Login
Login

List of people from Colorado

{{short description|List of some notable people who have lived in the U.S. State of Colorado}}

{{dynamic list|date=June 2015}}

{{use American English|date=June 2015}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}}

File:Colorado in United States.svg in the United States|alt=A map showing the location of the U.S. State of Colorado.]]

This is a list of some notable people who have lived in the U.S. state of Colorado. It includes people who were born, raised, or have significant relations with the state.

Coloradans have been prominent in many fields, including literature, entertainment, art, music, politics, and business. This list attempts to maintain biographical notability of significant Coloradans, and to organize historically important men and women hailing from Colorado.

Actors

File:Tim Allen 2012.jpg]]

File:Lon Chaney, Sr. The Miracle Man.jpg]]

File:Douglas Fairbanks Sr. - Private Life of Don Juan.jpg]]

File:Jake Lloyd.jpg (a.k.a. young Anakin Skywalker)]]

File:Hattie Mc Daniel Beulah 1948.jpg]]

Artists, photographers

Astronauts

Athletes

File:Jack Dempsey 3.jpg]]

File:GooseGossage 8 2007.JPG]]

File:Bobby Unser - 2015 Indianapolis 500 - Sarah Stierch.jpg]]

Business and community leaders

File:HoraceTabor.jpg]]

  • William Bent (lived near present-day La Junta) – with his brothers, Bent established Bent's Fort trading post; became a peace negotiator between settlers and Native Americans{{cite web | author = PBS | title = William Bent | website = PBS | url = https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/bent.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010309180402/http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/bent.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = March 9, 2001 | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Norman E. Brinker (born in Denver; died in Colorado Springs) – restaurateur responsible for new business concepts in the restaurant field, such as the salad bar
  • Margaret Brown (lived in Colorado) – socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous in the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"
  • James C. Collins (born in Boulder) – business consultant, author, and lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth
  • Adolph Coors (lived in Golden) – based in Golden, established what is now the nation's third largest brewing company; his family has been active in Colorado politics and philanthropy{{cite web | author = Rob Levine | title = Castle Rock Foundation | url = http://www.mediatransparency.org/funderprofile.php?funderID=14 | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Charles Gates Jr. (born in Denver) – longtime president of the Gates Corporation, the world's largest maker of automotive belts and hoses
  • Elliot Handler (raised in Denver) – co-founder of Mattel; helped develop some of the biggest-selling toys in American history, including Barbie dolls, Chatty Cathy, Creepy Crawlers and Hot Wheels
  • Ruth Handler (born in Denver) – businesswoman and inventor; served as the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel and is remembered for her role in designing and marketing the Barbie doll
  • Margaret Isely (1921–1997) – peace activist and co-founder of WCPA and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
  • Philip Isely (1915–2012) – peace activist, writer and co-founder of WCPA-GREN{{Cite book |last=Noel |first=Thomas J. (Thomas Jacob) |url=http://archive.org/details/coloradoillustra0000noel |title=Colorado : an illustrated history of the highest state |date=2006 |publisher=Sun Valley, Calif. : American Historical Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-892724-52-6}} and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
  • Daniel M. Lewin (born in Denver) – mathematician and entrepreneur, known for co-founding the internet company, Akamai Technologies; one of the murdered passengers on American Airlines Flight 11
  • James Smith McDonnell (1899–1980) (born in Denver) – aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
  • Otto Mears (born in Russia, lived in Silverton) – entrepreneur, financier, and railroad builder; founder of the Rio Grande Southern and the Silverton railroads
  • David Halliday Moffat (1839–1911) – banker, financier, industrialist, and inspiration for the Moffat Tunnel, the world's-longest railway tunnel upon its completion
  • Texas Jack Omohundro (lived and died in Leadville) – frontier scout, actor, and cowboy
  • General William Jackson Palmer (lived in Colorado Springs) – founder of Colorado Springs, developed the first narrow gauge railroad system, the Denver and Rio Grande, owned the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company in Pueblo{{cite web | author = The American Civil War | title = William J. Palmer – A Biographical Sketch | url = http://www.swcivilwar.com/15PalmerBiography.html | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Winfield Scott Stratton (lived in Victor and Colorado Springs) – prospector, businessman and philanthropist; became a millionaire after he discovered and developed the Independence Mine; when he died he left all of his wealth for the construction of the Myron Stratton Home, for homeless and poor people
  • Horace Tabor (lived in Leadville) – prospector, businessman, and politician{{cite web | author = Colorado State Archives | title = Colorado State Archives: Lieutenant Governors | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/offic/ltgov.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120804160349/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/offic/ltgov.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = August 4, 2012 | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Gertrude Vaile (1878–1954) – social worker
  • Stanley M. Wagner (1932–2013) – academic and longtime congregational rabbi of Beth HaMedrosh Hagodol-Beth Joseph

Literary figures

Military figures

Musicians

File:John Denver 1973.jpg]]

