Jim Salestrom’s life is best captured in his music.

The acclaimed singer-songwriter, who made Summit County his home for roughly 20 years, toured the world with his guitar. He performed alongside artists like Dolly Parton and John Denver and in front of national figures including presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton.

But his legacy is perhaps most evident in the Rocky Mountains, where Salestrom wrote and performed songs that served as love letters to life in Colorado.

Salestrom died on Nov. 22, at age 67 in his home in Arvada after living with cancer for more than decade. Family and friends say he will be remembered for his music, love of community and warm spirit.

“He was our hero,” said his son, James Salestrom. “We grew up with him playing music all over Summit County.”

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Jim’s musical inclinations were apparent from the beginning. He attended a musical preschool at age 4 and by fourth grade had his own rock ‘n’ roll band. At 15, Jim formed his first band, Timberline, alongside his older brother. He visited Colorado and Summit County during his childhood, where he learned to ski.

When Timberline broke up in the late 1970s, Jim moved to Breckenridge. There, he met his wife and raised two children, James and Casey, who said their father spent his time writing songs and performing anywhere and everywhere — even in elementary schools.

Jim played for children in schools across the county, including at Breckenridge Elementary School, where James and Casey attended. Jim even co-wrote and recorded songs with students at Breckenridge as well as elementary schools in Silverthorne, Dillon and Frisco.

As a student, “Everybody thought we were pretty cool because of it,” James quipped.

With a discography that included thousands of songs, Casey said her father would cater his music to his audience with never-released personal performances for weddings, anniversaries and parties.

“He was really great about using the perfect words with the right people at the right time,” she said. “He really was able to make a big impact.”

Colorado’s High Country was a never-ending inspiration for Jim. His song “Look for me in Heaven” is an ode to famous preacher Father Dyer, whose church still stands in Breckenridge. The aptly named “Blue River Dreamin'” tries to capture the beauty of Summit County’s Blue River, while “My Colorado Home” details Jim’s life in Breckenridge living 10,000 feet above it all.

“He loved the mountains, he loved the snow, he loved the people. The people up there are what really kept him around,” James said.

Tony Carosa, a Breckenridge resident who called himself a lifelong friend of Jim, said he got to know the singer-songwriter through his performances around Summit County. The two became close and would go on to ski together. A real estate agent, Carosa sold Jim his first home in Breckenridge followed by several other properties throughout the county.

“Our kids, my kids, all knew him personally and he was just a wonderful person,” Carosa said. “He always had a smile, always out there with a warm comment or remark … just a beautiful person.”

While Jim was seen as a local celebrity, his career spanned far beyond Summit County. In 1979, Jim was asked to join Parton’s band, which granted him a ticket around the world. In the 1990s, he performed trade shows on behalf of Vail Resorts and Ski U.S.A, which markets ski trips to international clients.

Other career landmarks included singing “Rocky Mountain High” at the Colorado State Capitol in 2007, when it became an official state song. He also performed for holiday shows at the Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs for roughly two decades.

James said his father made a point to include his children in his adventures, which included a six-week stint living in Scotland and bringing James on to perform with Timberline’s 50th-anniversary reunion. James said he began performing more often with his father during college and into his 20s — sometimes even abroad.

“We got to play music all over the world, which was really special,” he said.

For Casey, one of her lifelong memories is seeing her father perform live alongside Parton in Sydney, Australia, during a 2012 tour.

Jim leaves behind an enduring legacy in the Grateful Music Foundation, a philanthropic organization he founded to donate instruments to schools primarily in Colorado and Montana, where Jim also lived. James and Casey are now taking over that work. They said it is just another testament to their father’s commitment to community and music — the cornerstones of Jim’s life.

“We’re fortunate that we can hear his voice whenever we like because of all the music he left behind, and everyone else can as well,” James said.

Those who wish to share their memories of Jim can do so by making a post on his website at JimSalestrom.com. The website also contains information about Jim’s discography, biography and photos of his performances.

Published on SummitDaily.com.