Welcome
The Highwaymen Show is the Great American Outlaw musical celebrating the world’s most recognized classic country artists. These icons are responsible for creating a new era in country music. Our show features a cast portraying the parts of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, as they looked in their prime. They perform their biggest hits, while telling the stories about how they grew together as friends. This show gives you the opportunity to see what they looked like and what they sounded like as they became the superstars we know today. "We feature songs like Always on My Mind, Ring of Fire, Me and Bobby McGee and Luckenbach Texas. I wanted to provide people the opportunity to a show I wish I could have seen," Gray said.
Cast
Johnny Cash Tribute
Gray Sartin is from Mobile Alabama, and he holds a bachelors from Jacksonville State and a master’s from Georgia State. He started performing at the age five, by appearing in a car commercial. He started playing guitar and singing at the age ten. At the age of nineteen, he won his first stand up comedy contest. In his early twenties, he performed with a touring christian band. He has been professionally performing for over twenty years. In 2011, Gray created the Johnny Cash Now tribute show and started performing nationwide. Gray has performed for the owners of the Hard Rock Casino and asked to return. Most recently, Gray performed eighteen consecutive Johnny and June shows at the New Theater in Overland Park Kansas, January 2022. He has also performed with the Presley, Perkins, Lewis, and Cash show in Fort Lauderdale Florida, February 2022. Gray has also performed as Waylon Jennings. With the two characters, he can perform a show called Cash Jennings, that includes both Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Gray also created the Highwaymen Show by adding someone to play the part of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. He recruited highly talented musicians from Nashville, North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan to put together a show that’s unparalleled in the world market. People will hear the most famous and recognizable songs from the four original Highwaymen, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. The show has traveled to Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, Kansas, Utah, South Dakota, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. Most recently the show has sold 700 seats at the Mother Lode Theater in Butte Montana 1/29/22, and sold 1300 seats at the Harris Island Resort and Casino 3/12/22. Gray said, “I love to make people smile and have fun”
Willie Nelson Tribute
Tyson Halford is from Hendersonville, North Carolina. He was classically trained on piano at age 8. While in middle and high school, he was involved in both the concert and jazz band where he was first chair sax, and also played baritone sax and xylophone. He then went on to be self-taught on guitar, harmonica, drums, and mandolin. Tyson got his first taste of performing at 9 years old when he played a lead role in a Christmas play at church. While in high school, he frequented a local open mic night and began sharpening his guitar and singing skills. After graduating high school, Tyson received his bachelors at Western Carolina University, where he also began playing his first paid gigs at local bars. After relocating to Georgia, while training in Tae Kwon Do, he performed choreographed martial arts demonstrations with Tonchu Martial Arts Academy in front of a live audience. Tyson toured the southeast with Atlanta southern rock band Southside of the Tracks, playing for events at several SEC colleges, universities, music venues, and festivals. In addition, he began performing at weddings in 2014 where he gained experience directing music and MCing for events. In 2018, Tyson was signed to independent record label Emanant Music, and released his debut EP shortly after. More recently, Tyson tours with Highwaymen Show, A Tribute to the Great American Outlaws, where he plays the role of Willie Nelson.
Waylon Jennings Tribute
Stefan Superti is originally from upstate New York. His father bought him his first electric guitar at age 15, and he instantly fell in love with performing. After completing four years of college as a music major, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2011 to pursue a career in music. Living in Nashville would prove to be an education like no other. Stefan was given the opportunity to play everything from jazz to rock to country, both as a band leader and as a “hired gun” guitar player. He also traveled with several different independent artists playing gigs at theaters, bars, and restaurants across the US. These diverse musical experiences led to versatility across many styles, and a deeper understanding of music as a whole. In 2021, while playing a solo acoustic set at Margaritaville in Nashville, he was approached by Gray Sartin. Unbeknownst to Stefan, Gray had come to Nashville that day to recruit a new Waylon for The Highwaymen Show. He requested “Waymore’s Blues”, threw some money in the tip jar, and the rest is history. Within a few months, Stefan was touring with The Highwaymen Show, playing casinos and theaters with a group of incredibly talented musicians. He considers himself incredibly fortunate to be able to travel America while performing some of the greatest country songs ever written.
Kris Kristofferson Tribute
Greg Bauman was born in Pontiac Michigan. He has been playing music professionally since age 13. He has traveled extensively across the continental United States performing as a lead guitarist and singer. In addition to years of playing in nightclubs, Greg has also been employed as a staff musician in many recording studios in Michigan, Florida, and North Carolina. Additionally, he has performed in opening act groups for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Tommy James and the Shondels, the Sawyer Brown Band and Neel McCoy, Greg is also an accomplished luthier/stringed instrument repair technician. After getting the role of Luther Perkins in the Johnny Cash Now tribute show a few years ago, Greg built a replica of Luther’s 1950s Fender Esquire guitar to play in the show. He now plays the part of Kris Kristofferson in the Highwaymen Show tribute act. This show has been traveling all over America. Playing dates in Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Montana, and Michigan.This is an outstanding tribute to Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, The group of musicians and singers in this show are of the highest caliber, excellent in both talent and ability. After decades of playing music professionally, Greg says that “ this show is one of the most fun and rewarding gigs he has ever had. The response of the audience and the look on their faces when we play is priceless “.
