June 10 won’t be the first time that guitar licks from Big Head Todd and the Monsters and vocals from Hazel Miller reverberate off the walls of Red Rocks Amphitheatre. But their return to the venue will be a special one for the longtime collaborators: The blues-rock quartet and the 69-year-old R&B singer are both being inducted into the on-site Colorado Music Hall of Fame that night. Ahead of their show/ceremony, we asked the honorees to chart their vaunted careers.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Big Head Todd performing at Red Rocks. Photograph by Jenise Jensen Photography
  • Years Active: 37
  • Albums: 20

Origin Story

High school friends and founding members Todd Park Mohr, Brian Nevin, and Rob Squires formed the band in 1986 while attending the University of Colorado Boulder and set out to tour the country in the Colonel, their yellow 1977 Plymouth van. In 2004, they added keyboardist Jeremy Lawton.

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Bona Fides

The group has had five top 100 singles on Billboard’s rock charts and one platinum-selling album, Sister Sweetly.

Most Memorable Performance

“Our first show at Red Rocks in 1991 was a blues fest featuring B.B. King and Albert Collins. I ended up being invited to sit in with Albert. We ended up friends, which itself was a great honor.” —Mohr

Favorite Touring Partner

“By a mile, Robert Plant. He was touring for his Fate of Nations album and invited us to join him. All of us are Led Zeppelin devotees, and Robert Plant is, after all, a rock god. He was very gentlemanly and fun, and his band was superb.” —Mohr

Biggest Feat

“You might guess that our most successful tour was in 1993 for Sister Sweetly. You would be wrong. We’re selling more tickets than ever, and we have been noticing a more diverse audience. That gratification, capped off by this nice recognition by the Colorado Music Hall of Fame alongside our dear friend Hazel Miller, makes this the best year ever for the band.” —Mohr

Hazel Miller

Hazel Miller. Seth McConnell/the Denver Post via Getty Images
  • Years Active: 54
  • Albums: 4

Origin Story

Miller was first noticed in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where she sang backup vocals for the likes of Al Green, but she landed in Denver in 1984 when her family’s U-Haul broke down during a planned move to Los Angeles. She never left.

Bona Fides

Highlights include performing at the White House for Bill Clinton and opening for James Brown and James Taylor, among others.

Most Memorable Performance

“Herbie Hancock asked me to sing with him in Kobe, Japan, sight unseen and voice unheard. I gave that performance my all, and he was smiling at me the whole time. I felt accepted and encouraged by a jazz legend.”

Favorite Touring Partner

“While I’ve traveled with my own band for decades, I’ve only toured as a member of another band with Big Head Todd and the Monsters. I’ll be forever grateful for it. They raised my recognition level—I wasn’t just another local singer anymore.”

Biggest Feat

“That I’m still singing in Colorado! Our state is a competitive market for any artist, so I’m grateful for all the support from my friends and fans. Now, I’m looking forward to my grandchildren’s futures in a business I love: One granddaughter is a fabulous singer and actress, and one grandson is studying to be a producer, engineer, and performer.”