Hazel Miller tells Mile High Stash how much she loves Colorado audiences

Colorado writer and musician Adam Perry hosts a weekly podcast called Mile High Stash. Each Monday he drops a new episode featuring an interview with a Colorado musician or artist.

Recently, Mile High Stash interviewed Colorado jazz, blues, pop, and gospel singer Hazel Miller.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1984 Miller landed in Colorado accidentally. As she tells it, she was on her way to find stardom in Los Angeles and made it as far as Denver…and never left. During the podcast interview she also talks about her time touring with Al Green, her love of Colorado, and her preference of live performance over recording.

Below are a few highlights from the interview:

On live audiences:

“My big dream for L.A. was, ‘I’m gonna be a recording artist.’ The live audiences in Colorado cut that short. How in the world can I walk into a studio and get the love in there that I get from a live audience?”

On the love she feels in Colorado:

“I’ve walked on stage in Boulder and felt like Aretha Franklin. People are so good to me in Boulder. There’s something about Colorado. That first five years, my sister called and was like, ‘You coming back?’ I said, ‘I think I’m home.’ After 10 years, I know I’m home. I’ve been here 39 years come August 14 of this year. There is nothing I could’ve done in L.A. to top what I’ve done in Colorado. I’ve had the time of my life.”

On her “need” to sing:

“This year, June 30, I will be 70 years old. I can honestly say I’ve had three day jobs my entire life. I sing because I need it. It makes my soul happy. It’s how I pray. It’s how I grieve. It’s how I celebrate.”

Listen to the full Mile High Stash interview with Hazel Miller on your favorite streaming service. Or visit Mile High Stash for past episodes and more information on the show and host Adam Perry.