Highway 101 is an American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 band founded by Paulette Carlson

Paulette Carlson

Paulette Tenae Carlson is a country singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the 1980s as the founder and lead vocalist for the country band Highway 101...

 (lead vocals), Jack Daniels (guitar), Curtis Stone (bass guitar, mandolin) and Scott "Cactus" Moser (drums). With Carlson as lead vocalist, the band recorded three albums for Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 Nashville and charted ten consecutive Top Ten hits on the Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 charts, four of which went to Number One. After Carlson left in 1990, the band recorded a fourth album for Warner with Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson is an American country music singer. At the age of 7, her family moved to Topaz Lake, Nevada. In 1991, she replaced Paulette Carlson as lead vocalist for the band Highway 101, and their first album together was that year's Bing Bang Boom...

 on lead vocals before exiting the label. One album each followed on Liberty

Liberty Records

Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...

, Intersound and Free Falls Records. Moser, Stone, Nelson and Andy Gurley comprise the current lineup.

History

Before the band's foundation, Carlson recorded on RCA Records

RCA Records

RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

 as a solo singer. She made three appearances on the Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 charts in that timespan; her singles "You Gotta Get to My Heart (Before You Lay a Hand on Me)," "I'd Say Yes" and "Can You Fool" respectively reached #65, #67 and #72. Carlson founded Highway 101 in 1986 in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, with guitarist Jack Daniels, bassist Curtis Stone (son of singer Cliffie Stone

Cliffie Stone

Cliffie Stone , born Clifford Gilpin Snyder, was an American country singer, musician, record producer, music publisher, and radio and TV personality who was pivotal in the development of California’s thriving country music scene after World War II during a career that lasted six decades...

) and drummer Scott "Cactus" Moser, all three of whom were session musician

Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...

s.

1987–1990

In 1987, the band signed with Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 Nashville, debuting that January with the single "The Bed You Made for Me," which Carlson wrote. This song spent twenty-four weeks on the Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 charts, reaching a peak of #4. Following it were "Whiskey, If You Were a Woman" at #2 and two consecutive Number Ones: "Somewhere Tonight

Somewhere Tonight

"Somewhere Tonight" is the title of a song written by Rodney Crowell and Harlan Howard and recorded by Highway 101. "Somewhere Tonight" was Highway 101's third country hit and the first of four number ones on the country chart. The single went to Number One on Hot Country Singles, spending two...

" (written by Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....

 and Harlan Howard

Harlan Howard

Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...

) and "Cry, Cry, Cry

Cry, Cry, Cry (Highway 101 song)

"Cry, Cry, Cry" is the title of a song written by John Scott Sherrill and Don Devaney and recorded by Highway 101. "Cry, Cry, Cry" was Highway 101's second number one single on the country chart. The single went to number one on the Hot Country Singles charts, holding the position for one week...

." 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.

Highway 101²

Highway 101, Volume 2

Highway 101² is the second studio album by the American country music band Highway 101. It accounted for four singles on the Hot Country Songs: " Just Say Yes" at #1, "All the Reasons Why" at #5, "Honky Tonk Heart" at #6, and their cover of Dire Straits' "Setting Me Up" at #7...

followed in 1988. Its first single, "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes

(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes

" Just Say Yes" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero, John Scott Sherrill, and Dennis Robbins and recorded by Highway 101. " Just Say Yes" was Highway 101's third number one on the country chart. The song spent one week at that position and twenty weeks on the chart...

," became the band's third consecutive Number One single; following it were the Top Ten hits "All the Reasons Why

All the Reasons Why

"All the Reasons Why" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in September 1988, it was the second single from their album Highway 101². The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in January 1989....

," "Setting Me Up

Setting Me Up

"Setting Me Up" is a song written by Mark Knopfler. It was originally recorded by British rock group Dire Straits on their self-titled debut album but not released as a single. Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone described the song as a "heavenly number" combining humor with bitterness, despite having a...

" and "Honky Tonk Heart

Honky Tonk Heart

"Honky Tonk Heart" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in May 1989, it was the fourth single from their album Highway 101². The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in September 1989....

," at #5, #7 and #6 respectively. The next year's Paint the Town

Paint the Town

Paint the Town is the third album by the American country music band Highway 101. The last of their albums featuring Paulette Carlson as lead vocalist, it included the Billboard Country #1 "Who's Lonely Now," the #4 "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart," and the #11 "This Side of...

accounted for the band's final Number One, "Who's Lonely Now

Who's Lonely Now

"Who's Lonely Now" is a 1989 single by Highway 101. "Who's Lonely Now" was Highway 101's ninth country hit and the last of four number one country hits. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twenty-six weeks on the country singles charts.-Chart performance:-References:...

