It’s hard to imagine an artist other than “Rocky Mountain High” singer/songwriter John Denver as the first official inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. “He’s the most famous recording artist to ever come out of Colorado,” says Brian Schwartz, who manages Denver’s estate at Red Light Management on Santa Fe Drive (via the Denver Post). The occasion will be celebrated with a special benefit concert on April 21 at the 6,500-capacity 1stBank Center in Broomfield (via press release).

Another artist from Denver’s generation, Olivia Newton-John, will host the event, which will feature various performances—from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Lee Ann Womack to John Oates, and former Denver collaborators like Bill Danoff of the Starland Vocal Band (co-writer of “Take Me Home Country Roads”) and John Sommers (writer of “Thank You God I’m a Country Boy”). Composer Lee Holdridge will lead the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra in a tribute.

Meanwhile, Broomfield pastor Richie Furay will join a reunited Buffalo Springfield (Neil Young and Stephen Stills round out the group) to play the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival this June in Tennessee, where Boulder’s String Cheese Incident will also perform (via the Post).