StarWalk facts for kids
The StarWalk was a special outdoor display in Nashville, Tennessee. It honored famous country music artists who had won Grammy Awards. Imagine a sidewalk with big cement plaques! These plaques had the handprints, special marks, and messages from the honored artists. It was a bit like the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. When it first opened, people called it the "country music version" of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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How the StarWalk Started
The StarWalk was a team effort. It was created by the Fountain Square entertainment area and the Nashville group of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. This Academy is famous for giving out the Grammy Awards!
Fountain Square was a big place with shops, restaurants, and fun things to do. The StarWalk plaques were set up along a pretty path next to a lake. Each plaque was huge! They were about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long. They were also very heavy, weighing about 700 pounds each. Each one had a shiny brass frame around it.
Honoring Country Music Stars
The StarWalk project was announced at a special party on January 27, 1987. At this event, the first 10 artists chosen for the StarWalk were revealed. These first stars included:
- Alabama
- Chet Atkins
- the Charlie Daniels Band
- Crystal Gayle
- Loretta Lynn
- Ronnie Milsap
- the Oak Ridge Boys
- Jerry Reed
- Conway Twitty
- Dottie West
The first official ceremony happened in August 1987. By then, the number of honored artists grew to 50! Most of these stars came in person to leave their handprints and messages. Besides the first 10, other famous names added that day included:
- Johnny Cash
- Rosanne Cash
- Tammy Wynette
- Wynonna and Naomi Judd (The Judds)
- Lynn Anderson
- Ricky Skaggs
The people who created the StarWalk planned to add five new Grammy winners each year. The original wall had space for 150 plaques. There was also room to make it even bigger in the future.
More Stars Added Over Time
Many more country music legends were honored in the years that followed. Some of these included:
- Dolly Parton (in 1988)
- Jeannie C. Riley (in 1989)
- the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (in 1990)
- Garth Brooks (in 1992)
- Emmylou Harris (in 1993)
- Brooks & Dunn (in 1997)
- Earl and Randy Scruggs (in 1997)
Where Did the StarWalk Go?
By the early 1990s, the StarWalk plaques were moved to a new home. They were placed at the Opryland theme park.
When Opryland theme park closed its doors in December 1997, the plaques moved again. This time, they were placed outside the famous Grand Ole Opry House. Eventually, the StarWalk display was taken down. It was removed quietly without a big announcement.
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