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Highway 101 is an American country music band founded by Paulette Carlson (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 Nashville and charted ten consecutive Top Ten hits on the Hot Country Songs charts, four of which went to Number One. After Carlson left in 1990, the band recorded a fourth album for Warner with Nikki Nelson on lead vocals before exiting the label. One album each followed on Liberty, Intersound and Free Falls Records. Moser, Stone, Nelson and Andy Gurley comprise the current lineup.Before the band's foundation, Carlson recorded on RCA Records as a solo singer. She made three appearances on the Hot Country Songs 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, with guitarist Jack Daniels, bassist Curtis Stone (son of singer Cliffie Stone) and drummer Scott "Cactus" Moser, all three of whom were session musicians.
In 1987, the band signed with Warner Bros. Records 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 charts, reaching a peak of #4. Following it were "Whiskey, If You Were a Woman" at #2 and two consecutive Number Ones: "Somewhere Tonight" (written by Rodney Crowell and Harlan Howard) and "Cry, Cry, Cry." 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 followed in 1988. Its first single, "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes," became the band's third consecutive Number One single; following it were the Top Ten hits "All the Reasons Why," "Setting Me Up" and "Honky Tonk Heart," at #5, #7 and #6 respectively. The next year's Paint the Town accounted for the band's final Number One, "Who's Lonely Now," followed by "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart" (originally released by Johnnie Wright) and "This Side of Goodbye." A Greatest Hits album in 1990, including the #14 single "Someone Else's Trouble Now."
In late 1990, Carlson left the band for a solo career. Her replacement on lead vocals was Nikki Nelson, who first appeared on 1991's Bing Bang Boom. 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. 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, 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 of The Judds.
As of 2011, Highway 101 continue to tour the world with their current lineup consisting of Nikki, Cactus, Andy and Curtis.
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