Highway 101

Highway 101 stood among the leading country acts of the late 1980s, its country-rock approach helping shape the arena-sized stars who arrived in the following decade. Minnesota-born singer and guitarist Paulette Carlson fronted the band, which manager Chuck Morris assembled in Los Angeles in 1986. He recruited guitarist Jack Daniels, multi-instrumentalist Curtis Stone on bass, guitar, and mandolin, and drummer Cactus Moser—all established session musicians who had also performed together as the Lizards. After signing with Warner Bros., the group issued its self-titled debut album in 1987. The record took off immediately: “The Bed You Made for Me” and “Whiskey, if You Were a Woman” both reached the country Top Five, while “Somewhere Tonight” and “Cry, Cry, Cry” each hit number one, turning the members into overnight stars. Their 1988 follow-up, Highway 101, Vol. 2, yielded another chart-topper in “(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes” and three additional Top Ten singles—“All the Reasons Why,” “Setting Me Up,” and “Honky Tonk Heart.” Paint the Town appeared in 1989 and produced one more number-one hit, “Who’s Lonely Now,” before Carlson exited for a solo career in 1990. Nikki Nelson replaced her and made her recorded debut on 1991’s Bing Bang Boom, yet despite several solid chart entries the new lineup proved less commercially potent and soon left Warner. The band moved to Liberty for 1993’s The New Frontier, but the album flopped commercially and Daniels departed. He and Carlson rejoined briefly for the 1996 Intersound release Reunited. Stone and Moser later assembled a fresh configuration with vocalist Chrislynn Lee and guitarist Charlie White, recording Big Sky for FreeFalls in 2000; White exited in 2002 and Justin Weaver took his place.