Before folk stalwart Judy Collins is inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame this month—and takes the Paramount Theatre stage on November 8—the veteran Denver singer found time to sit down with us.

What’s so unique about Colorado’s music environment?
The folk music scene in the ’50s and early ’60s was extraordinary. I contributed to creating it, but it was also already established in a way; there was a community. It was welcoming because of its own history: the stories of the miners and the unions and the struggles. It was almost a natural place for [folk music to take off].

5280.com Exclusive: Read the full Q&A with Judy Collins here.