The Highwaymen (country supergroup)

For the folk band, see The Highwaymen (folk band).

The Highwaymen
From left to right Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash, who formed the country music supergroup, The Highwaymen
Background information
Also known as	Nelson, Jennings, Cash, Kristofferson
Origin	U.S.A.
Genres	Country
Years active	1985–1995
Labels	Columbia Liberty
Associated acts	Jimmy Webb
Past members
Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson Kris Kristofferson

The Highwaymen were an American supergroup comprising four country music artists well known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Active between 1985 and 1995, these four artists recorded three major label albums as The Highwaymen: two on Columbia Records and one for Liberty Records. Their Columbia works produced three chart singles, including the Number One "Highwayman" in 1985.

While not credited as the Highwaymen, between the years of 1997 and 1999, Nelson, Kristofferson, Cash, and Jennings also provided the voice and dramatization for the Louis L'Amour Collection, a four CD box set of seven Louis L'Amour Stories published by the HighBridge Company.

Albums

Highwayman

Formed in 1985, the group did not have an official name when they released their first album on Columbia Records. The album, entitled Highwayman, was credited to "Nelson, Jennings, Cash, Kristofferson". The single "Highwayman", a Jimmy Webb cover, became a #1 country hit. Their cover of Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting for a Train" reached the Top 20. (Clark is frequently referred to as "The Fifth Highwayman".) The album was produced by Chips Moman.

Highwayman 2

In 1990, the group reunited for a second effort, titled Highwayman 2, which reached #4 on the country album charts. The Lee Clayton-penned song "Silver Stallion" was the first single and made the country Top 40. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. Highwayman 2 was produced, once again, by Moman. Six of the songs were written or co-written by members of the group.

The Road Goes on Forever

The group's final release prior to Jennings' death in 2002 was 1995's Don Was-produced album The Road Goes on Forever (a Robert Earl Keen, Jr. cover), and its single, "It Is What It Is". The four singers then returned to their solo careers. A tenth-anniversary edition of The Road Goes on Forever appeared in 2005, with several bonus tracks added as well as, in some versions, a DVD containing the music video for "It Is What It Is" and a documentary entitled Live Forever – In the Studio with the Highwaymen.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions						Certifications (sales threshold)
		US Country	US	CAN Country	AUS	DEN	NOR
Highwayman	Release date: May 1985 Label: Columbia Nashville	1	92	—	20	—	—	AUS: Platinum US: Platinum CAN: Gold
Highwayman 2	Release date: February 9, 1990 Label: Columbia Nashville	4	79	—	9	—	—	AUS: Gold
The Road Goes On Forever	Release date: April 4, 1995 Label: EMI/Liberty/Capitol Nashville	42	—	10	46	8	11
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

Year	Album	Label
1995	The Highwaymen Ride Again	Columbia
	Super Hits
2005	Country Legends	DeLuxe Holland
2010	The Essential Highwaymen	Columbia

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions			Album
		US Country	CAN Country	CAN AC
1985	"Highwayman"	1	1	19	Highwayman
	"Desperados Waiting for a Train"	15	20	—
1990	"Silver Stallion"	25	21	—	Highwayman 2
1995	"It Is What It Is"	—	—	—	The Road Goes on Forever
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year	Title	Director
1985	"Highwayman"	Peter Israelson
1990	"Silver Stallion"	Jon Small
1995	"It Is What It Is"	Lowe/Don Was

Video Compilations

• Highwaymen Live! (filmed in 1990 at the Nassau Coliseum, released in 1991 on VHS)
• On the Road Again (filmed in 1992 in Aberdeen, Scotland, released in 2003 on DVD)

External links

• The Highwaymen at Allmusic