Stanley J. Lewis

1927 - 2018

Stanley J. Lewis

Shreveport, LA - A Mass of Christian Burial for Stanley J. Lewis, 91, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 19, 2018, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, with Fr. Charles Glorioso and Fr. Timothy C. Hurd officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Park Cemetery, St. Vincent Ave., Shreveport, LA. The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, 2018, with a vigil at 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, LA.

Stanley was born July 5, 1927, in Shreveport, LA to Lucille Scalia Lewis and Frank Leonard Lewis and passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side July 14, 2018.

In 1948, Stan and Pauline founded Stan's Record Shop at 728 Texas Street. He would soon become known affectionately as "Stan the Record Man Lewis." This modest store grew into a record empire comprising six retail stores, a nationwide mail-order and distributor service, and multiple record labels.

In the 1950s, Lewis sponsored radio shows featuring blues and gospel records available for mail-order. Broadcast throughout much of the country, the music cultivated loyal teenage customers including Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan. In addition to selling records, Stan's Record Shop also sold tickets to music performances like the Louisiana Hayride; one performer to regularly visit and buy records was Elvis Presley. Lewis also developed a long-lasting friendship with Leonard Chess of Chicago. This resulted in Chess releasing records by Shreveport musicians including "Susie-Q" by Dale Hawkins, a song written by Hawkins and Lewis.

In 1964, Lewis began releasing 45s on his own record label, Jewel. Soon thereafter, he founded two additional labels: Paula and Ronn. Over the next 20 years, Lewis's labels issued over 1,000 releases. Those 45s, LPs, reel-to-reels, 8 tracks, cassettes, and compact discs shared countless songs with the world. Perhaps the most well-known are Toussaint McCall's "Nothing Takes the Place of You", John Fred and His Playboy Band's "Judy In Disguise" and Joe Stampley and The Uniques "All These Things." Lewis' labels preserved in wax the sounds of many Louisiana musicians, sustained the careers of veteran rhythm and blues performers from around the nation, and issued over 400 African American gospel records.

By 1973, the business had grown so large that Billboard music magazine cited it as the largest freight user, largest telephone user, and greatest customer of the Post Office Department in this part of the nation. The work was accomplished through the help of over 200 employees. At this time, Lewis handled distribution for more than 600 record labels to other record stores. During 1972, he sold over 2.5 million singles and 470,000 albums.

For his work, Lewis received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 from Offbeat magazine, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, and he was honored with three Stan "The Record Man" Lewis festivals hosted annually from 2014 to 2016 by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.

Stanley is preceded in death by his parents, brother, Ronnie Lewis, and mother of his children, Pauline Taglavore Lewis. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Leonard J. "Lenny" Lewis, Susan Lewis Garriga; grandchildren, Christopher Garriga and wife Jennifer and Michael Garriga and wife Ali; and his precious great-granddaughters who he adored, Charley and Collins; brother, A. J. Lewis and wife Josie; special companion, Barbara Hester; dear friend Garland Jones; and numerous nieces, and nephews.

Honoring Stanley as pallbearers will be Garland Jones, Ron Lewis, T. J. Mandina, Deryl Medlin, Bill Norwood, and Ernest Palmisano.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Keith Abel, Pat Benti, Marshall Chess, John Fertitta, Bruce Flett, Dan Garner, Warren Hildebrand, James Lewis, Stanley Lewis, Don Logan, Larry Ryan, and Ken Shepherd.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Sally Ball, and Alpine Guest Care in Ruston, La for all their care and compassion.

The family suggests memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Pl., Memphis, TN, 38105, or Loyola College Prep, 921 Jordan, Shreveport, LA 71101.