Over the years, dozens of Canadians have known the lure of Grammy gold. Neil Young,
Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams, Céline Dion, Anne Murray, and a host of others have appeared
on the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences' annual roster of nominees.
None, however, has come close to matching the ever-lengthening record – 13 nominations
and three wins to date – of Canada's Grammy king, Walter Ostanek. Impressive, yes,
but his recording crown is only a footnote to a much longer reign as Canada's polka
king. Since Ostanek has been so closely associated with St. Catharines, the southwestern
Ontario city he's called home for nearly six decades, it's often assumed that he
hails from there. Actually, he was born in Duparquet, Quebec, on April 20, 1935.
It was his father, a miner, who instilled in Walter a tremendous love for music and
a particular passion for country and western songs and stars. His father's quest
for work led the Ostaneks to St. Catharines when Walter was in grade school. By age
nine, he was playing the button diatonic accordion, and by age 12 had graduated to
the piano accordion. Four years later, inspired by both his admiration for American
polka great Frank Yankovic and his love for country music, Ostanek in 1951 formed
his own country-tinged polka band. Before the band reached its second birthday –
Walter was just shy of 19 – he was invited to join Abbie Andrews and the Canadian
Ranch Boys, and quickly became a cornerstone of their three-times-a-week radio broadcasts.
Despite escalating success with the Ranch Boys, Ostanek wanted more, and the year
1957 proved ripe with possibilities. On January 26, his newly formed Walter Ostanek
Band made its debut at the German Village in Niagara Falls, Ontario. A month later,
on February 22, he exchanged wedding vows with his fiancée, Irene. Forty-four years
later, both the band and the marriage are going strong. Long before the term multi-media
came into vogue, Ostanek became a master of it. In addition to touring and recording,
he excelled as a songwriter, radio host, TV celebrity, and video star. Now he's putting
the finishing touches on his official Web site. His Hamilton-based variety show,
Polka Party, was a hit for 22 seasons and ranks among the longest-running series
in the history of Canadian television. In addition, he's been welcomed time and again
by TV's hottest hosts, contributed to countless telethons, headlined his own weekly
radio show for more than a decade and, along the way, found time to record more than
50 albums. Though his polka playing has always been categorized in the Slovenian-Cleveland
style, it's the Nashville sensibility and subtle country twang that make Ostanek's
sound both timeless and unique. In terms of popularity and musicianship, he can hold
his own against just about anyone who's trod the boards of the Grand Ol' Opry, and
has performed alongside most of them. But perhaps the greatest union came in December
1995, when Ostanek joined his hero and mentor, Frank Yankovic, for an historic, final
cross-Canada tour. Despite his status among the greats, Walter Ostanek remains an
awestruck fan. His personal record collection numbers in the thousands, but his real
pride and joy are the hundreds of autographs he has collected from just about every
country music star in the business. He has known and impressed most of them, although
he regrets never having had the chance to meet Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, or Roy
Acuff. He has also had his fair share of accolades. In addition to the three Grammys,
Ostanek's buckling trophy shelf boasts an assortment of gold records, awards for
song of the year, album of the year, and musician of the year from the National Cleveland-Style
Polka Hall of Fame, multiple band-of-the-year honours from Kitchener's world-renowned
Oktoberfest, inductions to Akron's Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and both the Chicago
and Cleveland Polka Halls of Fame, and the Order of Canada. But it isn't about the
prizes. For Walter Ostanek it's about pleasing fans and keeping the music he adores
alive and vital. In recent years, he has often augmented his recordings with compilation
albums that showcase the talents of the best up-and-coming polka bands. It's his
way of encouraging emerging artists while helping to preserve the musical heritage
to which he has contributed so much. "What you want to do," he says, "is to develop
the younger crowd. In my heart, if I see something happening for the future, for
the music I love, then I've done something constructive and positive."
