Once headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, the Starr Piano Company launched a recording division in 1915 that recorded, manufactured, and distributed 78 rpm phonograph records, the majority of which featured the company’s Gennett record label. The legacy of the Starr-Gennett enterprise can still be heard in the popular music world of today. 

Many popular music pioneers including Louis Armstrong, Uncle Dave Macon, Thomas A. Dorsey, Charley Patton, Duke Ellington, Gene Autry, the Mills Brothers, and even Lawrence Welk recorded in the Gennett studios. The number and importance of these early jazz, blues, gospel, and old-time country artists is astonishing.

These artists helped shape American popular music, and the Starr Piano Company helped spread their innovative music.  Gennett also recorded ethnic music, Tin Pan Alley-style popular songs, classical music, sound effects, and even famous speeches. This important legacy forms the basis for the Starr-Gennett Foundation’s programs and future goals.