Glenn Miller’s youth in Fort Morgan the focus of new PBS documentary

‘Birthplace of His Music’ airs Friday at 9 p.m. on Channel 12

Denver — Colorado Public Television will debut a documentary about one of the state’s most famous musicians.

“Glenn Miller: The Birthplace of His Music” will be aired at 9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 30, on PBS Channel 12. The 58-minute film tells Miller’s story from his formative — and little reported — days in high school in Fort Morgan.

Miller was most notable for a new sound combination during the jazz era; he found a way to differentiate his band’s style from the many bands that existed in the late 1930s and early ’40s.

Numerous biographies about Glenn Miller focus on his years of big band fame or his mysterious disappearance over the English Channel during World War II. His early years have always been noted in passing until now, as “Glenn Miller: The Birthplace of His Music” relies on new research that reveals how the small, rural town provided Miller with a musical foundation that contributed to his rise as one of the greatest band leaders of the swing era.

“What distinguishes this project from other Miller biopics is that it focuses exclusively on his life before he became famous,” said Dr. Kerry Hart, president of Morgan Community College and the film’s executive producer.

Based on Hart’s scholarly research, the documentary examines the cultural and musical influences Miller experienced during his high school years.

“We wanted to answer the questions of how and why Glenn Miller’s time in Fort Morgan contributed to his famous musical sound,” Hart said.

The documentary features interviews with University of Colorado Glenn Miller Archives Curator, C.F. Alan Cass, local historians, and area residents. Audiences will also hear from Lynda Kreutzer, granddaughter of Glenn Miller’s High School band director Elmer Wells.

The Morgan Community College Jazz Ensemble is featured throughout the film, playing some of Miller’s iconic tunes and demonstrating key musical concepts.

The film, produced in partnership with Eden Lane, co-owner of Sleeping Dog Media and host of “InFocus with Eden Lane,” fills a historical gap in the recorded history about Glenn Miller’s life and documents Fort Morgan’s contribution to a culturally significant and important era in music history. 

For more information, visit www.GlennMillerDoc.com.