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Brett Asa “Ace” Young is an American singer-songwriter and actor. photo by David Washington, DC

Top 10 Most Famous Singers from Denver

Denver is a consolidated city and county, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the 2020 United State census, the city has a population of 715,522. Denver has been located in the Western United States.

This city is the 19th most populous city in the United States and the fifth most populous state capital. Denver is situated in the South Platte River Valley, on the Western High Plains, just East of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in the Western United States. Its downtown area is located directly east of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek confluence, about 12 miles (19 km) east of the Rocky Mountain foothills.

Here are the Top 10 Most Famous Singers from Denver

1. Ace Young

Brett known as Ace Young was born in 1980. He is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Ace gained national recognition after appearing on the fifth season of American Idol.

In his televised audition, he sang Westlife’s “Swear it Again.” Brett Young was introduced, with the name “Ace” in quotation marks. Later, he told producers that he preferred the name Ace, and he was no longer referred to as Brett on the show.

Young made it through Hollywood Week and sang “Father Figure” by George Michael for his live Top 24 performance. He also sang Michael Jackson’s “Butterflies.”

2. Philip Bailey

Philip Bailey performing with Earth, Wind & Fire photo by Craig ONeal

Bailey was born in 1951 and was raised in Denver. He was one of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s two lead singers. In the 1970s Philip helped the band achieve major success with his unique four-octave vocal range. He was also a prolific solo artist who released several R&B and gospel albums in the 1980s.

Philip Bailey reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 with Easy Lover, a duet with Phil Collins. He is still recording music and has appeared alongside many contemporary pop stars, including Travis Scott, Stevie Wonder, and Kid Cudi.

3. India Arie

India Arie Simpson is also known as India Arie. She is an American songwriter and singer. India has sold over 5 million records in the United States and 10 million worldwide. She received four Grammy nominations and won four, including Best R&B Album.

This music collective assisted her in landing her first live gigs as well as a record deal with Motown. India Arie is still recording, performing, and topping the charts today.

4. Chris Broderick

Chris Broderick performing live with Megadeth in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. photo by TannerWolff

Christopher Alan Broderick is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the heavy metal band Megadeth. He was also the lead guitarist and keyboardist for Jag Panzer. And has appeared on four of their albums, The Age of Mastery, Thane to the Throne. Including the  Mechanized Warfare, and Casting the Stones, before joining Megadeth and replacing Glen Drover.

Chris is now the lead guitarist for Act of Defiance, which he co-founded with fellow ex-Megadeth bandmate Shawn Drover. He also joined In Flames as a touring guitarist in 2019, before becoming the permanent rhythm guitarist in 2022. 

5. Isaac Slade

Slade is an American singer and musician, a former lead vocalist. He is the co-founder of the Colorado-based rock band the Fray. Isaac Slade was born in Boulder, Colorado, and raised in the Denver metropolitan area with his family.

Slade is the band’s lead vocalist and pianist, and their sound is similar to that of Coldplay and Maroon 5. The Fray is still going to record and it has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.

6. Neyla Pekarek

Pekarek was born in 1986 and is an American cellist, vocalist, and pianist. From 2010 to 2018, she was a member of the folk-rock band The Lumineers. She began playing cello at the age of nine in Denver, Colorado. Neyla also attended the University of North Colorado, where she earned a degree in music education.

The Lumineers released four studio albums, the first of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Pekarek left the Lumineers in 2018 to pursue a solo career.

7. Kip Winger

Kip Winger is a singer-songwriter who rose to prominence as the frontman for his band Winger. He rose to prominence as a member of Alice Cooper’s band, contributing bass and vocals to the albums Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell. Before disbanding in the mid-1990s, Winger had two platinum albums and several charting singles.

Winger released their fifth studio album, Karma, in 2009, and it was widely regarded as their best.  The band performed in the United States, Europe, and South America.

8. Jill Sobule

Jill Sobule opened for Hot Tuna—Jorma Kaukonen-guitar/vocals photo by Michael Borkson

Sobule was born in 1961 and is an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1995 single. In 1990 Jill released her first album ‘Things Here are different ‘Sobule is a prolific collaborator, writing and performing with both musicians and nonmusical artists such as blogger Arianna Huffington, television producer Sue Rose, and comedian Julia Sweeney. 

9. Pretty Lights

Derek Vincent Smith is known by his stage name Pretty Lights. He is an American electronic music producer. Pretty Lights began as a music project between Smith and Michal Menert, who left after their first album was released.  Pretty Lights was once described by Rick Rubin as “the face and voice of the new American electronic music scene.”

At around 2007, he began performing as a late-night headliner for other jam bands such as STS9, The Disco Biscuits, and Widespread Panic. Pretty Lights is known for his unique live shows. He uses sampling and synths to move through various musical genres such as glitch hop, hip hop, and jam band music.

10. Corey Harris

Photo of Corey Harris Photo by Lilly_M 

Harris was born in 1969 and raised in Denver, Colorado. He is an American blues and reggae musician. In the mid-1990s, he, along with Keb’ Mo’ and Alvin Youngblood Hart, raised the flag of acoustic guitar blues.  He appeared in an episode of Martin Scorsese’s 2003 PBS television mini-series The Blues.

Fish Ain’t Bitin’,  was his second album with Hoffman which won the W.C. Handy Award for Best Acoustic Blues Album of the Year in 1997. It was recorded in New Orleans and featured Harris’ original songs, vocals, and guitar. As well as a trio of tuba and two trombones arranged by producer Hoffman on certain tracks.

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