Dolly Parton Recorded Her First Song at This Spot in Lake Charles

There is not much to see at the lush green lot on the corner of North Ryan Street and Church Street near downtown Lake Charles. But if you look closer, you will notice a bold bronze marker detailing the site's impact on the world of music.

In 1945, this lot was home to Eddie Schuler’s world famous Goldband Studio.

Originally, Eddie opened the studio (demolished in 2017) to record his own band's music. He played music with The Hackberry Ramblers before forming his own band, The All-Star Revelers. Due to the successful recordings of Cajun, swamp pop, and Rhythm-And-Blues albums, Schuler soon turned his studio into a musical complex that included the studio, production rooms, and retail record/tv salesrooms.

In 1959, at the age of thirteen, Dolly Parton recorded her very first song, Puppy Love, at the Goldband Studio. Dolly would later become a worldwide singing sensation and remains one of the highest-paid women in country music today.

Others who recorded at the studio were Boozoo Chavis with his single, Paper in My Shoe and the top-selling Sea of Love by Phil Phillips. Rockin’ Sidney, Sidney Brown, Freddy Fender, and Jo-El Sonnier were also among regular recording artists.

The 1970s saw a change in music that eventually resulted in the studio's demise. Following Schuler’s passing in 2005, the Goldband Records label became a mail order record company.

If you are a fan of local musical history, the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society invites you to visit the spot where decades of music were made.