2009
Walk of Fame Music Festival and Induction
September 11-12, 2009
Whitewater Gorge Park
201 S. 1st. Street
Richmond, IN 47374
FRIDAY- September 11, 2009
2:00-3:00 pm Holly George Warren book signing at Hastings
3:00 pm Gennett Mansion tour (small admission charged)
4:00 Young Authors Conference – RCS
Holly George Warren – Keynote speaker
4:30-5:20 pm VIP Reception for Donors
Leland Host: Jim Resh
PUBLIC INVITED: LELAND BALLROOM
5:30-5:50 pm Holly George Warren (Gene Autry Biographer)
Short Talk/Slide show on Gene Autry
6 - 6:40 pm Concert: Don Edwards, tickets - $5, free to residents
of the Leland
PUBLIC INVITED TO KICK IT OFF IN THE GORGE PARK
Starr-Gennett Historic site (Starr Pavilion/Logo Building)
All events are free
7:00 -9:00 pm Family Night – Logo Bldg.
Karaoke – KICKS 96 sponsor
Local singers on the big stage – Karaoke “wanna-be” stars
9:00 pm "Drive In” MOVIE: South of the Border starring Gene Autry,
Presented by Heart Breakers, Courtesy of Mrs. Gene Autry
Free peanuts– Texas Roadhouse
SATURDAY-September 12, 2009
11:00 am KIDS FEST PARADE Route SW 13th Street to South 2nd Street
OLD WEST theme with Grand Marshalls:
Don Edwards (Singing Cowboy) and Oren Baumeister in Native American
Regalia.
Featuring Shriners posse from Dayton, Ohio.
Kids Grand Marshalls: Make A Wish Children
GORGE PARK ACTIVITIES: Starr-Gennett Historic Site
All free admission
12 - 4:00 pm Family Activities: Education
12 - 3:00 pm Martin Fisher: Wax Cylinder Recordings
OLD WEST activities and programs
Flint-knapper Tom Lyons makes and sells arrowheads
SAS Single Action Shooters Quick Draw
Annie Oakley look-alike
Vintage Dress Black Powder
Children’s Rodeo Games – celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Rodeo
Shop
Hay rides and surrey rides
1-6:00 pm NATIVE AMERICAN INTERTRIBAL GATHERING
1:00 pm Grand Entry and Blessing
Native American crafts/vendors
Native American heritage activities
Native American music performances until 3:30 pm
Drummers: Sky Hawk and Blue Heron
2:00 pm: Western Line Dancing – Boot Scootin’ Belles
Chuck Wagon Food
Children’s Cowboy/Cowgirl costume contest
3:00 pm: Duck Regatta – Whitewater River – Prizes! Buy a duck to
win!
4:00 pm: Induction Ceremony & Legacy Continues Award
Honoring Gene Autry,Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, with Holly
George Warren and Don Edwards
2009 Walk of Fame Inductees
1. Artie Shaw (jazz, big band)
2. Wendell Hall (country-ukulele)
3. Bradley Kincaid (country)
4. Ernest & Hattie Frost Stoneman (country)
5. New Orleans Rhythm Kings (jazz)
Biographies of all of these inductees will be available soon.
2009 Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony
Prelude: Gennett music medley Community Orchestra
Welcome: Dave Fulton
Induction of Big Band Artists
Artie Shaw
Presenter: Charlie Dahan
Performance: Community Orchestra
Recognition of Guests and Donors: Dave Fulton
Induction of Country Artists
Wendall Hall
Presenter: tba
Performance: Gary Scott
Bradley Kincaid
Presenters: Jim Kincaid and Bill Knowlton
Performance: Gene Webb
Ernest and Hattie Stoneman
Presenter: Patsy Stoneman
Performance: Stoneman Family
Recognition of Gennett Family Members, Legacy Award Winner and
Medallion Honorees
Induction of Jazz Artists
New Orleans Rhythm Kings
Presenter: Richard Roof
Performance: Community Orchestra
Conclusion: Dave Fulton
SATURDAY EVENING: Don Edwards CONCERT
TICKETS $10 adults, $20 = 2 adults, 2 children
6:30 pm: Roni, Patsy and Donna Stoneman
7:30 pm: Don Edwards – America’s #1 singing cowboy
9:00 pm: FREE Movie: Mule Train starring Gene Autry
free peanuts
AROUND TOWN:
10:00 am: Gennett Mansion Tour (small admission fee)
12:30 pm: Book Sellers Row/ Main Street – Book Signing and reception
2:00 pm: Gennett Mansion- Short Gene Autry biography film/talk and
tour (small admission fee)
Harvest Festival at the Wayne County Historical Museum
GORGE VENDORS: Featured Vendor - Rodeo Shop
Richmond Parks and Recreation Dept. * Marine Corps League * Vietnam
Vets * Tom’s NY Deli * Olympian Candies * Native American foods
DEPOT DISTRICT: Roger Richert
DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS: Jim Hair
WAYNE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM: Jim Harlan
Thank you to our 2009 Walk of Fame Sponsors
With special gratitude to the Wayne County Foundation for their ongoing support
- Wayne County Foundation
- Richmond Parks & Recreation
- Mrs. Gene Autry
- The City of Richmond
- Classic Country Radio
- Roland Cutter
- Davis Jewelry Company
- Dave and Kim Dorston
- Earlham College
- First Bank Richmond
- Gannett Foundation/Pal-Item
- Dr. Richard and Beverly Garnet
- The Gennett Mansion
- Hill's Pet Nutrition
- Indiana University East
- J.M. Hutton
- Kicks96
- Kyle Tom Real Estate
- The Leland Residence
- Manpower
- Meyers Mechanical
- O'Charley's
- Orscheln Farm & Home Supplies
- Paust Printers
- Richmond Community Schools
- Richmond Power & Light
- RMD Patti
- Rodeo Shop
- RSVP
- Texas Roadhouse
- Michele Walker
- Warm Glow Candles
- Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau
- WCTV
- Whitewater Valley REMC
- WKBV
2008
Walk of Fame Music Festival and Induction
September 5 & 6, 2008
Whitewater Gorge Park
201 S. 1st. Street
Richmond, IN
In February 2008, The Starr-Gennett Foundation announced
the second eleven Gennett Walk of Fame nominees, who were selected
by the Foundation's National
Advisory Board. These honorees were inducted into the 2008 Walk
of Fame.
