Highway 101
1980s promotional image depicting Highway 101's original lineup (L-R: Paulette Carlson, Cactus Moser, Curtis Stone, Jack Daniels)
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
Genres	Country
Years active	1986–2010
Labels	Warner Bros. Liberty Intersound Freefalls Keytone
Past members	Paulette Carlson Jack Daniels Curtis Stone Scott "Cactus" Moser Nikki Nelson Chrislynn Lee Charlie White Justin Weaver Andy Gurley

Highway 101 was an Americancountry music band founded in 1986 inLos Angeles, California. The initial lineup consisted ofPaulette Carlson (lead vocals), Jack Daniels (guitar), Curtis Stone (bass guitar, vocals), and Scott "Cactus" Moser (drums). Prior to the band's founding, Carlson was a solo artist. With her as lead vocalist, the band recorded three albums forWarner Bros. Records Nashville. After Carlson left in 1990 to pursue a solo career, the band recorded a fourth album for Warner withNikki Nelson on lead vocals before exiting the label. One album each followed onLiberty,Intersound, and Free Falls Records under various lineups.

Highway 101 has released eight studio albums and one greatest hits album, and has charted seventeen singles on theBillboardHot Country Songs charts. Four of their singles—"Somewhere Tonight", "Cry, Cry, Cry", "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes", and "Who's Lonely Now"— went to number one on that chart.

Lead vocalistPaulette Carlson founded Highway 101 in 1986 inLos Angeles, California, with guitarist Jack Daniels, bassist Curtis Stone (son of song publisher and musicianCliffie Stone), and drummer Scott "Cactus" Moser, all three of whom weresession musicians.^[2][3] Stone and Moser (and Cliffie Stone) had appeared in the 1986 filmBack to School as members of a bar band. Before Highway 101, Carlson recorded as a solo singer onRCA Records. She made three appearances on theHot Country Songs chart for RCA: "You Gotta Get to My Heart (Before You Lay a Hand on Me)", "I'd Say Yes", and "Can You Fool" reached No. 65, No. 67 and No. 72, respectively.^[4]

In 1986, the band signed withWarner Bros. Records Nashville, debuting with the single "Some Find Love". However, it failed to chart and was withdrawn due to the band's dissatisfaction with itscountry pop sound.^[5] They followed up in December 1986 with the single "The Bed You Made for Me", which Carlson wrote.^[6] The song spent twenty-four weeks on theHot Country Songs chart, reaching a peak of No. 4.^[1] Following it were "Whiskey, If You Were a Woman" at No. 2 and two straight No. 1s: "Somewhere Tonight" (written byRodney Crowell andHarlan 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.

101² followed in 1988. Its first single, "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes". became the band's third straight No. 1 single; following it were the Top 10 hits "All the Reasons Why", "Setting Me Up", and "Honky Tonk Heart", at No. 5, No. 7 and No. 6 respectively.^[1] The next year'sPaint 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 byJohnnie Wright) and "This Side of Goodbye".^[1] AGreatest Hits album in 1990 included the No. 14 single "Someone Else's Trouble Now".

In late 1990, Carlson left the band for a solo career onCapitol Records. Her solo debut album,Love Goes On, produced only one top 40 hit in "I'll Start with You". Carlson's replacement on lead vocals wasNikki Nelson, who first appeared on 1991'sBing Bang Boom. Although this album'stitle track made the Top 20, the other singles from it were less successful: "The Blame" reached No. 31, "Baby, I'm Missing You" peaked at No. 22, and "Honky Tonk Baby" fell short of the Top 40.^[1] Daniels left the band in 1992.^[3] After this album, the band left Warner Bros. forLiberty Records. The only release for this label,The New Frontier, included the band's final chart entry, "You Baby You", which peaked at No. 67.^[1]

Carlson and Daniels returned in 1996 for the albumReunited, released viaIntersound 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 its 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.^[3] 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 featured professionally filmed live performances and guest appearances by country music notables such asWynonna Judd, to whom Moser is married.

In August 2012, Moser was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in the amputation of his left leg above the knee.^[7]

Albums

• Highway 101 (1987)
• 101² (1988)
• Paint the Town (1989)
• Bing Bang Boom (1991)
• The New Frontier (1993)
• Reunited (1996)
• Big Sky (2000)
• Christmas on Highway 101 (2010)

• "Somewhere Tonight" (2 weeks, 1987)
• "Cry, Cry, Cry" (1 week, 1988)
• "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes" (1 week, 1988)
• "Who's Lonely Now" (2 weeks, 1989)

• Country music groups from California
• Liberty Records artists
• Musical groups established in 1986
• Musical groups from Los Angeles
• Warner Records artists
• 1986 establishments in California
• Intersound Records artists

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from April 2025
• Articles with hCards