Greg Drust is a record collector of the most immersive kind. Exact figures are hard to maintain but Greg confidently estimates his collection as more than one million 78s, 45s and vinyl records. The passion for recorded music was instilled at a young age and intensified in spite of hardship after a serious car accident in 1974 that left him blind.
On a personal note, I first saw Drust at Bix Fest—an annual “trad jazz” festival in Racine—working his way through a dealer’s milk crates. The dealer would draw up a 78, list the artist, tune and label and then hand it to Greg who scrupulously removed each disk from its sleeve, held it to his ear and gave a light tap on the edge (to listen for a buzz that is the tell tale mark of cracks). After getting to know Drust, I was awed by the depth of his knowledge, passion and sense of purpose. His care for the welfare of records even transcends his own ability to enjoy them; Greg once surprised me with an emotional outburst when he learned that one dealer priced his 78s by writing directly on their labels with red grease pencil. Off The Cuff spoke with Greg Drust about his background and mission.
How did you get interested in collecting records?
My parents—this is the story I’m told—bought a turntable to entertain one of my father’s friends who was coming to visit us on the South Side of Milwaukee where I grew up. I was a babe in arms, somewhere between 1 and 2 years old. When I saw that record going around and heard that music coming out, I was so fascinated by that. I always played with records. If I had a top, I’d spin a 45 on top of that top. If I had a dump truck, it would be hauling records. Before I could read, I was able to distinguish between records by their logos.
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I was almost killed in a car accident in 1974. Collecting was therapy for me. There were two reasons inspiring me to get out of the hospital: to go to Easter service and to go to a record sale.
Many different styles and eras are represented in your collection, but you also have a special interest in polka.
Every nationality has its party music. Having grown up in a 100% Polish family, polka accompanied our happiest family times—weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations. It was very much the vocabulary of the German, Polish and Slovenian musicians living on the South Side of Milwaukee of my youth. Polka is the ethnic music of this area and my ethnic background has always been part of my identity. I gravitate toward styles of music that need help and exposure.
Do you regard collecting as your hobby?
No, it is the way I serve humanity. I archive, preserve and study American roots music. I also share it, right now through three polka shows but also by selling to collectors, using my collection to help bands build their repertoire and helping people locate copies of records that were important to them in their past. My spirit is fed by roots music and my mission is to feed God’s people with his music.
How long have you been producing radio shows?
I have had a weekly radio show under my own name since 1973. In the summer of 1978 I decided to give a polka radio show a try. I was surprised by how many people called in and said how much they liked it.
These days I have three polka shows. There’s “Polka Parade” on 1340 AM, WJYI and 98.7 FM and on the internet (polkaparade.org). I also host the show for the Wisconsin Polka Boosters from 11:30 a.m.-noon on Sunday 104.9 FM, WTKM and on online (wtkm.com).
My favorite of the three shows is “Greg Drust Polka World” on 247polkaheaven.com. I have total freedom and can play different polka styles and different European-American folk music. I find my greatest creativity there.
