About
THE tribute to Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris!
These four seasoned professionals have the acting, playing, and singing chops to recreate an authentic production of The Highwaymen. You will be transported to a time and place of musical magic!
As Willie - John Lassen
Getting his first guitar at the age of 7, John began trying to learn songs off the radio. Several years and a much better instrument later, he started performing solo and with various groups. In the 90’s John met Joel Alan Lehman and joined his band, Black Rose. Since then, John has performed all over the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
He has been a supporting musician (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, vocals) for three Elvis tributes, one Alice Cooper tribute, and Johnny Cash tribute artist Bennie Wheels. John has also been the George Harrison character in two Beatles tribute bands and has been a Willie Nelson tribute artist for about 9 years.
As Waylon - Joel Alan Lehman
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Joel played many shows in and around the Houston area with The One Night Stand Band, The Texas Ramblers, Isaac Payton Sweat, Black Rose and countless others in the 80s and 90s.
Joel moved to Nashville in 1996 and began to write and eventually recorded 2 albums. He toured Europe several times in the 2000s with Steve Haggard and The Nashville All Stars. He also has opened for Earl Thomas Conley and performed with Walter Egan, Wanda Jackson and others.
He moved back to Texas in 2017 and currently has his band, Joel and The Roachkillers. Early production on a new album is in the works for a 2023 release.
As Johnny - Bennie Wheels
Bennie Wheels began his entertainment career as an Elvis Tribute Artist. Although successful, working for Dallas' top look-a-like agencies, performing at countless corporate events, live concerts, private functions, and with many National contest wins (also a two time "Images of the King" World Competition Finalist), he soon realized that with 100,000+ acts, the Elvis Tribute business was an over-flooded market. When the hit movie, "Walk The Line" came out, Bennie was drawn to the story and music of the Legendary Johnny Cash. Then, after touring Sun Records (Memphis, TN) in the Summer of 2006, he vowed to learn how to play the guitar that had collected dust in the corner of his office for so long, and give his best attempt as a Johnny Cash Tribute Artist. Instantly, Bennie realized that his vocal registry had an uncanny likeness to Johnny Cash in every way...even his normal speaking voice. And even from the first moment Bennie hit the stage as "Johnny Cash", it was perfectly clear how natural his tribute to The Man in Black came to him. Since the journey began the first of 2007, Bennie has toured the country in his own production of “Walkin’ The Line”, along with working as a part of many other tribute productions throughout the years. Seeing is believing, when you “Walk The Line” with Bennie Wheels, you will feel the spirit of Johnny Cash’s living on!
As Kris - Brad Brown
Brad Brown didn’t realize it at the time, but those nights of jamming in the Leonardo’s Pizza on the southwest side of his home town of Houston, would lead to a lifetime of picking his acoustic guitar and performing for a wide array of audiences. Brad and friends Lonnie and Darryl Pettit (The Pettit Brothers Band) would slip down to the pizza joint on Thursday nights and play bluegrass music for the square dancing crowds that came by after their dances. Rewarded with beverages and occasional tips, his career was starting.
Heavily influenced by song writers Guy Clark, Shake Russell, Don Sanders, Billy Joe Shaver, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Willie and Waylon, and Vince Bell, Brad learned to pen his own original songs and started performing at coffee houses around Houston, and later in College Station.
After graduation from Texas A & M his real world sales occupation took him to Western Iowa, where he quickly formed a rock band called Riff-Raff, which morphed into a country/rock band he called The Roadhogs. They played wedding dances in community centers and parish halls all over western Iowa.
At a street dance in Schleswig, Iowa, he laid eyes on “the prettiest girl I had ever seen” and met and married her a few short months later.
Moving his wife and two kids back to his home state of Texas, he settled in the “Redneck Riviera” near Corpus Christi and formed a band called Buck Two-98, which quickly became a popular choice for wedding dances and town festivals.
More recently he has performed solo and with the occasional two piece band where he provides a strong rhythm acoustic guitar, and harmony vocals when needed.
He is excited to be Kris in the Highwaymen Tribute Band and hopes to perform for you soon!