Dan Fogelberg Inducted Into The Red Rocks Hall Of Fame

DENVER The Performers Hall of Fame, a much anticipated attraction inside the new Visitor Center at Red Rocks, accepted public input in 2002 on exceptional artists who have performed at the Amphitheatre since its inception in 1941. The Performers Hall of Fame is a permanent part of the Visitor Center located in the 6450 Theatre, and will pay tribute to those performers who have made musical history at Red Rocks.

The top 10 performers chosen by the fans for the initial Hall of Fame, which will debut along with the Visitor Center in April of 2003, are Santana, Sting, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Lily Pons, Dan Fogelberg, Willie Nelson, U2, Stevie Ray Vaughn and The Allman Brothers Band. One new inductee will be added each year beginning in 2003.

Fans voted on their favorite individual or group who has performed at Red Rocks via the official website of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, http://www.redrocksonline.com or through a mail-in process. To be eligible for the Performers Hall of Fame, the artist or group must have played Red Rocks a minimum of ten times or have made a major contribution, produced an album or video, or participated in a once in a lifetime experience at Red Rocks. Over 112 unique performers were submitted by fans for consideration, along with 13,255 total votes.

Most of the names in the Hall of Fame are currently familiar, however Lily Pons may be lesser known today. Pons was an amazing opera singer who logged 28 seasons of successes as Gilda, Amina, Marie ( La fille du rÈgiment), Philine ( Mignon), Olympia and, above all, LakmÈ. In 1935 she sang Rosina at Covent Garden and Gilda and Lucia at the Paris OpÈra. She sang in South America, San Francisco, Monte Carlo and Chicago, and made several films. Pons performed at Red Rocks on July 3, 1952. The history buffs and opera lovers made sure that Pons' performance at Red Rocks would not be forgotten.

Of the inductees, The Grateful Dead played the most dates at Red Rocks for a total of 25 shows. Willie Nelson was second in number of performances coming in at 23 dates. While U2 only performed at the venue once, they captured their legendary show on video. "Under A Blood Red Sky" illustrated the heart, soul and magic that embody a concert at Red Rocks. Inductee Dan Fogelberg has such an affinity for Colorado and Red Rocks that he keeps a residence in the state. "It's a genuine honor to be recognized by both the fans and by Red Rocks Amphitheatre as a Hall of Fame inductee. What makes this tribute special is that the fans take enormous pride and ownership in 'their' Red Rocks. To be part of this select group of initial inductees is to be part of the legend that personifies Red Rocks," said Fogelberg.

The Performers Hall of Fame will showcase the inductees with impressive pictorial homages, accompanied by information about the inductee and their performance(s) at Red Rocks. The Visitor Center and the Performers Hall of Fame will be open year-round. For more information, please call 303.697.6047.