麻豆影院

Laury Wolfe remembers the day in 1943 legendary big band leader Glenn Miller (A&S ex鈥�26, HonDocHum鈥�84) visited his family鈥檚 home in Denver.

Wolfe was about three years old and Miller was his uncle. Wolfe鈥檚 mother, Irene, had warned the children to leave the musician alone. Instead, they hid in the bushes and sprang out when he arrived.

鈥�'Irene, these are the kids who make me who I am,鈥欌�� the bandleader said, according to Wolfe.

Miller, who attended CU-麻豆影院 for three semesters in the 1920s before earning fame as an entertainer in the 1940s, helps make CU-麻豆影院 history, and Colorado鈥檚, what it is: rich.

On Saturday, April 16 Miller joined the three-year-old Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF) at a musical ceremony聽in, appropriately enough, CU-麻豆影院鈥檚 Glenn Miller Ballroom.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud of this,鈥� Chuck Morris, chairman of the Hall of Fame, said of Miller鈥檚 imminent induction. 鈥淭o me, the greatest musicians in the history of the state are John Denver and Glenn Miller.鈥�

The聽induction concert on campus, produced by the CU Program Council and AEG Live, featured performances by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and fellow inductee Lannie Garrett. Other artists who joined the hall this year included Paul Whiteman, Max Morath, Billy Murray and Elizabeth Spencer.

In 1942 Miller earned the first gold record awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America for his song 鈥淐hattanooga Choo Choo,鈥� which sold more than one million copies.

Soon afterward the musician, arranger and composer enlisted in the military and founded the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band, which played more than 800 performances in England in one year alone.

In 1944, a plane carrying him to a performance in Paris disappeared over the English Channel. He was never found.

Miller was awarded the Bronze Star in 1945. In 1984 CU-麻豆影院 awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Miller's nephew Wolfe, now a 麻豆影院 resident, was on hand for the conferral of his uncle鈥檚 latest honor.

鈥淚 actually have a picture of him holding me,鈥� he said.聽

Additional reporting聽by Anja Semanco (惭闯辞耻谤鈥�17)

Photo courtesy CU Heritage Center