  • 3OH!3 (formed in Boulder) – electronica group; song "Don't Trust Me" from the album Want certified platinum by the RIAA
  • Laurie Anderson (lived in Boulder) – avant garde performer and musician, communications expert, writer
  • The Astronauts (formed in Boulder) – surf rock; first album along with the song "Baja"{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHbcU5ArqBQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/UHbcU5ArqBQ |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=THE ASTRONAUTS -"Baja" (1963)|last=MorriconeRocks|date=May 23, 2008|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} was number sixty-one in May 1963 on the Billboard 200 album chartBrown, G. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BZOKXOtOM9oC&pg=PA1960 Colorado Rocks!: A Half-Century of Music in Colorado]. p. 1,959. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  • Philip Bailey (attended East High School in Denver) – singer/musician, Earth, Wind and Fire{{cite web|url=http://www.westword.com/music/colorado-music-hall-of-fame-honors-east-high-school-jazz-greats-9711615|title=Colorado Music Hall of Fame Honors East High School|first=Jon|last=Solomon|date=November 21, 2017|website=westword.com}}
  • Ginger Baker (lived in Parker during the 1990s{{cite web|url=http://www.whereseric.com/ecfaq/biographies-other-musicians/ginger-baker-.html|access-date=20 April 2023|website=whereseric.com|title=Biographies. Other musicians. Ginger Baker}} – English drummer, member of Cream
  • Jello Biafra (real name Eric Boucher; born in Boulder; lived in Denver) – singer, songwriter, owner of Alternative Tentacles record label, member of the punk band Dead Kennedys[http://www.alternativetentacles.com/bandinfo.php?band=jello Alternative Tentacles – Bands].
  • Big Head Todd and the Monsters (formed at the University of Colorado Boulder) – rock band; two of the band's albums have reached Billboard{{'}}s Top 40 Album charts (1993, 1994), with one (Sister Sweetly) certified platinum by the RIAA{{cite web | author = MTV Networks | title = Big Head Todd & the Monsters | url = http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/big_head_todd_the_monsters/artist.jhtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020428222136/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/big_head_todd_the_monsters/artist.jhtml | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 28, 2002 | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Tommy Bolin (lived in Boulder) – guitarist of Zephyr, James Gang, and Deep Purple
  • Breathe Carolina (born and raised in Denver) – electronica/screamo group; band consists of David Schmitt, Tommy Coops, Luis Bonet, Eric Armenta
  • Antonia Brico (lived in Denver) – conductor and pianist; was conductor of the Brico Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Symphony Orchestra{{cite web|author=Marin Alsop |title=CSO more important to community than ever |url=http://www.marinalsop.com/fea_dpo.html |access-date=June 2, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511020246/http://www.marinalsop.com/fea_dpo.html |archive-date=May 11, 2006 |url-status=dead }}
  • Chris Broderick (lived in Lakewood; attended University of Denver) – lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth
  • Jesse Carmichael (born in Boulder) – keyboardist for the rock group Maroon 5
  • John Denver (real name Henry Deutschendorf Jr.; lived in Aspen) – singer, guitarist, songwriter; winner of a Grammy Award (1997) and a posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame Award (1998); inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1996); named the official Poet Laureate of the State of Colorado (1977), with his song "Rocky Mountain High", which was named as one of the state's official songs{{cite web | author = Epinions, Incorporated | title = Thank God I'm a Country Boy – John Denver | url = http://www.epinions.com/content_3874398340 | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • DeVotchKa (formed in Denver) – rock band, nominated for a Grammy Award (2006), assisted in composing and performing the score for the film Little Miss Sunshine
  • Larry Dunn (attended East High School in Denver) – musician/keyboards, Earth, Wind and Fire
  • Bryan Erickson (lives in Westminster) – singer, producer; member of the bands Velvet Acid Christ and Toxic Coma
  • R5
  • Flobots (formed in Denver) – Hip hop band known for the song "Handlebars" from their album Fight with Tools; board members on the non-profit organization Flobots.org, a community organization; Flobots.org was founded before the band attained any fame{{cite web | author = Flobots.org | title = About Flobots.org | url = http://www.flobots.org/about | access-date = October 12, 2009}}
  • The Fluid (formed in Denver) – grunge band
  • Dan Fogelberg – folk/soft rock/pop singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist; recorded material for some albums at Nederland, Colorado; built a recording studio, Mountain Bird Studio, in the Pagosa Springs area{{cite web|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2007/12/16/dan-fogelberg-dies-at-age-56/|title=Dan Fogelberg dies at age 56|date=December 16, 2007|website=denverpost.com}}{{cite web |url=http://www.danfogelberg.com/fullbiography.html |title=Dan Fogelberg Official Website |website=www.danfogelberg.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514083319/http://www.danfogelberg.com/fullbiography.html |archive-date=2009-05-14}}
  • Josephine Foster (from Fort Collins) – singer-songwriter
  • The Fray (formed in Denver) – rock band; nominated for two Grammy Awards (2007); album How to Save a Life has been certified double platinum by the RIAA; members Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki attended Ralston Valley High School in Arvada
  • Bill Frisell (attended East High School in Denver) – jazz musician/guitarist
