From Aerosmith to Wendy Woo, the Mile High guitarists who rock the world

By Jay McKinney

With a new guitar exhibit opening at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, we thought it fitting to highlight some of the Centennial State’s talented guitarists.

Although Colorado wasn’t always the music haven that it is today, musicians have long enjoyed the rarified air.

“Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World” opened last week at the museum, and offers an exploration of the science, sound, history and pop culture behind the world’s most popular instrument. Visitors can check out more than 70 guitars that range from antiques to the popular axes that the greats have played.

Here are some of the notable players of that magical instrument with roots and connections in Colorado

Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith

Born in Colorado Springs, Tom Hamilton started learning to play guitar with the help of his older brother when he was 12 years old. When he was 14, Hamilton switched to primarily playing bass guitar to fill a void in a local band. After making connections with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler, Hamilton became the bassist for a band that would become Aerosmith. As a member of Aerosmith, Hamilton has co-written some of the band’s most recognizable hits, including “Sweet Emotion” and “Janie’s Got a Gun.”

Joe King of the Fray

One of Denver’s most successful home-grown bands, The Fray, would not be where they are today if it wasn’t for the skilled guitar strumming of Joe King. The band’s guitarist initially learned to play the piano at a young age but decided to switch to guitar in his adolescence. In addition to guitar, King has helped co-write most of the band’s songs with Isaac Slade, and contributed vocals on some of them.

Cary Morin

Blues fans need to familiarize themselves with the soothing guitar picking of Cary Morin if they haven’t already. While he grew up in Montana, it was his relocation to Northern Colorado that really jump started his musical career. He formed a band called The Atoll in 1989. The band gained a following and had success touring nationally but Morin is today known mainly for his work as a solo artist. His musical style has Native American influences, and is described as a combination of blues, bluegrass, jazz, jam, reggae and dance.

Wendy Woo

Wendy Woo is a Colorado musician with a deep connection to the state’s music scene. Growing up, Woo learned how to sing but decided to take up guitar when she was 18 years old. Once she became serious about songwriting, she enrolled at the University of New Mexico to study classical guitar before transferring back to her hometown of Boulder to study a variety of musical disciplines at the University of Colorado. As she continued to learn and grow as a musician, Woo got her first professional gigs working at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, both as a bartender and a performer.

Bill Frisell

When it comes to jazz guitarists, Bill Frisell is as good as they come. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but moved to Denver as a child and graduated from Denver East High School before going on to study music at the University of Northern Colorado. Throughout his career, Frisell has been active in the jazz scene, performing with some of the genre’s best contemporary artists and even winning a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2005 for his album Unspeakable.

Kip Winger

Kip Winger is a multi-talented musician who was born and raised in Colorado. He grew up playing in a band with his two brothers and a close friend. Winger was serious about pursuing a career in music and eventually landed a spot playing in Alice Cooper’s band, recording two albums and touring with the Godfather of Shock Rock. However, he eventually branched off on his own and founded his own band, which he named Winger after Cooper suggested the name.

Who did we miss? Tell us about your favorite Colorado guitarist in the comments.