Local country music legend Brendan Dugan admits the upcoming nationwide tour as part of the NZ Highwaymen may well be his last.

'I've always said: ‘If my voice goes, I'll stop performing',” says Brendan. 'My voice has changed over the years but luckily for me, it's developed more emotion behind it. I have less power behind it but it's more gravelly and perfect for the smaller, more intimate venues we're playing.”

Brendan, along with fellow musicians Dennis Marsh, Gray Bartlett and Eddie Low, will tour the country beginning at Holy Trinity Tauranga on May 18.

Between them, they've recorded more than 100 albums, many of which went Gold and Platinum.

'Gray and I have been working together off and on for almost 60 years. Eddie has a beautiful voice and Dennis and I have been working together for about eight years.

'We're great friends so when we came up with the idea to perform together it was perfect,” says Brendan.

'We've all had our health issues and touring is hard at our age. You've gotta pace yourself, but the minute you're on-stage it's all forgotten and we're 21 again.”

The NZ Highwaymen will travel in May and June, playing 19 shows throughout New Zealand. They'll each belt out their biggest hits, plus put their own spin on classics from country icons such as Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Kenny Rogers.

'It's very interactive so we'll also be chatting during the show; ‘Hey Gray, remember when…' kind of stories about our career. We like to get up close and be able to see our audience,” says Brendan. 'Country music fans are very loyal. They've been with us all this time and we appreciate that.”

The NZ Highwaymen are known individually in their own right and have toured the country many times in various groups, including the sellout ‘Highway of Legends' tours. This is the first and likely the last time all four of these legendary New Zealand artists will hit the road together.