A musician whose tunes heavily influenced stars such as Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones will be honored this weekend with a Richmond concert.
Admission is free to hear eight performers share a variety of music between 3-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Starr-Gennett Foundation’s Walk of Fame event. At 4:30 p.m., guest speakers Charlie Dahan and Bob Kissel will discuss the legacy of Mississippi Delta blues musician and songwriter Charley Patton.
The festival, which also includes food and merchandise vendors, takes place in and around the Starr Gennett Building in the Whitewater Gorge, 101 S. First St.
Richmond High School’s drumline begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by its steel drum ensemble at 4 p.m.
Each year, an artist who recorded at Gennett Records’ Richmond studio and is in the Gennett Records Walk of Fame is honored during the festival.
A national panel of music experts has selected honorees who created the distinctly American musical genres of jazz, blues, country, gospel and popular music. The Gennett studio also recorded the spoken word as well as music of Native American and other ethnic groups.
Likenesses of the approximately 30 individuals or groups are featured on record-shaped mosaic medallions installed along the adjacent sidewalk. The walk of fame, which began in 2007, can be viewed throughout the year at no charge.
Earlier this decade, donors helped fund a restoration and reinstallation of the medallions, assisted by a $50,000 matching grant from Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority.
One of those medallions featured Patton, who was inducted in 2008. He’s considered to be the founder of the Delta Blues.
Patton’s popularity and importance in country blues was a testament to the originality and spontaneity of his guitar playing and singing, Starr-Gennett historians say on the organization’s website.
They believe the 14 sides Patton recorded at Gennett in 1929, such as “Pony Blues,” included some of his best and most successful songs. Other selections included “Down the Dirt Road Blues” and “Shake It and Break It (But Don’t Let It Fall Mama).” He lived from 1891 until 1934.
They also say Patton’s music heavily influenced the Chicago blues styles of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and rock and roll stars including Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.
Blues historian Rick Kennedy, a former Richmond reporter who wrote a book called “Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy” about Gennett Records, appears in an Indiana University Press video called “The Day Charley Patton Changed the Blues“.
The tribute to Patton will be followed by an acoustic blues songwriter round at 5 p.m. featuring Chris Yakopcic, Joe Waters, Lisa Biales and Achilles Tenderloin.
Ricky Nye takes the stage at 6:45, and the Doug Hart Band will start at 8 p.m.
Starr Gennett Foundation continually seeks donations that contribute to saving the Gennett Records/Starr Piano Co. legacy and fostering worldwide appreciation for American pop music. They can be sent to 33 S. Seventh St., Richmond, IN 47374.
For more information, visit starrgennettfoundation.org or call 765-962-2860.
A version of this article appeared in the September 3 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.