Thursday, October 27, 2011

Q&A with Quincy Jones

Heather L. Smith / Aurora Sentinel

Earlier this month, Quincy Jones visited Denver to attend the "Be Beautiful, Be Yourself" fashion show, a fundraiser for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, benefiting the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the Anschutz Medical Campus. You can find the original story here. Sitting down with the legendary composer/musician/humanitarian was one of my most memorable run-ins as a reporter at the Sentinel, and I had to offer readers a fuller picture of the conversation. Click after the jump to check out Jones' feeback about activism, as well as his storied career in music.


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Q&A with Tripp Fountain from touring production of "Hair"

Courtesy Photo
Taking on an ensemble role in the musical "Hair" offered Tripp Fountain the chance to take a trip through time. As a cast member in the psychedelic musical, Fountain found a newfound appreciation for the social upheaval and shifting morals that marked the 1960s. More importantly, however, starring in the show gave the Colorado native a chance to come home. A graduate of Lewis Palmer High School in Monument, Palmer says the production of "Hair," which will run at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts until Oct. 16, has given him a unique brand of homecoming.
The Sentinel caught up with Fountain to talk about his roots in Colorado, as well as the legacy of the social movements explored in "Hair," a piece that spawned pop music hits and documented the cultural legacy of a generation.