American Masters to Air “The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End” Special
This story has been updated.
Country music’s most famous supergroup will be getting their own American Masters television special. The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End is set to air Friday, May 27th, 2016 at 9 p.m. on most PBS stations as part of the documentary series’ 30th anniversary season.
Friends Till the End will tell the story of The Highwaymen through vintage performances and new interviews about life on the road and in the studio with the supergroup consisting of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Originally formed in 1985, The Highwaymen released three albums over a decade span, including their Platinum-selling debut that also launched the #1 song “Highwayman.” But even more than their commercial performance, the supergroup was a way to keep the spirit of country music alive, and the four country music legends in the spotlight.
The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End will be the second American Masters documentary special of 2016 to cover country music. Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl aired on March 4th, exploring the country legend’s hard-fought road to stardom, and her struggles to balance home life with with her music career. It aired the same day her first record in 10 years called Full Circle is released.
Similarly, a live box set featuring the music of The Highwaymen will accompany the special. The four-disc CD/DVD live box set includes one disc of live performances from Farm Aid festival performances in 1992 and 1993, a two discs of a complete recording from a show in Uniondale, New York in 1990.
American Masters is produced by Thirteen Productions and WNET in New York. The series has won an Oscar and three Grammy Awards among other honors.
December 14, 2015 @ 9:06 pm
Amazing. I can’t wait. I loved all three Highwaymen albums but the second one has, in my mind, some of the coolest songs, although there are a couple clunkers tucked at the end.
December 14, 2015 @ 9:48 pm
Stumbled upon “born & raised in black & white”. Damn if that isn’t the truth. Can’t wait for the special.
December 15, 2015 @ 1:04 am
Sweet. It’s great to see these four legends get their due.
I’m excited about the Loretta Lynn documentary too. It’s a long time coming!
Credit to WNET in New York City, which one wouldn’t typically think of as prime country music territory, for doing right by the genre.
December 15, 2015 @ 4:25 am
Great news, I got to see them once, it was a fun evening, very loose and relaxed.
December 15, 2015 @ 6:21 am
Looking into the future and wondering what the supergroup consisting of Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, and Eric Church will call themselves?
On a more serious note, did/how American Masters the TV show win an Oscar?
December 15, 2015 @ 10:39 am
What would they call themselves?
The Highway Bros?
December 15, 2015 @ 12:29 pm
I could see them billed as “The Dirt Road Dimwits”.
December 15, 2015 @ 8:18 am
Should be pretty freakin awesome!
December 15, 2015 @ 10:40 am
I often wonder if any other four legends could have gotten together and done something as cool as the Highwaymen did in the 80s?
I am thinking maybe Merle, Hag, Hank Jr, and Prine?
December 15, 2015 @ 11:57 am
Though it was a one-off thing, there was the “Lost Highwaymen”: Keith Richards, Hank3, Ryan Adams, and Willie Nelson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gzglg7WDmQ
Also, don’t know if it was ever more than talk, but at one point there was talk of a supergroup involving Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell, Justin Townes Earle, and Shooter Jennings.
December 17, 2015 @ 8:41 am
Somehow that just doesn’t have the same punch, as a “supergroup”.
December 15, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
We had 5 guys knows as the Traveling Wilburys, consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty.
December 15, 2015 @ 8:56 pm
It probably wasn’t to your taste but a pretty fair TRIO of legends named Dolly, Linda and Emmylou also got together in the 80s to form a super group, tour, and record some pretty great music….
December 17, 2015 @ 2:44 pm
And kd lang, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, and Kitty Wells on the “Honky Tonk Angels” medley. Videos don’t usually don’t usually do much for me, but this one was a slice of history archived as long as some form of video shall last.
December 15, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
Trigger, I do remember the “Lost Highwayman”- I had the cd from that live tv concert (2001? 02?). It would have been interesting to see what an actual “Lost Highwayman” album may have sounded like.
In regards to the talk of a supergroup with Ryan Adams, it’s hard for me to imagine him being able to put his ego aside and actually do some real collaboration. I dig his early Whiskeytown stuff and maybe first couple solo albums, but he has turned into a pretentious, whiny Jeff Buckley knockoff with a shitty, stuck up attitude.
December 17, 2015 @ 9:26 am
I think Isbell is good friends with Adams and JTE. I’m having a hard time imagining Adams and JTE working together, but who knows?
December 19, 2015 @ 10:09 am
Call me wrong, but sometimes I envision Kris Kristoffersen in that scene in Blade, but instead of vampires, it’s a songwriting session with Dallas Davidson and his cronies….
…Catch you F’ers at a bad time????
May 26, 2016 @ 6:51 pm
I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW TO WATCH IT! OH MY GOD A HOUR OF WAYLON?! SIGN ME UP!
Assuming that’s 9pm Eastern Time, I probably have to wait until after my Taekwondo belt test to watch it online.