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American collector of 78-rpm records, musician, and owner/operator of [l1171698] from 1958 to 1970. Born July 11, 1936 in Frederick, Maryland. Died September 26, 2022 in Frederick, Maryland.
Bussard maintained a collection of more than 15,000 records, primarily of American folk, gospel, and blues from the 1920s and 1930s, believed to be one of the largest (and best quality) in the world.
He was the subject of a documentary film, Desperate Man Blues, and his collection was mined for a compilation CD, Down in the Basement.

ALBUMS


Joe Bussard
Guitar Rag / Screwdriver Slide
2013, 10", RSD, Ltd, Tompkins Square
Joe Bussard
Cole Black Blues / Who'll Rock The Cradle
1963, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers
The Flight of Astronaut John Glenn / Ragtime Annie
1962, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers
Mollie Rinktum / Can I Get You Now
1962, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers
Shortini' Bread / Salty Dog Blues
1962, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers, Uncle Bud Taylor*
Lonesome Road Blues / Off To Cuba
1961, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard - Oscar Myers - Uncle Bud Taylor*
Banks Of Old Tennessee / Blue Eyes Run Me Crazy
1961, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers, Bud Taylor
Home Sweet Home / Mountaineers Courtship
1961, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard, Oscar Myers
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane / Chinese Breakdown
1960, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard
West Virginia Rag / Joe's Rag
1960, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard
Rabbit Chase / Sourwood Creek
1960, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard
Wildwood Rose / John Henry
1960, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Bud* & Joe*
Stealin' / Guitar Jump
1960, Acetate, 10", Fonotone Record
Joseph E Bussard*
John Hardy / Tennessee Miners Blues
1959, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Various
Joe Bussard Presents: The Year Of Jubilo - 78 RPM Recordings Of Songs From The Civil War
2015, CD, Album, Comp, Dust-to-Digital
Various
Fonotone Records: Frederick, Maryland (1956-1969)
2005, 5xCD, Comp + Box, Dust-to-Digital
Mash Mountain Boys
Hopalong Peter / A Pretty Girl's Love
1968, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Back Alley Boys
Alley Strut / Alley Blues
1967, Acetate, 7", Single, Fonotone Record
Possum Holler Boys
Little Rabbit / Cripple Creek
1961, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard & Oscar Myers
Worried Man Blues / Jealous Hearted Me
1960, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Joe Bussard & Oscar Myers
Medley of Old Time Tunes
1959, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Jolly Joe And His Jug Band
First New Jug Band In The Traditional Style
LP, Album, Piedmont (2)
The West Maryland Highballers
Original And Traditional Country Music
LP, Album, Biograph

APPEARANCES +


Various
Imaginational Anthem: Essential Guitar Vol. 1-5
2012, 5xCD, Comp + CD, Album, Bon + Box, Comp, Ltd, Tompkins Square, ,
Folk/Acoustic
Various
The Big Broadcast - Volume 6 (Jazz And Popular Music Of The 1920s And 1930s)
2010, CD, Comp, Rivermont
Harry Smith
Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music Volume Two: Social Music
2009
Harry Smith
Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music Volume One: Ballads
2009
Harry Smith
Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music Volume Three: Songs
2009
Various
Imaginational Anthem: Essential Guitar Vols. 1-3
2008, 3xCD, Comp + Box, Comp, Tompkins Square, ,
Folk/Acoustic
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Ballads, Banjo Tunes And Sacred Songs Of Western North Carolina
2007, CD, Comp, Mono, RP, Smithsonian Folkways
Various
Imaginational Anthem
2005, CD, ,
Acoustic
Various
Desperate Man Blues: Discovering The Roots Of American Music (Original Soundtrack)
2004, ,
Country Blues/Country/Bluegrass/Rock & Roll
Various
Where Will You Be Christmas Day?
2004, CD, ,
Music Hall/Louisiana Blues/Big Band/Ballad/Vocal/Holiday/Country Blues
Various
Down In The Basement (Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove Of Vintage 78s 1926-1937)
2002
Harry Smith
Anthology Of American Folk Music
1997, ,
Cajun/Country/Field Recording/Gospel/Delta Blues/Folk
Various
Songs For Political Action - Folkmusic, Topical Songs And The American Left 1926 - 1953
1996, 10xCD, Comp + Box, Bear Family Records, ,
Folk
Jimmy O'Bryant, Vance Dixon
Hot Clarinets - Jimmy O'Bryant Vol. 2 August 1925 - January 1926 / Vance Dixon 1923-1931
1995, CD, Comp, RST Records,
Frank "Springback" James* & George Curry
Completed Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1934-1938
1994, CD, Comp, RM, Document Records (2)
"Banjo" Ikey Robinson*
In Chronological Order 1929-1937
1994
Various
Texas: Black Country Dance Music 1927-1935
1993
Lil Johnson
(1935-1937)
1990, LP, Comp, Mono, Rst Records, ,
Erotic
Various
Hokum Blues (1924-1936)
1990, LP, Comp, Mono, RM, RST Records
Various
String Bands (1926-1931) (The Complete Recordings Of Kansas City Blues Strummers, Old Pal Smoke Shop Four, Nap Hayes & Matthew Prater, T.C. Johnson - "Blue Coat" Tom Nelson, The Too Bad Boys, Alabama Sheiks)
1990, LP, Comp, Mono, Old Tramp
Leola B. Wilson & "Kid" Wesley Wilson*
(1928-1933)
1989, LP, Comp, Mono, Ltd, Document Records (2)
The Hokum Boys
(1929) The Remaining Titles
1988, LP, Comp, Mono, RM, RST Records
Various
Carolina Blues Guitar (1936-1951)
1988
Kokomo Arnold
Master Of The Bottleneck Guitar 1930-1938
1987, LP, Comp, Mono, Ltd, RM, Document Records (2), ,
Country Blues/Chicago Blues
Oscar "Buddy" Woods*
The Lone Wolf: 1930-1938
1987, LP, Comp, Ltd, Document Records (2), ,
Country Blues
Henry Johnson And His Boys
St. Louis String Band Rarities 1927
1987, LP, Comp, Mono, Ltd, Num, RM, Limited Edition Records (8)
Bill Clifton And The Dixie Mountain Boys*
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
1973
Danville Dan
Nightfall / Calico
1968, Acetate, 7", Single, Fonotone Record
Various
Traditional Country Classics 1927-1929
1968, ,
Folk
John Fahey
The Voice Of The Turtle
1968, Vinyl Black Label Version #1, ,
Acoustic/Delta Blues/Experimental/Folk
Gabriel's Holy Testifiers
Hellelujah To The Lamb / Walk In Jerusalem
1964, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Gabriel's Holy Testifiers
Lay My Armor Down / Be Ready
1964, Acetate, 10", Single, Fonotone Record
Michael A. Stewart*
Kansas City Dog Walk / Low And Weary Blues
1962, Acetate, 7", Single, Fonotone Record
Michael A. Stewart*
One Way Gal / Can't Buy It No More
1962, Acetate, 7", Single, Fonotone Record
Lottie Kimbrough And Winston Holmes
Lottie Kimbrough And Winston Holmes (1928-29) (Complete Recordings In Chronological Order)
LP, Comp, Mono, Wolf Records (2)
Various
Rare Hot Chicago Jazz 1925(?)-1929
LP, Comp, Herwin Records,
Various
The 78 Project: Volume 2 Original Soundtrack To The 78 Project Movie
2014, LP, Comp, Mono, Ltd, The 78 Project
Various
For The Faithful
2013, CD, RSD, Comp, Promo, Smplr, Tompkins Square