Goldband Records
Encyclopedia
Goldband Records is an American record company based in Lake Charles, Louisiana
, founded in 1945 and best known for its Cajun
and R&B recordings in the 1950s and 1960s.
The company was established by Eddie Shuler (March 27, 1913 - July 23, 2005). Shuler was born in Wrightsboro, Texas
, and moved to Lake Charles in 1942 to work in an oil refinery. He played guitar with The Hackberry Ramblers before forming his own band, The All-Star Reveliers, which performed on radio station KPLC in 1945. Shuler formed Goldband Records that year, originally to record his own group, but soon diversified into releasing records by other local bands. In 1948 he began releasing records by accordionist Iry LeJeune
, on a subsidiary label, Folk Star - among the first Cajun recordings released - and in 1951 The Reveliers had their own regional hit with "Ace of Love".
In the early 1950s, Shuler established the Goldband complex - including recording studio, record store, and TV store - in Lake Charles, and began recording all genres of music, including R&B, blues
, country
, rock and roll
, swamp pop
and Cajun. Hit recordings included Boozoo Chavis
' "Paper in My Shoe" (1954) and the company's biggest seller, Phil Phillips
' "Sea of Love" (1959). Goldband was also the first to record Dolly Parton
(then 14 years old), with "Puppy Love" (1960). Other artists recording for Goldband included Rockin' Sidney
, Jo-El Sonnier
, and Freddy Fender
.
The company thrived with Cajun regional successes through the 1960s, but changing tastes in the 1970s led to a decline in its fortunes. By the time of Shuler's death in 2005 it was the longest established independent record company.
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, founded in 1945 and best known for its Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
and R&B recordings in the 1950s and 1960s.
The company was established by Eddie Shuler (March 27, 1913 - July 23, 2005). Shuler was born in Wrightsboro, Texas
Wrightsboro, Texas
Wrightsboro is an unincorporated community in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population 76 in 2000.Wrightsboro is located at...
, and moved to Lake Charles in 1942 to work in an oil refinery. He played guitar with The Hackberry Ramblers before forming his own band, The All-Star Reveliers, which performed on radio station KPLC in 1945. Shuler formed Goldband Records that year, originally to record his own group, but soon diversified into releasing records by other local bands. In 1948 he began releasing records by accordionist Iry LeJeune
Iry LeJeune
Iry LeJeune was one of the best selling and most popular Cajun musicians in the mid to late 1940s into the early 1950s....
, on a subsidiary label, Folk Star - among the first Cajun recordings released - and in 1951 The Reveliers had their own regional hit with "Ace of Love".
In the early 1950s, Shuler established the Goldband complex - including recording studio, record store, and TV store - in Lake Charles, and began recording all genres of music, including R&B, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, swamp pop
Swamp pop
Swamp rock is a musical genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s and early 1960s by teenaged Cajuns and black Creoles, it combines New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and traditional French...
and Cajun. Hit recordings included Boozoo Chavis
Boozoo Chavis
Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis was a zydeco musician - music created by French speaking Creoles of South-West Louisiana. He was active from 1954 until his death during which time he largely sang and played the accordion. Chavis was also a prolific writer of zydeco songs...
' "Paper in My Shoe" (1954) and the company's biggest seller, Phil Phillips
Phil Phillips
Phil Phillips is an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1959 hit, "Sea of Love".-Biography:...
' "Sea of Love" (1959). Goldband was also the first to record Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
(then 14 years old), with "Puppy Love" (1960). Other artists recording for Goldband included Rockin' Sidney
Rockin' Sidney
Sidney Simien aka Rockin' Sidney and Count Rockin' Sidney, was an American R&B, zydeco, and soul musician who began recording in the late 1950s and continued performing until his death.-Biography:...
, Jo-El Sonnier
Jo-El Sonnier
Jo-El Sonnier is an American singer-songwriter and accordionist who performs country music and Cajun music. Originally signed to Mercury Nashville Records, Sonnier charted several minor singles on the Billboard country charts in the late 1970s...
, and Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
.
The company thrived with Cajun regional successes through the 1960s, but changing tastes in the 1970s led to a decline in its fortunes. By the time of Shuler's death in 2005 it was the longest established independent record company.