In 2007, as part of its ongoing effort to promote and celebrate the music legacy of Starr Piano Company and its subsidiary, Gennett Records, the Foundation inaugurated the Gennett Records Walk of Fame to honor those who recorded for Gennett Records and whose work contributed significantly to American history. Selected by a national panel of music experts, those honored are musicians who created the distinctly American musical genres of jazz, blues, country, gospel, and popular music. However, the Gennett studio recorded the spoken word as well as the music of American Indian and other ethnic groups.
The Walk consists of large ceramic and bronze medallions resembling 78 rpm records, featuring the images of the artists honored. They are displayed in a broad sidewalk flanking the access drive in Richmond’s Whitewater Gorge Park that is on the site of the Starr Piano Company’s industrial complex. The medallions portray the artists and accompanying bronze plaques summarize their musical achievements. The medallions are designed and built by the Wilson Custom Design and Tile Company, Omaha, Nebraska. Each medallion is sponsored and the accompanying plaque recognizes the sponsor and any dedication message.