," followed by "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart

Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart

"Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart" is the title of a song written by Roger Miller and Justin Tubb. It was first recorded by American country music artist Johnnie Wright, whose version peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1964...

" (originally released by Johnnie Wright

Johnnie Wright

Johnnie Robert Wright, Jr. , known professionally as Johnnie Wright, was an American country music singer-songwriter who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was also the husband of Kitty Wells.-Early life and career:Born in Mount Juliet,...

) and "This Side of Goodbye

This Side of Goodbye

"This Side of Goodbye" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in 1990, it was the third single from the album Paint the Town. The song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:...

." A Greatest Hits album in 1990, including the #14 single "Someone Else's Trouble Now."

1990–Present: Departure of Paulette Carlson

In late 1990, Carlson left the band for a solo career. Her replacement on lead vocals was Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson is an American country music singer. At the age of 7, her family moved to Topaz Lake, Nevada. In 1991, she replaced Paulette Carlson as lead vocalist for the band Highway 101, and their first album together was that year's Bing Bang Boom...

, who first appeared on 1991's Bing Bang Boom

Bing Bang Boom

Bing Bang Boom is a 1991 album by the American country music band Highway 101. It was the band's first release following the departure of original lead singer Paulette Carlson, with Nikki Nelson on lead vocals. The album's title track was its first single, reaching #14 on the Hot Country Singles &...

. Although this album's title track made the Top 20, the other singles from it were less successful: "The Blame" reached #31, "Baby, I'm Missing You" peaked at #22, and "Honky Tonk Baby" fell short of the Top 40. Daniels left the band in 1992. After this album, the band left Warner Bros. for Liberty Records

Liberty Records

Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...

. Their only release for this label, The New Frontier, included the band's final chart entry, "You Baby You," which peaked at #67.

Carlson and Daniels returned in 1996 for the album Reunited

Reunited (Highway 101 album)

Reunited is the title of an album released in 1996 by Highway 101. The album title references the return of original lead singer Paulette Carlson to the lineup...

, released via 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 album) returned and with Stone, 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. In December 2010, Highway 101 appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and released a special Christmas DVD entitled "Christmas On Highway 101." The new DVD features professionally filmed live performances and guest appearances by country music notables such as Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...

 of The Judds

The Judds

The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country...

.

As of 2011, Highway 101 continue to tour the world with their current lineup consisting of Nikki, Cactus, Andy and Curtis.

Members

1986–1990	Paulette Carlson Paulette Carlson Paulette Tenae Carlson is a country singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the 1980s as the founder and lead vocalist for the country band Highway 101...  - vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... , acoustic guitar Acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... Jack Daniels - electric guitar Electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... , vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... Curtis Stone - bass guitar Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... , vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... Cactus Moser - drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... , vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
1991–1992	Nikki Nelson Nikki Nelson Nikki Nelson is an American country music singer. At the age of 7, her family moved to Topaz Lake, Nevada. In 1991, she replaced Paulette Carlson as lead vocalist for the band Highway 101, and their first album together was that year's Bing Bang Boom...  - vocals, acoustic guitar Jack Daniels - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
1993–1994	Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
1996–1997	Paulette Carlson - vocals, acoustic guitar Jack Daniels - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals

1997–2002	Chrislynn Lee - vocals, acoustic guitar Charlie White - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
2003–2005	Chrislynn Lee - vocals, acoustic guitar Justin Weaver - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
2006–2007	Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar Justin Weaver - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals
2007–present	Nikki Nelson - vocals, acoustic guitar Andy Gurley - electric guitar, vocals Curtis Stone - bass guitar, vocals Cactus Moser - drums, vocals

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak positions	Certifications
		US Country
Highway 101 Highway 101 (album) Highway 101 was the self-titled debut album of the American country music band Highway 101. It saw the group shoot straight to the tops of the country music charts with two singles hitting the #1 spot on the Billboard Country charts, another rising to #2, and a fourth song at #4. The album itself...	Release date: 1987 Label: Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...	7	US Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold
Highway 101² Highway 101, Volume 2 Highway 101² is the second studio album by the American country music band Highway 101. It accounted for four singles on the Hot Country Songs: " Just Say Yes" at #1, "All the Reasons Why" at #5, "Honky Tonk Heart" at #6, and their cover of Dire Straits' "Setting Me Up" at #7...	Release date: 1988 Label: Warner Bros. Records	8
Paint the Town Paint the Town Paint the Town is the third album by the American country music band Highway 101. The last of their albums featuring Paulette Carlson as lead vocalist, it included the Billboard Country #1 "Who's Lonely Now," the #4 "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart," and the #11 "This Side of...	Release date: 1989 Label: Warner Bros. Records	22
Bing Bang Boom Bing Bang Boom Bing Bang Boom is a 1991 album by the American country music band Highway 101. It was the band's first release following the departure of original lead singer Paulette Carlson, with Nikki Nelson on lead vocals. The album's title track was its first single, reaching #14 on the Hot Country Singles &...	Release date: 1991 Label: Warner Bros. Records	36
The New Frontier	Release date: October 19, 1993 Label: Liberty Records Liberty Records Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...	—
Reunited Reunited (Highway 101 album) Reunited is the title of an album released in 1996 by Highway 101. The album title references the return of original lead singer Paulette Carlson to the lineup...	Release date: February 20, 1996 Label: Intersound Records	—
Big Sky	Release date: May 9, 2000 Label: FreeFalls Records	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

