Gary Edwards, a prominent  businessman in the New Orleans music industry whose Sound of New Orleans label recorded many regional bands and musicians, died on September 22 after a lengthy illness. He was 79.

Born on November 28, 1941, Edwards was a man who wore many hats during his 50-plus years in the New Orleans music business. In recognition of his contributions, he was the 2015 recipient the Lifetime Achievement Award at of OffBeat‘s 2014 Best of The Beat Awards ceremony.

A native of the North Shore, as a teenager Edwards played the guitar in several local R&B and rock ‘n’ roll bands. Enrolling in Southeastern Louisiana University, Edwards continued to play in bands on the North Shore and wound up managing Cave Tangi, a popular music club in Hammond, Louisiana. After graduating in the mid-1960s, Edwards moved to New Orleans, where he taught high school chemistry for one year. Teaching didn’t appeal to him, but he felt New Orleans presented enough opportunity then to make a living in some area of the music business.

“There were a lot of good bands here, but Deacon John had the best band then,” said Edwards in 2014. “They were so good they intimidated me as a musician.”

Edwards got a job working in a music instrument shop and eventually came to own the business. Through the shop, Edwards nurtured a relationship with his primary influence, jazz musician Ellis Marsalis.

“Ellis was playing with Al Hirt, but he wanted to start his own band. I used to see him in the Quarter a lot. He played trad jazz but with a modern flare flair. He got a job at the Labor Union Hall and he needed a sound system. I knew how to put one together, so I did for Ellis. Then he got a job at Lu and Charlie’s and I put in the sound system. Ellis was an extraordinary musician.”

Through his experience with amplified music, in 1970 Edwards approached Quint Davis and eventually managed the sound for four stages at the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. At that festival, Edward‘s was introduced to another important influence, Sherman Washington, who then led the Zion Harmonizers.

“There was just something emotional and honest about gospel harmonizing. Being around that music had a tremendous effect on me.”

Edwards eventually started his own record label, Sound of New Orleans, to record the Zion Harmonizers. Washington would return the favor by introducing Edwards to the local Black religious community which helped his growing retail business. A favorite at European music festivals, Washington also introduced Edwards to several European festival promotors—contacts that he maintained for decades.

The 1980s kept Edwards busy as his rental and retail sound equipment business grew to be one of the largest in the South. He continued to supply sound equipment to the Jazz Fest and to the music venues at the 1984 World’s Fair. He also opened the largest record store in St. Bernard Parish while expanding his interest in the recording studio, building up a sizable catalog of New Orleans music. While working in the studio, Edwards was led to his third major influence, Cosimo Matassa.

“I got to know Cos at his last studio, Jazz City. I studied his work. Cos just let the musicians do their thing and got out of the way. That’s how I worked in the studio.”

Unfortunately, a major fire in 1988 destroyed Edwards’ Mid-City building which ruined all of his equipment along with his records, LPs and cassette inventory. Edwards eventually moved to St. Louis and didn’t return to New Orleans until 1992.

Back in New Orleans, Edwards rented a warehouse in the Homedale section of the city and rebuilt the Sound of New Orleans recording studio. The 1990s was a fertile decade for New Orleans music, which Edwards helped facilitate. With the advent of the compact disc, the Sound of New Orleans catalog grew exponentially. Edwards recorded the Treme Brass Band and Algiers High Steppers which aided the growth of New Orleans brass band music globally. The studio also boasted several new Latin, swamp pop, Cajun and zydeco titles along with the Dixieland, R&B and gospel standards.

By the beginning of the millennium, Edwards had one of the largest catalogs of New Orleans music. Then came Katrina. His building took on 10 feet of water and he lost everything once again, including 13 collectible Hammond organs. Edwards and his wife moved to Houston and remained there until 2009.

Upon his return, Edwards slowly replaced his catalog and even added a few selected recording projects. He also reconnected with some of his European contacts, and brought several bands from New Orleans overseas to international music festivals.

After Katrina, Edwards had a rather ominous prediction about the state of New Orleans music. “It’s become diluted since the storm. A lot of New Orleans musicians never came back. The out-of-town musicians are technically good, but they don’t have the New Orleans feel people are used to hearing.”

Edwards is survived by his wife, Jennifer, his daughter Amanda Edwards of Chicago, his brothers Mark Edwards of Ponchatoula and Barry Edwards of Destrehan, and his sister Noreen Edwards Metz of Evanston, Illinois.