Gramophone Man sings to his own vintage-inspired tune

FOR 20 years, Gramophone Man has fought single-handedly to keep vintage machines — and vintage music — relevant in Australia.

The Gramophone Man with his gramophone at Brooklyn. He is a DJ who uses old gramophones in his performance. Picture: Troy Snook

FOR 20 years, Gramophone Man has fought single-handedly to keep vintage machines — and vintage music — relevant as Australia evolved through tapes, CDs and mpeg files.

“I love the sound of the windup gramophone but I also love the design of the machine,” says Gramophone Man, who prefers his identity remain a secret (in real life he’s a DJ, musician and tour producer).

“You can basically pick it up and take it out into the park, wind it up and have music wherever you want to. No electricity required!”

Known for his street theatre shows and appearances at music festivals around Australia and abroad, Gramophone Man says he got his start almost by accident.

“I was given a 1931 gramophone as a birthday present by a friend in the mid 90s,” says the 40-something minstrel.

“I started collecting old 78 shellac records that can only be played on windup gramophones which in turn started my interest in the music of the era and I fell in love.”

Today’s Australian of the Day says his passion for the music of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s can be contagious.

“When I play my swing records or more trad jazz and some gypsy jazz styles, it gets people going,” he says.

“There’s a resurgence in interest in swing and trad jazz among younger people. So I get lots of swing dancers come along and dance when I’m performing and little kids love it as well. I feel I am keeping that particular era of music alive. It’s certainly unique and it is immense fun, too.”

CommBank has partnered with News Corp Australia to champion the Australian of the Day initiative which celebrates people in our neighbourhoods and communities who really make a difference to how we live and who we are.

You can read all their stories at australianoftheday.com.au, where you can also nominate someone you know.

Originally published as Gramophone Man sings to his own vintage-inspired tune