On Saturday night at Red Rocks the Colorado Music Hall of Fame made two special inductions. The organization has been in existence for 15 years, offering acknowledgment and support of the area music community. In addition, the CMHF notes that its mission “extends beyond recognition — supporting the music community through mental health and addiction recovery resources while promoting Colorado as a premier music destination and helping drive tourism throughout the state.”

During the setbreak of Widespread Panic’s performance, a ceremony took place to honor the band as well as the late concert promoter Bill Bass. The group’s John Bell delivered some remarks on Bass. Then famed Colorado promoted Chuck Morris shared his thoughts on Panic, which entered the Hall in the newly created Honorary Coloradan category.

The Hall wrote that Bass “was a legendary Colorado concert promoter and a prominent figure in the local music scene. In the 1980s, Bass was the promoter for the Blue Note club on Boulder’s Pearl Street before joining legendary concert promoter (and Colorado Music Hall of Famer) Barry Fey at Feyline. After more than a decade at Feyline, Bass eventually started his own company, Small Axe Concerts, where he was the primary outside promoter for Boulder’s Fox Theatre. Following Small Axe, Bill started his eponymous company Bill Bass Concerts, which continues to this day. As a promoter, Bill envisioned and realized iconic events like Reggae on the Rocks in 1988 at Red Rocks. After almost four decades, it remains a premier reggae festival globally, celebrating both established legends and the genre’s most promising rising talent.

“Bill was introduced to Widespread Panic early in the band’s career and was instrumental in helping to build the band nationally, including its massive Colorado following and their record-breaking Red Rocks run. Bill’s support and belief in the band helped it grow to where it is today. For decades, he brought live music to the people of Colorado and beyond.”

As for Panic, the CMHF noted: “Widespread Panic holds the record for the most consecutive sold-out performances of any artist at Red Rocks, now at 78, signifying the deep connection the band has with Colorado fans. The band members have felt as though Colorado was their “home away from home” since the 1990s, and songs like “Big Wooly Mammoth” were inspired by their time spent in the state. In addition to the band’s Red Rocks record, its historic summer residencies led the City of Denver to declare June 27, 2008, as “Widespread Panic Day.

“Widespread Panic was formed in 1986 in Athens, Georgia, and has been together and touring for four decades. The band’s rise to fame was boosted by its legion of dedicated fans, known as “Spreadheads,” many of whom moved to Colorado to support the band as it spent more time here.