Jim Busta is the band leader of the Jim Busta Band. Jim began playing a button accordion at a very early age during his boyhood days on the family farm in northeast Iowa. At a later time, he became more aware of concertinas as bands from Minnesota and Wisconsin often used these instruments. The concertina became his musical love. Jim is a self-taught concertina player.

Polka music was ever-present in the Busta household. Wedding dances, which often featured polka bands, were very common in the area communities of Spillville (IA) and Protivin (IA). Jim and his wife, Mary Lou, both enjoyed listening and dancing to polka music. They often took their four children—Lisa, Chad, Mollie, and Jason—with them to dances and festivals. The children all enjoy music and dancing. Two of the children, Chad and Mollie, are members of the Jim Busta Band. All of the children and Mary Lou have song on several of the recordings.

When not playing in the band, Jim’s profession is that of K-12 education. He taught and coached for five years, and then moved into school administration. He has been the Superintendent of Schools at Spring Grove, Minnesota for the past 18 years (1985 – present, 2003). Without a doubt, music and specifically, polka music, is his first and foremost hobby. Jim has been inducted in the Polka Club of Iowa Musicians Hall of Fame.

Jeff, from rural Cascade, IA, has been with the Jim Busta Band since 1981. “Sparky” comes from getting electrocuted on state at a polka gig. Sometimes, he's called the "gas man," but that's another story!

Jeff was active in junior-high and high school band. He attended and graduated from Northeast Iowa Community College. Jeff is employed as an auto body specialist in Dubuque, Iowa.

Jeff Biermann has recorded on all five of the Jim Busta Band recordings.

Chad, son of Jim, hailing from Onalaska, WI, joined the band at age 7 (1984), after practicing night after night in the Busta front entryway and filling in with the band here and there when he was 6. When he began, his father needed to modify the drum set so that Chad could reach the petals. Early in his career with the band, some dancers could hardly see if there was a drummer there since they heard a drum, but often could not see the drummer.

Chad musical studies included Junior-High and High School vocal music, saxophone and drums, and parts in various musical/drama productions. He attended and graduated from Wartburg College. While at college, he was a member of the Wartburg choir and also was a regular on the college radio station. Chad is a communications major, and now Chad works for Channel-8 television in LaCrosse where he is the productions manager. Chad also is a DJ and runs sounds for local groups and shows.

Steve, from rural Anamosa, IA, joined the Jim Busta Band in 1985. Words cannot explain Steve – so, we’ll do our best. He is a "garbologist" in Marion, IA, during the week and a comedian/stunt man on the weekend that stands in the center of the Jim Busta Band stage. Besides falling down stairs, bouncing around stage, teasing Mollie, Steve plays a great trumpet with his own polka style.

When not playing with the Jim Busta Band, Steve plays cornet with the Eastern Iowa Brass Band, out of Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Mollie is known for her bubbly personality, musical talent, and her award-winning voice. She has been performing with the Jim Busta Band since age 3, and still plays about 80% of the performances though she lives in Ohio and performs with other ensembles.

Mollie has loved music for as long as she can remember. Mollie had the beat in her at a very early age. Her mother always says, “Mollie was dancing the polka before she could walk.” Her Dad pulled her up on stage to sing at age 3. Before Mollie started school, she started plunking notes on the piano. And by time she was 8 years old she had enough music knowledge that her Dad put her on stage to chord along on the keyboard with the Jim Busta Band. And once she turned 10 years old, she was a regular member as 2nd trumpet player. Soon, she added saxophone, clarinet, valve trombone, and button box.

For the next 10 years, Mollie composed songs for the piano (some compositions were award-winning), arranged songs for her high school choir and band, and arranged songs for the Jim Busta Band. In addition, she served as the student-director for her high school band both in rehearsals and in concerts. She also held roles in musicals at the Ye Olde Opera House in Spring Grove, Minnesota (her home-town). Her favorite role was “Maria” in the Sound of Music.

Since Mollie’s mid-teenager years, she has enjoyed performing with many bands; some of those include SqueezeBox, Karl and the Country Dutchmen, Bruce Bradley Band, Gary and the Ridgeland Dutchmen, Music Connection, Brian and the Mississippi Valley Dutchmen, the Out-of-Town Czechs, Ray Dorschner and the Rainbow Valley Dutchmen, and SQUEEZEBOX. In addition, Mollie has been a guest vocalist with award-winning bands, such as Toledo Polka Motion, John Gora and Gorale, Polka Family, Klancnik and Friends and Kevin Solecki.

Mollie was named the Favorite Female vocalist by the United States Polka Association (USPA) for 2008 & 2009. Mollie’s composition “Out the Window” was named one of the top-ten polkas/waltzes written in 2009 by the Polka America Corporation.

Some of Mollie’s most note-worthy performances include: Iowa Governor Culver’s Inauguration Gala (Iowa City, IA, 2007), American Folk Arts Festival (Bangor, ME, 2006), “Big Joe Polka Show” (National RFD-TV program 2005-2007), Library of Congress (Washington, DC, 2002), Kennedy Center of Performing Arts (Washington, DC, 2002), Caribbean Cruise (2003), playing the role of “Maria” in the Sound of Music (Spring Grove, MN, 2003), “Polka Passion” (National PBS special, 2001), the President’s Palace in the Dominican Republic (2000), and Handel’s “Messiah” & Mozart’s “Requiem” soprano soloist (Decorah, IA, 2000).

Mollie has two solo recordings available: “Have a Jolly Mollie Christmas” (2001) and “A Song for Everyone” (1998). In addition, you can hear her music on the following recordings: “Freshly Squeezed” (SqueezeBox, 2008); “Polka Playin' Fool” (John Gora & Gorale, 2008); “The Best of Polka Parade 2007;” “Wisconsin State Polka Festival vol. 3” (2007); “Solecktive Sounds” (Kevin Solecki, 2007); “Squeeze Me” (SqueezeBox, 2007); “Polka Passion” (2002); “Luther College Concert Band, 2001;) “West Coast Tour 2001” (Luther College Nordic Choir); “Handel’s Messiah” (Luther College, 2000); “Boys Day Out” (Karl & the Country Dutchmen, 1999).