Hi-Beams: Bio

Those unfamiliar with Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams are often as shocked by the band’s rootsy, honky tonk music as listeners once were by the Beatles’ shaggy hairdos or Johnny Rotten’s snarling lyrics. But just as old-time beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life are again topping the drink charts, classic honky tonk is back in style with a force. The echoey twang of the steel guitar, snap of the snare drum, thump of the stand-up bass and rippin’ electric guitar solos mix with Wofford’s distinctive vocals to create a solid sound that is familiar yet purely original. Not unlike hard-core bluegrass, The Hi-Beams’ style of honky tonk has a language and culture all to itself, but only takes one quick lesson to learn how to love for a lifetime.

Wofford’s growly, wavering tenor rings out across dive bars, theaters, municipal concerts and festivals all along the Front Range of Colorado and beyond, conjuring up images of Hank Williams Sr., Buddy Holly and Bob Wills. But while Wofford and his creative powerhouse of talented musicians are committed to playing real country music, they don’t stick just to the old, time-tested favorites. The band’s long collection of original tunes accompanies a handful of familiar crowd-pleasers to create a bulging repertoire of good music.

Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams’ first CD was released in 2003 to critical acclaim, topping the Freeform American Roots (FAR) Chart for two consecutive months. On the heels of a successful appearance on A Prairie Home Companion, the band’s second CD, Midnight Rodeo, is due out in June 2006.

Photo by Mary Staley Pridgen.