Highway 101
is an American country music band. Active since the mid-1980s, the band has gone through several rotations in membership, and currently comprises lead singer Nikki Nelson, along with Cactus Moser, Curtis Stone, and Andy Gurley.
Since their foundation, Highway 101 has charted more than fifteen singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs charts, in addition to releasing several major-label studio albums.
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HIGHWAY 101 TICKETS
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History
Highway 101 was formed in 1986, when Chuck Morris, manager of
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band decided to build a band around his new discovery,
Paulette Carlson. With the help of Carlson, they recruited Cactus Moser, Curtis Stone and Jack Daniels. Although they had a recording deal with
MCA Records, they signed with
Warner Bros. Records instead. After their first single, "Some Find Love" failed, they returned to the studio and recorded "The Bed You Made for Me", a song Paulette had written. The song was released as a single and reached #4 in 1987, immediately their debut album
Highway 101
was released.
Three more singles followed, "Whiskey, if You Were a Woman" (#2), "Somewhere Tonight" (co-written by
Rodney Crowell) (#1) and "Cry, Cry, Cry" (#1). After the chart success, Highway 101 was nominated and won the award for Vocal Group of the Year at the 1988 ACM and CMA Awards. Later that year,
Highway 101²
, their second album was released, along with their third #1 single, "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes." Follow up singles, "All the Reasons Why" (#5), "Setting Me Up" (a
Dire Strait cover) (#7) and "Honky Tonk Heart" (#8) all charted within the Top 10.
Highway 101²
also included a cover of
Buck Owens’ "There Goes My Love" and songs written by
Beth Nielsen Chapman ("All the Reasons Why" co written with Carlson, and "Long Way Down"). A repeated performance followed at the 1989 CMA Awards.
In 1989,
Paint the Town
, their third album was released. "Who’s Lonely Now" the first single, rose to #1 and was co-written by
Kix Brooks who would later become part of the duo
Brooks & Dunn. "Walkin’, Talkin’, Cryin’, Barely Beatin’ Broken Heart" (#4) and "This Side of Goodbye" (co-written by Moser) (#11) were released as the final singles. At the 1990 CMA and ACM awards, they were again nominated for Vocal Group of the Year but failed to win either awards. They released,
Greatest Hits
in 1990 along with the single "Someone Else’s Trouble Now" (#14) and soon after Carlson announced that she’d would be leaving Highway 101, in order to purse her solo career.
Highway 101 recruited
Nikki Nelson as their new vocalist, their first album together was 1991’s
Bing Bang Boom
. Their first single was the title track which went to #14 and featured a very playful video that aired on CMT. Three more singles followed, "The Blame" (#31), "Baby, I’m Missing You" (#22) and "Honky Tonk Baby" (#54). They received another nomination at the ACM Awards for Vocal Group of the Year, but didn’t win. In 1992, they parted ways with
Warner Bros. Records, Chuck Morris (their manager), Paul Worley (their producer) and Jack Daniels.
The New Frontier
(1993) was released under Liberty Records. Only two singles were released, "You Baby You" (#67) and "Who’s Gonna Love You", the first Highway 101 single to not make an entry into the Billboard Country Charts.
Carlson and Daniels, would return to Highway 101 in 1996 for the Tenth Year Anniversary.
Reunited
(1996) and
Latest & Greatest
(1997) were released under the independent Intersound Records. "Where’d You Get Your Cheatin’ From" and "It Must be Love" were released as singles. In 1998, Carlson and Daniels would both depart Highway 101 once again.
In 1999, Moser who was absent from the Reunion albums returned and with Stone and they reformed Highway 101 with Charlie White and new vocalist Chrislynn Lee. With FreeFalls, an independent record label, Highway 101 released their seventh studio album,
Big Sky
. The album also included "There Goes My Love", previously recorded with Carlson (1988) and "I Wonder Where the Love Goes", previously recorded with Nelson (1993).
