Ask him who his musical influences are and Rivers Rutherford will tell you without hesitation, “Elvis, Waylon Jennings, Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash … Cash loved the common man.” Well, spend some time with Rivers and it becomes clear what he has in common with these legendary men … he isn’t afraid to cross the line a little.

Rivers’ big break came in 1989 when four American icons including Cash, Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, recorded his song, “American Remains,” as the Highwaymen. Though had Rutherford not jumped the fence surrounding the Memphis home of their producer, Chips Moman, they may have never heard his music.

“Chips was not too happy about waking up to barking guard dogs and squad cars,” Rivers says, “but he listened…and when I had finished playing, he just sat there silently smoking a cigarette. I thought he didn’t like the song, so I started packing up my guitar.” But Moman did like it and made the decision to include the song on the second Highwaymen album on which Rutherford also played guitar and sang background vocals. +> Read More