Elvis and shreveport, louisiana record shop owner Stan "the record man" Lewis. Elvis was a customer as well as signed autographs here. Stan also used to feed breakfast to Elvis and his band when they were strapped for cash. The lady with Elvis and Stan is Stan's wife, Paula. The child with Elvis is Stan's 6 year old son, Lenny.
About Stan Lewis & Jewel-Paula Records:
Stan Lewis (born july 5, 1927) opened his first record store on June 22, 1948, with money he saved from selling newspapers. At twenty years old, he became a music industry pioneer by setting up a national independent distribution network and sponsoring radio shows on Clear Channel stations KWKH in Shreveport and KAAY in Little Rock, covering most of the country and advertising his records through mail order. Stan "the Record Man" quickly became friends with the early entrepreneurs of R&B and rock & roll: Leonard and Phil Chess, the Bihari Brothers, Sam Phillips and his brothers. In addition to sales and distribution, Lewis also had an ear for talent and the ability to shape hits. In 1963, Lewis started Jewel Records and later Paula and Ronn Records. He also acquired a large collection of Chicago Blues material, including recordings released on the Cobra, Chief, Artistic, JOB and USA labels.
From the humblest of beginnings in a record store no larger than the size of a closet, Stan Lewis became the South's largest independent record distributor -- and Jewel Records became a leading independent label with dozens of national hits on the R&B and pop charts.