Title	Album details	Peak positions
		US Country
Greatest Hits	Release date: September 11, 1990 Label: Warner Bros. Records	27
Latest & Greatest	Release date: February 25, 1997 Label: Intersound	—
Country Classics	Release date: October 10, 2003 Label: Flashback/Rhino	—
10 All Time Greatest	Release date: October 19, 2004 Label: Intersound	—
Rhino HiFive: Highway 101	Release date: April 24, 2007 Label: Rhino	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions		Album
		US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...	CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
1987	"The Bed You Made for Me The Bed You Made for Me "The Bed You Made for Me" is the title of a song recorded by the American country music band Highway 101. Written by then-lead singer Paulette Carlson, it was the first single from the band's self-titled debut album... "	4	8	Highway 101
	"Whiskey, If You Were a Woman Whiskey, If You Were a Woman "Whiskey, If You Were a Woman" is the title of a song written by Mary W. Francis, Johnny MacRae and Bob Morrison, and recorded by the American country music band Highway 101. It was the second single from the band's self-titled debut album.... "	2	1
	"Somewhere Tonight Somewhere Tonight "Somewhere Tonight" is the title of a song written by Rodney Crowell and Harlan Howard and recorded by Highway 101. "Somewhere Tonight" was Highway 101's third country hit and the first of four number ones on the country chart. The single went to Number One on Hot Country Singles, spending two... "	1	1
1988	"Cry, Cry, Cry"	1	1
	"(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes (Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes " Just Say Yes" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero, John Scott Sherrill, and Dennis Robbins and recorded by Highway 101. " Just Say Yes" was Highway 101's third number one on the country chart. The song spent one week at that position and twenty weeks on the chart... "	1	1	Highway 101²
	"All the Reasons Why All the Reasons Why "All the Reasons Why" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in September 1988, it was the second single from their album Highway 101². The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in January 1989.... "	5	*
1989	"Setting Me Up Setting Me Up "Setting Me Up" is a song written by Mark Knopfler. It was originally recorded by British rock group Dire Straits on their self-titled debut album but not released as a single. Ken Tucker in Rolling Stone described the song as a "heavenly number" combining humor with bitterness, despite having a... "	7	4
	"Honky Tonk Heart Honky Tonk Heart "Honky Tonk Heart" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in May 1989, it was the fourth single from their album Highway 101². The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in September 1989.... "	6	5
	"Who's Lonely Now Who's Lonely Now "Who's Lonely Now" is a 1989 single by Highway 101. "Who's Lonely Now" was Highway 101's ninth country hit and the last of four number one country hits. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of twenty-six weeks on the country singles charts.-Chart performance:-References:... "	1	1	Paint the Town
1990	"Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart" is the title of a song written by Roger Miller and Justin Tubb. It was first recorded by American country music artist Johnnie Wright, whose version peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1964... "	4	5
	"This Side of Goodbye This Side of Goodbye "This Side of Goodbye" is a single by American country music group Highway 101. Released in 1990, it was the third single from the album Paint the Town. The song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:... "	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
	"It Must Be Love"	—	—
2011	"Six Gold Coins"	—	—	Single only
"—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions

Guest singles

Year	Single	Artist	Peak positions	Album
			US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
1990	"Tomorrow's World"	Various artists	74	Single only

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
1988	"Cry, Cry, Cry"	Claude Borenzweig
1989	"Who's Lonely Now"	Michael Merriman
1990	"Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart"
1991	"Bing Bang Boom"
	"The Blame"
1993	"You Baby You"	R. Brad Murano/Steven T. Miller
1996	"Where'd You Get Your Cheatin' From?"
	"It Must Be Love"	Tom Bevins
2010	"Six Gold Coins"	Michael Davis