Click on the links above for select biographies.
The second annual Gennett Walk of Fame Music Festival on September 5-6, 2008, was again a success, with a special focus on old-time country and bluegrass music. The celebration began on Friday evening with a VIP Reception at the Gennett Mansion. Bob and Donna Geddes, owners of the Mansion, welcomed family members, medallion donors and honorees, musicians and Walk of Fame sponsors.
Saturday morning kicked off with a music bike ride and family walk on the Cardinal Greenway Bike Trail. This was followed by a pancake breakfast and Gospel hour that featured the gospel music of Gennett Records, and visitors could also tour the Gennett Mansion. Family fun, activities and music continued throughout the day with a Children’s Latino Festival and the first Rubber Ducky Regatta on the Whitewater River.
Walk of Fame guests were treated to music by local banjo prodigy Evan Ward, Uncle Doc Wilhite from Kentucky, and Mike Compton and David Long, who recorded on the “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack. Martin Fisher also came from Middle Tennessee State University to demonstrate wax cylinder recording, the precursor to pressed records. Visitors were able to sing and hear their own renditions of music through this medium.
The 2008 Gennett artists were formally inducted into the Walk of Fame at the 4:00 Induction Ceremony. Gennett Family members, guests and speakers came from Canada to California to present the inductees and their contributions to the Gennett Legacy. Samples of the music of each artist were performed by local musicians and Uncle Doc Wilhite. The Legacy Continues Award and Concert, featured Larry Sparks, twice bluegrass male vocalist of the year. This honor was added in 2008 to recognize the contributions of contemporary Indiana musicians who continue to carry on the Gennett tradition.
2007
Inaugural Celebration
With over $70,000 in support from the Indiana Office of Tourism
Development through the Lt. Governor's Quality of Place Initiative,
the Starr-Gennett Foundation hired a team led by the National Trust
for Historic Preservation's Heritage Tourism Program to determine
the best way in which to establish a permanent Starr-Gennett themed
attraction in Richmond, Indiana. The National Trust's final recommendations
encompass the future goals of the Foundation. One of these recommendations,
creating a Gennett Walk of Fame, is currently at the top of the
Foundation's priority list. We are pleased to announce that the 2007 Walk of
Fame Inaugural Induction attracted considerable attention, exceeding all expectations.
You can go to "Starr-Gennett Walk of Fame" online to get a sense
of the media coverage. To donate to the fundraising campaign for the Gennett
Walk of Fame, please click here.
To read the full case statement for the Gennett Walk of Fame, please
click here.
The Gennett Walk of Fame is located along South 1st Street
in Richmond at the site of the former Starr Piano Company and is embedded
in the Whitewater Gorge Trail, which connects to the longer Cardinal
Greenway Trail. Both trails are part of the American Discovery Trail,
the only coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreational trail.
Markers, like the Louis Armstrong one pictured here, are three-dimensional,
cast bronze and colored tile mosaic emblems in the form of 78 rpm
phonograph records. Each medallion features the classic Gennett
label design and an artistic mosaic rendering of the represented
musician. A smaller, bronze plaque is installed next to each
record to recognize the accomplishments of the inductee(s). The
Foundation estimates the Walk of Fame eventually will contain up
to 80 markers. Medallions are created by Wilson Custom Tile of Omaha, Nebraska. Click
here to see the markers in progress.
2007
Inductees
The Advisory Board's consensus selection for the first inductee
into the Gennett Walk of Fame was Louis Armstrong, whose marker is
pictured above. The following is a list of the first eleven inductees:
To read a brief biography of each of the first eleven
inductees and learn more about the Walk of Fame, please click
here (.pdf - Adobe
Reader Required).
National
Advisory Board
The Foundation convened its National Advisory Board for
the first time in January, 2006, to select the first 11 inductees for the Gennett
Records Walk of Fame. The Advisory Board selects inductees from the following
categories: classic jazz, old-time country, blues, gospel (African-American and
Southern), American popular song, ethnic, historic/spoken, and classical, giving
preference to classic jazz, old-time country, blues, gospel, and American popular
song.
The National Advisory Board was created to help the Foundation's
Board of Directors achieve the goals of the Foundation, and Advisory Board members
are selected for their significant expertise and familiarity with fields related
to the Starr-Gennett legacy.
Click here
to contribute to the Walk of Fame Campaign!
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