Edwin Sheppard was born on February 25th 1894 in New Jersey (1893 according to the 1900 census), the youngest youngest of 3 surviving children (3 others having died). His mother, Katie, is listed as widowed as early as 1900 (the 1880 census lists his Kate's husband as Frank Sheppard, a 20 year old woodturner).

Very shortly after the 1900 Census (probably that year) his mother has remarried a Peter Murchy (probably around 1900), and Edwin is living with them in the 1910 Census. His sister Blanch (now Blanch Christian) is living at the same address, with her husband Marvin and daughter Catrina, and also sharing the house is his other sister, whose name variously appears as Clanito, Elmire, or Elmira!). Ed is listed here as Edward.

Ed's 1917 draft card describes him as an unemployed musician and lists himself as married with one child. His description is as follows: Medium height and build, light hair and blue eyes. He is again listed as Edward, suggesting he habitually called himself Ed and the various officials assumed Edward was his true name.

The earliest extant roll crediting Sheppard as the performer is a DeLuxe roll from around 1916, #15376 And They Called It Dixieland. Very little is known about this company. However, by August 1919, Sheppard was under the employ of the Rose Valley Msuic Co., manufacturers of several brands of roll, the most prominent (and long-lived) being the 'Ideal' brand. An August 1919 press release touts Rose Valley's new 'Peerless' brand of word rolls, and listed the initial release of 10 titles including 4 played by Sheppard - Granny, Daddy Long Legs, When The Preacher Makes You Mine, and That Heavenly Jazz.

In 1920 Edwin is still living with his mother and father-in-law, but has now married Lucy and has two children, Edwin Jr. and Frank. He's listed as 'Musician - Music Roll Co.'.

Sheppard starts to appear in earnest for the Rose Valley roll company around October 1922, no less than 10 of their releases for that month crediting him as the artist. Other rolls credit C(arl) H(einrich) Leonhardi and Paul (A.) Embrock as pianists, however no records of these names can be found. A 1914 press release lists them both as composers attached to the Whitney-Warner Company, a sheet music publishing company that was a subsidiary of the giant Jerome H. Remick & Co. and headed by Johann C. Schmid, who was also the general manager of the Rose Valley roll company. Interestingly, of the 7 composers listed as having joined the company, none can be found in initial genealogical searches, suggesting they were all pseudonyms. This in turn implies the rolls crediting Leonhardi and Embrock were also the work of Sheppard.

Although his mother and stepfather are easily found in the 1930 Census, no trace of the Sheppard family can be found. However, as late as February 1930, Sheppard was still churning out rolls for the Rose Valley Music Co., under their 'Ideal' label.

He appears again in the 1942 WW2 draft index, now 48 years old and living at 2722 Brill Street, Philadelphia. He names his next of kin as 'Mrs E. Sheppard' at the same address, and employer as William Evans at Hainesport, New Jersey.

His death came in November 1964, in Philadelphia.