The Starr Piano Co.

Also: Starr Co. Of Canada Limited & Starr Piano Company. The Starr Piano Company was founded by James and Benjamin Starr in Richmond, Indiana in 1872 to manufacture pianos. By 1912, Starr was said to be the largest manufacturer of pianos in the world. Henry Gennett served as the company's secretary-treasurer. His sons, Harry, Fred, and Clarence, later joined the company and were the primary executives when the company began to produce records in 1915. Starr entered the recording field by acquiring the assets of the defunct Boston Talking Machine Company (Phono-Cut) and launched the Gennett Records division in 1915. These were initially produced as vertically cut discs and issued on the Starr (5) label. The label name was changed to Gennett Records in October 1917 because many dealers refused to carry the records since the Starr name was already associated with pianos and phonographs. In April, 1919 Starr announced its first lateral-cut Gennett releases, and was immediately sued by Victor Talking Machine Co. for patent infringement. Starr won the court cases, with support from other independent record producers, most notably General Phonograph Corporation, makers of Okeh records. Starr's victory of Victor opened the door for many smaller record companies to produce lateral-cut discs without fear of prosecution. Starr's flagship label was Gennett. Its catalog was diverse and is noteworthy for including pioneering recordings by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Bix Beiderbecke. They also offered many other interesting and historically important items, including classic blues, authentic black gospel, country music. and ethnic recordings. Starr masters were released on more than 70 labels, including Champion (5), Claxtonola, Herwin, Silvertone, and Supertone (5). Starr was a pioneer and leader in supplying records to chain stores and mail order houses. Sears and Roebuck carried the Silvertone, Supertone, Conqueror, and Challenge labels. The Depression hit the Starr Piano Company hard. It discontinued the Gennett label in 1930, but continued to produce the Champion label through 1934. Its pressing plant was sold to Decca in 1939. Its piano sales fell drastically between 1929-1931 and the company declared bankruptcy in 1934. It continued to operate through 1949, but the only records it produced during this time were custom recordings and an odd array of radio transcriptions, sound-effects records, and private and promotional issues.