Judy Collins
b. 1939
Judy Collins, also known as “Judy Blue Eyes,” is a Seattle born folk singer who moved to Denver with her family in the late 1940’s because her father got offered a job as a disk jockey for a local radio station. She graduated from Denver’s East high school and promptly began pursuing her career in music. After constantly traveling and promoting her music she finally signed to Elektra Records and released her first album in 1961 at the age of 22. She was a common act at Exodus Nightclub and has ties to Harry Tuft, another folk musician, and his organization at the Denver Folklore Center. Collins remains to this day a prominent figure in Denver’s music history and was even inducted to the Colorado Music Hall of fame in 2013.
Written by: Kaleigh Coleman
Digital Archive
Judy Collins performing on the television program Hootenanny in 1963.
ABC Television ABC Television
Source:
Photography
1963
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1950s
Judy Collins performs at the Exodus
Judy Collins rose to fame for her classically trained piano skills while she was a child, however it was not until she began singing folk music in her twenties that she became a house-hold name. During the 1950's she performed many shows at the hotspot, The Exodus, and it was there where she was discovered and signed to her record deal with Elektra Records of New York City. The Exodus was a known location for up and coming folk singers to gain exposure and a following, which Collins used to her advantage.
Written by: Kaleigh Coleman
1957
Judy Collins graduates from East High School
Judy Collins graduated from East High School in 1957. Promptly after receiving her degree, she began traveling around northern Colorado playing shows and networking. She released her first album, Maid of Constant Sorrow, 4 years later at the age of 22. She has said in later interviews that she owes much of her success to being constantly surrounded and supported by the arts while she was growing up in Colorado. She specifically has referenced East High School's choir and theater programs to helping her progress as a musician as well as her father's local radio show.
Written by: Kaleigh Coleman