  • Don Grusin (born 1941 in Denver, lives in Boulder) – songwriter, producer and keyboardist
  • India.Arie (born as India Arie Simpson in Denver) – singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer; winner of two Grammy Awards (2003, nominated sixteen times); three released albums have all hit Billboard's Top 40 Albums chart and have been certified by the RIAA as either platinum or multi-platinum sellers
  • Itchy-O (formed in Denver) – electronica experimental group; approximately 40 band members performing in the audience, with marching-band drums, taiko drums, electronics, dancers, and a Chinese lion; all while masked, covered in LED lights, often with fireworks and other props such as giant puppets and flame throwers
  • Ronnie Lane (lived and died in Trinidad) – singer, songwriter, bass guitarist; member of the bands Small Faces and Faces, and founder of his own backing band Slim Chance
  • Lecrae (lived in Denver) – Christian hip hop recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and actor; president, co-owner and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}
  • The Lumineers (based in Denver) – folk rock band
  • C.W. McCall (lived in Ouray) – country singer known for the song "Convoy" in 1975; served six years as mayor of Ouray in 1986
  • Ron Miles (attended East High School in Denver) – musician/trumpet, jazz
  • Glenn Miller (full name Alton Glenn Miller; lived in Fort Morgan and Boulder; alumnus of Fort Morgan High School and the University of Colorado Boulder) – trombonist, band leader, leader of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the United States Army Air Force Band; at the time of his death, one fifth of all music played on jukeboxes was a Glenn Miller creation{{cite web | author = University of Colorado Boulder | title = And the Grammy Goes to ... CU-Boulder's Glenn Miller | url = http://www.colorado.edu/news/tributes/glennmiller/ | access-date = June 2, 2006 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060617161546/http://www.colorado.edu/news/tributes/glennmiller/ | archive-date = June 17, 2006 | df = mdy-all }}
  • Ronnie Montrose (born in Denver) – rock guitarist who led a number of his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians
  • Jaye P. Morgan (born in Mancos) – singer and television personality
  • OneRepublic (formed in Colorado Springs) – rock band; album Dreaming Out Loud has been certified platinum by the RIAA
  • Günther Johannes Paetsch (born in Germany, lived in Colorado Springs) was a cellist and co-founder of the Paetsch Family Chamber Music Ensemble in Colorado Springs
  • Pretty Lights (from Fort Collins)
  • The Samples (formed in Boulder) – reggae-influenced rock/pop groupThe Samples.
  • Tickle Me Pink (formed in Fort Collins) – signed to Wind-Up Records; debut album Madeline
  • Townes Van Zandt (lived in Boulder; briefly attended the University of Colorado) – country singer and songwriter
  • Velvet Acid Christ (based in Denver) – electro-industrial band
  • Chuck E. Weiss (grew up in Denver) – musician and subject of the 1979 Rickie Lee Jones song "Chuck E.'s in Love"
  • Paul Whiteman (born in Denver) – considered by some the "King of Jazz"; after selling two million records with the song "The Japanese Sandman", Whiteman added to his fame by being one of the first nationally broadcast jazz musicians; remembered for his ability to fuse jazz and classical in hits like Rhapsody in Blue and "Whispering"{{cite web | author = Answers.com | title = Paul Whiteman | website = Answers.com | url = http://www.answers.com/topic/paul-whiteman | access-date = June 2, 2006}}
  • Kip Winger (born in Denver) – singer and bassist for the 1980s hair metal band Winger, which had hit songs such as "Seventeen" and "Headed for a Heartbreak"; since band's breakup in 1994, Winger has continued as a solo artist
  • Andrew Woolfolk (attended East High School in Denver) – musician/alto saxophone, Earth, Wind and Fire
  • Yonder Mountain String Band (based in Nederland) – bluegrass jam band whose fan base has been fueled primarily through live performances since their inception in 1998; self-titled 2006 studio album was the band's first release with a major label{{cite web | author = Yonder Mountain String Band biography | url = http://www.yondermountain.com |access-date = August 2, 2006 |title = ?}}
  • Ace Young (born and raised in Denver) – American Idol finalist{{cite web|author=Fox Network |title=Ace Young |url=http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/ace_young/ |access-date=June 2, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528185733/http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/ace_young/ |archive-date=May 28, 2006 |url-status=dead }}

Politicians

{{see also|List of governors of Colorado|List of mayors of Denver|List of United States Representatives from Colorado|List of United States Senators from Colorado}}

File:Justice White Official.jpg]]

|url=https://krdo.com/news/2025/06/02/colorado-springs-neighbor-says-boulder-terror-attack-suspect-lived-next-door/|access-date=2025-06-02 |website=KRDO|language=en-US}}

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Other notable people

File:Judge Gorsuch official portrait.jpg]]

United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility

See also

{{portal|People|Geography|History|United States|Colorado}}

{{clear}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{sister project links|Colorado|auto=yes}}

  • [https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
  • [http://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]

{{People from Colorado}}

{{Colorado|expanded}}

{{Lists of people by U.S. state}}

{{authority control}}

{{coord|38.9972|-105.5478|dim:300000_region:region:US-CO_type:adm1st|name=State of Colorado|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:People from Colorado, List of}}

List of people from Colorado