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Goldband Records played a key role in documenting and shaping of musical traditions, tastes, and trends, both regionally and internationally since 1944. The focus of the Goldband catalog is certainly set on Country & Western, Swamp Pop, and Cajun music. However, from the 1960s until the early 1970s Goldband, and it's sub-label ANLA Records, released many high-quality Soul and Rhythm & Blues recordings. Simply put, Shuler had an ear for talent. He always believed in "...,giving a man a chance, otherwise, how would you discover what somebody could do?" That was the guiding philosophy and the secret to the success of Goldband Records.
Born March 27, 1913 in Wrightsboro, Texas, Eddie Shuler moved to Lake Charles in 1942 to work as a dragline operator. He found additional part-time work in a music store, leading him into a career in the music business. He then joined the country, western swing, and Cajun group The Hackberry Ramblers. Having sharpened his musical skills, he left the group to form his own band, The Reveliers.
By the early 1950s, Shuler acquired the Goldband complex in north Lake Charles. It would be a combination record store (Eddie's Music House), television repair shop (Eddie's Quick Service T.V.), and recording studio for over a half-century thereafter. Being the one and only recording studio in town, it did not take long for other artists in the area to migrate in Shuler's direction.
A grassroots operation, Shuler was head of distribution and promotion. He distributed the recordings from the back of his car to record stores and to jukebox operators. Knowing that getting airplay was the key to increasing sales he created multiple labels which assured him better chances with the radio. One of those auxiliary labels was ANLA which featured Soul and R&B artists from South Louisiana and East Texas, including Clifton White, Charles Greene, and the Original Soul Senders. Around the same time, future Zydeco celebrity "Count" Rockin' Sidney joined Goldband for almost a dozen releases.
At the time of Eddie Shuler's passing on July 23, 2005, he was the head of the nation's longest running independent record label, Goldband, which is still based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. |
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