Music Walk of Fame victim of vandals, theft

A historic Richmond site has been vandalized.

Twenty medallions from the Starr-Gennett Foundation’s Walk of Fame were dismantled last month. The Gennett Records Walk of Fame is embedded in the Whitewater Gorge Trail along South First Street at the Starr Piano Company site.

In a June 21 social media post, the Foundation’s board of directors president, Bob Jacobsen, announced that the medallions were defaced, likely for the bronze metal inside. 

“It’s a tragic thing,” said Jacobsen. “Some think the metal is valuable and it’s not really valuable.”

Jacobsen suspects the vandals mistook the metal for higher-valued copper. He said the bronze is cheap, costing less than $3.50 per pound. But repairs for the one-of-a-kind art pieces could cost up to $200,000. 

Jacobsen said the majority of the damaged medallions were at the south end of the Walk of Fame, the furthest away from the building.  

Parks and Recreation Superintendent Denise Retz called it disheartening.

“Any vandalism is unacceptable and we do not take it lightly,” she said. 

Retz credited the area’s security cameras and alert system for situations such as this. Footage was reported to the Richmond Police Department in hopes of identifying those responsible.   

“These are your parks and we encourage everyone to keep them safe,” said Retz. 

According to RPD, a 45-year-old male suspect was arrested on June 25 on a Level 5 felony charge of theft and a Level 6 felony charge of criminal mischief. As of press time, he remains in Wayne County Jail pending judicial proceedings.

The foundation began inducting Gennett artists to the Walk of Fame in 2007 with Louis Armstrong as its first honoree. Others throughout the years have included Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Alberta Hunter and Jimmy Durante. 

In 2022, the Starr-Gennett Foundation commissioned artist Wilson Tile and Smarrelli General Contractor Inc. to revitalize the medallions. The project raised them from ground level atop concrete bases with reinforced grout for protection from the elements. 

Jacobsen said there had been one or two prior incidents, but none to this extent. Despite the setback, the annual Walk of Fame Celebration will still happen in September. A timeline to repair the beloved fixtures is unknown.