Walk of Fame honors musical pioneers
The Starr-Gennett Foundation inducted 10 jazz, blues, gospel and Big Band artists into its Walk of Fame on Saturday that lay claim to Richmond's history as a birthplace of recorded jazz music.
The two-hour-plus induction ceremony paid tribute for the second consecutive year to some of the music greats who recorded on the Gennett label, which got its start in Richmond about 90 years ago.
The 10 -- Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Guy Lombardo, Uncle Dave Macon, Red Nichols, Charley Patton, Homer Rodeheaver and Fats Waller -- will be immortalized on medallions embedded along a walkway in Gorge Park.
“The advisory board has now picked the first 31 Walk of Fame inductees," David Fulton, the Starr-Gennett Foundation Board president, said.
“It is our dream that ultimately we will have 80 medallions out here running all the way up to the (West Main Street) bridge and down the other side coming back. We're working on the funding for that project but I think we're pretty optimistic along with the city and the (Richmond) parks' department, that that's going to happen sometime in the next three to five years."
A crowd of about 200 took in the ceremony, which was set inside the now re-stabilized Starr Piano Co. factory, Gennett's parent company.
The Starr-Gennett Foundation inducted 10 jazz, blues, gospel and Big Band artists into its Walk of Fame on Saturday that lay claim to Richmond's history as a birthplace of recorded jazz music.
The two-hour-plus induction ceremony paid tribute for the second consecutive year to some of the music greats who recorded on the Gennett label, which got its start in Richmond about 90 years ago.
The 10 -- Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Guy Lombardo, Uncle Dave Macon, Red Nichols, Charley Patton, Homer Rodeheaver and Fats Waller -- will be immortalized on medallions embedded along a walkway in Gorge Park.
“The advisory board has now picked the first 31 Walk of Fame inductees," David Fulton, the Starr-Gennett Foundation Board president, said.
“It is our dream that ultimately we will have 80 medallions out here running all the way up to the (West Main Street) bridge and down the other side coming back. We're working on the funding for that project but I think we're pretty optimistic along with the city and the (Richmond) parks' department, that that's going to happen sometime in the next three to five years."
A crowd of about 200 took in the ceremony, which was set inside the now re-stabilized Starr Piano Co. factory, Gennett's parent company.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
