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Hazel Miller is known for her soulful voice, something that's always come naturally to her.
From the time she was in first grade, nuns in her Catholic school in Louisville, Ky., recognized her vocal talent; they'd give her music to learn for school programs and expect her to hold a melody during the Gregorian chants at Mass.
After school, she watched entertainment television, from “Perry Como” and “Ed Sullivan” to “The Music Hour,” with her six other siblings. They learned how to harmonize as they put on their own little shows, which mimicked the stars.
“There's no start or stop (to my singing),” Miller said. “It's just who I am. It's what I do.”
After she got married and had two kids, Miller and her family headed out to California — only their U-Haul broke down on the way there, in Denver.
Miller didn't mean to build a life in Denver, but the U-Haul company couldn't fix the rig promptly, and Miller had two weeks to get her kids in school. So, she enrolled them in a Denver school. After a year of living on the Front Range, they decided they liked it so much, they'd stay.
Last year, the mayor of Denver named Miller one of 150 people who make Denver a better place to live. Her performances also have earned her multiple awards including Westword's Readers Poll for best blues and rhythm-and-blues band for three years and outstanding performer at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She has belted out her powerful rhythm-and-blues at all of the major festivals in Colorado.
Throughout the years, she has sung tunes that speak to her, ones that mean something. And now, she's getting to the point where she's considering writing her own songs. (She has published one, which garnered success.)
“(Before), I didn't think I had that much to say, and I love songwriters — they seem to say the things I want to say,” Miller said. “Now, I have something to say and a reason to say it.”
Saturday, she'll put on a soulful show steeped in blues, rhythm-and-blues and a bit of smooth jazz at Colorado Mountain College. Breckenridge is one of her favorite places, she said, because it was the first mountain town she ever performed in, and she loved the friendly people — many of whom saw her the next day at breakfast and came up to her to talk. This weekend, she aims to get people movin'.
“We want people to toe tap and by all means get up and dance,” Miller said. “I get real nervous if they don't dance; it's the greatest compliment you can give a musician.”
From the time she was in first grade, nuns in her Catholic school in Louisville, Ky., recognized her vocal talent; they'd give her music to learn for school programs and expect her to hold a melody during the Gregorian chants at Mass.
After school, she watched entertainment television, from “Perry Como” and “Ed Sullivan” to “The Music Hour,” with her six other siblings. They learned how to harmonize as they put on their own little shows, which mimicked the stars.
“There's no start or stop (to my singing),” Miller said. “It's just who I am. It's what I do.”
After she got married and had two kids, Miller and her family headed out to California — only their U-Haul broke down on the way there, in Denver.
Miller didn't mean to build a life in Denver, but the U-Haul company couldn't fix the rig promptly, and Miller had two weeks to get her kids in school. So, she enrolled them in a Denver school. After a year of living on the Front Range, they decided they liked it so much, they'd stay.
Last year, the mayor of Denver named Miller one of 150 people who make Denver a better place to live. Her performances also have earned her multiple awards including Westword's Readers Poll for best blues and rhythm-and-blues band for three years and outstanding performer at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She has belted out her powerful rhythm-and-blues at all of the major festivals in Colorado.
Throughout the years, she has sung tunes that speak to her, ones that mean something. And now, she's getting to the point where she's considering writing her own songs. (She has published one, which garnered success.)
“(Before), I didn't think I had that much to say, and I love songwriters — they seem to say the things I want to say,” Miller said. “Now, I have something to say and a reason to say it.”
Saturday, she'll put on a soulful show steeped in blues, rhythm-and-blues and a bit of smooth jazz at Colorado Mountain College. Breckenridge is one of her favorite places, she said, because it was the first mountain town she ever performed in, and she loved the friendly people — many of whom saw her the next day at breakfast and came up to her to talk. This weekend, she aims to get people movin'.
“We want people to toe tap and by all means get up and dance,” Miller said. “I get real nervous if they don't dance; it's the greatest compliment you can give a musician.”
