Hi Busse and the Frontiersmen

Born in Warroad, Minnesota, in 1914, Enright August ("Hi-Pockets") Busse was accordionist for Jack Dalton's Riders of the Purple Sage on KFI (1934), the first band so-named. He joined the Texas Ramblers and The Saddletramps before founding his still-active Frontiersmen (1938) who later, through band member Eddie Martin, introduced steel guitar into Western music. Touring with Roy Rogers they introduced "Dust," "Along the Navajo Trail," "Don't Fence Me In" and, with Rex Allen, Jr., "Can You Hear Those Pioneers." With Eddie Dean, he recorded the first hits of "One Has My Name..." and "Hillbilly Heaven" (by band member Hal Southern). "Hi" wrote songs for and made Westerns, did radio and TV and toured with Tex Ritter, Tex Williams, Rex Allen, cast members of Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Big Valley, and dozens more. "Hi" was responsible for Ray Price's country career, Rex Allen finding The Reinsmen, Tommy Doss joining Hugh Farr and The Sons of the Pioneers and, in part, Ken Curtis' run on Gunsmoke.

"Hi" Busse hosted the Western music radio feature "Song and Story" created with Rick Huff, and his career was profiled on PBS. For "Hi's" Hall of Fame induction The Frontiersmen's recorded Curley Fletcher's newly-found "There's a Round-Up Out in Rangeland Today."