program Council
University of Colorado (Retired)
What motivated you to join the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“I was at the University of Colorado and the staff advisor [for the Program Council]…and [Phil Lobel, a fellow board member] convinced me… that I might be useful to the board. I had lived in Colorado my whole life…I was a music fan and involved in the music business from the university perspective….Music business and artist recognition was sort of my forte and things that I was interested in.”
What has been most rewarding about your time on the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“I was instrumental in helping to develop the material and the presentation when Wendy Kale was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I contributed to her biography, contributed some photos and personal artifacts that supported her induction into the Hall. And I was fortunate, and grateful, that I was able to actually induct her into the Hall myself.”
What is your favorite Colorado music memory?
“Being involved with hosting back-to-back Rolling Stones concerts at Folsom Stadium in 1981….It took extensive planning and a lot of precautions and programs that weren’t necessarily common at other concerts we produced….We were recognized nationwide as being two of the smoothest run rock-n-roll concerts ever so it was a big feather in our cap…. It was a great show, full success, very smooth,… [and] it was an opportunity for me to see my favorite rock-n-rollers up close and personal.”
Aaron Friedman
Vice President, Finance
AEG Presents Rocky Mountains
What motivated you to join the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“Music is a big passion of mine; [it] always has been. Before I worked for AEG Presents, I was doing lots of things in the music business, as many people in the music business do…. I had various nonprofit experience as well as the music industry passion, and because I am in finance and accounting,…I kind of recognized that I might be a good fit and volunteered.”
What has been most rewarding about your time on the board 0f Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“The most rewarding thing, I really do think, is celebrating the legacy of music in Colorado specifically. Colorado has this really rich and interesting and deep musical tradition, and both getting to explore that and learn about it, myself, and getting to celebrate it and publicize it is really the most exciting aspect.”
What is your favorite Colorado music memory?
“It’s really hard to distill down to a single favorite. You can’t not mention Red Rocks. That place just gives you the chills. I’ve been to hundreds of shows at Red Rocks, and, every time I go, I still get a feeling of it being the greatest place in the world….Going to Red Rocks is an amazing experience.”
Phil Lobel
Founder & Chairman
Lobeline Communications
What motivated you to join the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“From the moment I snuck into my first concert at the Folsom Stadium when I was a freshman in Colorado in Boulder,…my connection with Colorado music has always been a part of my life. I moved out to L.A. in 1986 to start my own PR firm but always stayed in touch with and worked with Barry Fey and Chuck Morris on various tours that I was working on. Ten years ago, when Chuck [Morris] was putting together the idea of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, I couldn’t think of a better way to renew my connection to the music of Colorado than to be one of the founding board members.”
What has been most rewarding about your time on the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“The induction of Firefall was just an incredible moment. That was probably for me personally one of the most rewarding moments of the last ten years of Colorado Music Hall of Fame-o have this band that I had a one-on-one relationship [with] in college, [and then] to see them recognized on stage and become one of the early inductees into the Hall of Fame….The other personal induction that really meant so much to me was, I had nominated Barry Fey,… who was at various times, my mentor, my boss,and in his last years, my client….So, to be able to nominate Barry Fey and to also at that time be his publicist for the book about his life was really very rewarding.”
What is your favorite Colorado music memory?
“In 1977, when Barry Fey and Chuck Morris called me about doing the first stadium show at CU, which was…FleetWood Mac along with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, the first thing I said to them was, ‘There’s no way we’re going to do this stadium show without adding Firefall onto the bill.’ So yes, Firefall played on that stadium show–61,500 people sold out, in advance…. To work so hard to get the University to change direction and allow us to book a stadium show and then to book the hottest stadium show in the country…was amazing.”
David McReynolds
President
Columbine Health Plan
What motivated you to join the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“When [Chuck Morris] first started talking about putting [Colorado Music Hall of Fame] together, I told him I would support him in any way I could. I love music as well, and I love [the] history of music and the history of the music of Colorado. So, it was an easy choice for me to join.”
What has been most rewarding about your time on the board of Colorado Music Hall of Fame?
“Being able to highlight to the public all of the bands that had history and a foundation in Colorado. Some of the bands people were aware of, the famous bands and what have you, people don’t really realize that they had roots in Colorado. So, exposing that to the general public and honoring [the inductees] for all the fine work they’ve done [was] certainly very rewarding.”
What is your favorite Colorado music memory?
“The [Colorado] Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Fiddlers Green where [Dan] Fogelberg and Joe Walsh were there. Essentially, that was one of the great pinnacles of music in Colorado…. That was a special, special night…It was one of the highlights of music events that I’ve been to.”