One hundred seventy eight artists. Forty-five Top Ten albums. Eighteen Grammy Awards. Twenty #1 Billboard hits. That’s the legacy of the famous Caribou Ranch recording studio, built in a converted barn in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Elton John; Joe Walsh; Billy Joel; Chick Corea; Chicago; Frank Zappa; the Beach Boys, Earth, Wind, & Fire; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Al Di Meola; Michael Jackson; Tom Petty, U2…the list of superstars who recorded hits at the Ranch is amazing. Launched in 1971 by James W. Guercio, Caribou Ranch gained much of its success from its remote location, where artists could get away from the distractions of the city and focus on their music. The studio closed its doors in March of 1985 after a fire severely damaged the control room.
On January, 2015, memorabilia, studio instruments, and more are being auctioned. You could own the piano Elton John use to record “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me” and countless other songs, the studio’s B3/Leslie, an acoustic guitar played by Willie Nelson, John Denver, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings, a Gibson Thunderbird bass played by Chicago’s Terry Kath, and much more, including furniture and signage from the studio. In total, the auction will feature more than 400 lots.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, which is also inducting Caribou Ranch this year, along with Dan Fogelberg and Joe Walsh & Barnstorm.