Cliff Hagen Bassist
Cliff Hagen was raised on the family farm near Summit, SD and began performing music at a young age. By the 7th grade, he helped found the The Blazing Bluegrass Band, and before he graduated high school, the group had recorded two albums and opened for Country Music artist, Suzy Bogguss. Hagen attended college at SDSU and MSU, where he studied Music Performance and Music Business. He began touring with several regional bands, most notably the top-grossing act of the upper Midwest, the Johnny Holm Band. It was during this time that Johnny dubbed him with the stage name, CC Hagen. Cliff went on to co-produce a solo album in the Minneapolis area entitled, “CC Hagen- Where Have All The Outlaws Gone.” This soulful & eclectic offering features several self-penned songs and spotlights many of the finest musicians in the upper Midwest, including members of the famed horn section for music icon, Prince. Moving to Nashville, TN in 2005, Cliff quickly became friends with Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member, Dickey Lee, who introduced him to music legend, Freddy Weller. The three began writing & performing together as a trio. In 2007, Cliff began touring with Country artist, Andy Griggs, and soon became his long time band leader and road manager. Hagen has also performed with a multitude of Country artists, including Jamie O’Neal, Easton Corbin, Billy Dean, Ty Herndon, Rhett Akins and T. Graham Brown. Cliff has toured internationally and in nearly every part of the United States. He has performed numerous times on live television and radio broadcasts, and on such stages as the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium. Hagen owns and operates a booking agency and music publishing company, and continues to tour, write and record as a session musician and vocalist in Music City.
Nathan Place Drummer
Nathan Place was born into a musical family in Denton, Texas. He first started taking classical piano lessons at the age of eight, where he gained his foundational core as a musician. He started playing viola shortly after, and played in school orchestras throughout his primary education. He was the principal violist in his high school orchestra, received the highest rankings at state competition level, and was honored to perform a viola concerto at the Murchison Performing Arts Center. At 12 years old, he started teaching himself guitar and began writing music, playing in rock and blues bands in the Denton area. At 13, he began learning the drums, and was shortly hired to play in red dirt country bands in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, playing professionally throughout high school. In 2012, Nathan left home to attend Loyola University New Orleans where he majored in Viola Performance and Digital Audio. While at Loyola, he also studied classical guitar, jazz percussion, and was involved in numerous ensembles and internships. After graduating in 2016, he toured internationally with folk duo Thomas & Theresa as a fiddle player, and gigged as a violist and sound engineer in New Orleans. In 2019, Nathan decided to move to Nashville, TN to pursue a career as a drummer. Shortly after moving to Nashville, he was hired to play drums in roots rock band The Royal Hounds. With The Hounds, Nathan has toured extensively throughout the US and has been involved in many recording projects. The Royal Hound’s most recent release, A Whole Lotta Nothin’ topped at #8 on the alt. Country radio chart, reached the top 100 on the Americana radio chart, and received many positive reviews from notable sources including American Songwriter Magazine. The Royal Hounds now hold a weekly residency at world famous Robert’s Western World, and play multiple times every week on lower Broadway in Nashville in addition to touring. In 2021, Nathan was recruited to play drums for Johnny Cash Now, which quickly evolved into The Highwaymen Show, a tribute to the great American outlaws. Apart from playing drums and fiddle in numerous bands, Nathan also founded music production company BluVolt Sound, where he collaborates on musical creation and recording projects with artists from around the world.
Friends make a great show
"The original Highwaymen were very close and so are we."
Waylon described recording albums when he said, "we recorded a bunch of albums and did a bunch of tours, several of them around the world. We saw it as one nonstop transcontinental party. Our wives, our kids, our friends—everyone got along. In spite of the size of the entourage, we traveled the world as one big happy family. I don't think there are any other four people like us. If we added one more, or replaced another, it would never work. Nobody else was considered when the idea for a group first started growing. There was never a fifth wheel. So we decided to help each other out, whether each of us thought we needed it or not. We had the wildest show, and it made us a group."
"We all are friends that enjoy hanging out together."
Waylon Jennings wrote in his autobiography, "In 1984, we did a Christmas show in Switzerland, and it was the first time we all four were together at the same time. We started trading songs in the hotel after we worked on the special. Within days, [me], Willie, Waylon, and Kris were in a Nashville studio…. During the session, Marty Stuart, …. remembered a mystical Jimmy Webb song called “Highwayman” that had four distinct verses, which, divided up, would be perfect for [our four voices].... “ From the first playback there was magic. Kris said in an interview, “I can remember not too long ago when just one of us was too many to handle in the studio. Getting us in here together and working smoothly is pretty remarkable.”