White departed in 2002, and was replaced with Justin Weaver. Lee soon departed as well, and Nelson returned in 2006. In 2007, Weaver departed and was replaced by Andy Gurley. Despite going through numerous personnel changes, Highway 101 has maintained an active force in Country Music and continues to tour.
Members
| 1986-1990
|
- Paulette Carlson - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Jack Daniels - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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| 1991-1992
|
- Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Jack Daniels - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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| 1993-1994
|
- Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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| 1996-1997
|
- Paulette Carlson - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Jack Daniels - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
|
|
| 1999-2002
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- Chrislynn Lee - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Charlie White - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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| 2003-2005
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- Chrislynn Lee - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Justin Weaver - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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| 2006-present
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- Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Justin Weaver - electric guitar, vocals
- Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals
- Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
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Discography
Studio albums
| Year
| Album
| Chart positions [1]
| Certifications [2]
|
| US Country
|
| 1987
| Highway 101
- Released: 1987
- Label: Warner Bros. Records
| 7
|
|
| 1988
| Highway 101²
- Released: 1988
- Label: Warner Bros. Records
| 8
|
| 1989
| Paint the Town
- Released: 1989
- Label: Warner Bros. Records
| 22
|
| 1991
| Bing Bang Boom
- Released: 1991
- Label: Warner Bros. Records
| 36
|
| 1993
| The New Frontier
- October 19, 1993
- Label: Capitol Nashville
| —
|
| 1996
| Reunited
- February 20, 1996
- Label: Intersound
| —
|
| 2000
| Big Sky
- Released: May 9, 2000
- Label: FreeFalls
| —
|
Compilation albums
| Year
| Album
| Chart positions
|
| US Country
|
| 1990
| Greatest Hits
- Released: September 11, 1990
- Label: Warner Bros. Records
| 27
|
| 1997
| Latest & Greatest
- Released: February 25, 1997
- Label: Columbia
| —
|
| 2001
| Country Classics
- Released: 2001
- Label: Priceless Collection
| —
|
| 2004
| 10 All Time Greatest Hits
- Released: October 19, 2004
- Label: Compendia
| —
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| 2009
| Only the Best of Highway 101
- Released: April 28, 2009
- Label: Collectables
| —
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Singles
| Year
| Song
| Chart Positions
| Album
|
| US Country
| CAN Country
|
| 1987
| "The Bed You Made for Me"
| 4
| 8
| Highway 101
|
| "Whiskey, If You Were a Woman"
| 2
| 1
|
| "Somewhere Tonight"
| 1
| 1
|
| 1988
| "Cry, Cry, Cry"
| 1
| 1
|
| "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes"
| 1
| 1
| Highway 101²
|
| "All the Reasons Why"
| 5
|
|
| 1989
| "Setting Me Up"
| 7
| 4
|
| "Honky Tonk Heart"
| 6
| 5
|
| "Who's Lonely Now"
| 1
| 1
| Paint the Town
|
| 1990
| "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart"
| 4
| 5
|
| "This Side of Goodbye"
| 11
| 9
|
| "Someone Else's Trouble Now"
| 14
| 11
| Greatest Hits
|
| 1991
| "Bing Bang Boom"
| 14
| 27
| Bing Bang Boom
|
| "The Blame"
| 31
| 27
|
| "Baby, I'm Missing You"
| 22
| 18
|
| 1992
| "Honky Tonk Baby"
| 54
| 26
|
| 1993
| "You Baby You"
| 67
|
| The New Frontier
|
| "Who's Gonna Love You"
|
|
|
| 1996
| "Where'd You Get Your Cheatin' From"
|
|
| Reunited
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| "It Must Be Love"
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Guest singles
| Year
| Song
| Artist
| US Country
| Album
|
| 1990
| "Tomorrow's World"
| Various artists
| 74
| Single only
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References
- ((( Highway 101 > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))
- RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Highway 101