I've heard Eddie speak about his roses and his joy is in hybridizing, not in producing.
He lives just west of New Orleans (in Violette, I think) and from the talk I heard four years ago, he chose one rose whose form and strength he liked and worked with it.
Johnny Becnel lived just down the river (a lot closer as the crow flies than as the river flows) and Johnny started producing his roses.

Kind of an amazing story when you think about it. Thanks for the info!