There are great songwriters and then there are musicians who define an era and that’s exactly what Edwards, along with his writing and band partner Nile Rodgers managed to achieve. From the mid 70’s through the 1980’s, Edward’s disco oriented songs for his own band, Chic, for Sister Sledge, Norma Jean Wright, Diana Ross, Fonzi Thornton and Debbie Harry gave both energy to the dance floor and enthused the world with a good times philosophy.

Not only did he write hugely successful songs, the musicianship of Bernard, and ultimately his prowess as a bass player inspired generations to come, especially the next generation of New York artists. His Good Times bass line was a fully cited influence on Queen Another One Bites The Dust, but it was directly used on the Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight which is widely acknowledged as the first rap song to become a mainstream hit and a key starting point for the Hip Hop genre.

Other great work exists for Edwards, with productions for Duran Duran, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, Jody Watley and his own supergroup Power Station.

Posthumously Edwards was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, but within his life he was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, for Best Rhythm & Blues Song three years running, for Chic Dance, Dance, Dance in 1978, for Sister Sledge We Are Family in 1979, and for Diana Ross Upside Down in 1980. Following this he was nominated for his production work on the legendary Robert Palmer song Addicted To Love in 1986.