Kris Kristofferson
Country’s renaissance man Kris Kristofferson — Rhodes Scholar, singer/songwriter, actor, Highwayman, and dude who landed a freaking helicopter on Johnny Cash’s front lawn to give him “Sunday Morning Coming Down” — passed on Sunday at 88.
A prolific songwriter, Kristofferson penned a string of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” Johnny Cash’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and Ray Price’s “For the Good Times.”
While a Texan by birth — he was born in Brownsville — Kristofferson's family would settle in San Mateo, California. Though it appears the only time he ever claimed Texas residency was in his infancy, the Lone Star State and Kristofferson always seemed like a natural fit. His outlaw country tendencies, close friendships with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, and starring role in a flick called “Lone Star” certainly showed some Texas roots. He could’ve had us fooled.
Doing my customary internet dive following the news of Kristofferson’s death — he’d long been a favorite, and I’d take a guess “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is my dad’s favorite song — I came across a gem of a YouTube video. Or, should I say, a YouTube audio recording.
Kris Kristofferson at Billy Bob's Texas, 1987
Supposedly recorded in 1987 (I cannot confirm the year), the 93-minute “video” has Kristofferson charging through 30 of his greatest tunes like he’s got a plane to catch. Despite the fuzz, grain, and poor quality of this recording, you can still hear the infectious energy of Kristofferson’s performance. His voice, likely strained from months of touring, still shows an incredible earnestness, and the band is in peak form. But the show’s highlights are some its quieter moments, like “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and “For the Good Times.”
Despite the borderline awful quality, it’s still nice to hear a legend in our backyard having a hell of a good time playing to a raucous crowd.
Kristofferson would play Billy Bob’s Texas at least five times, including Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic in 2006. While his former Highwaymen Nelson, Cash, and Jennings were all honored with handprints at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk — a customary token for country music's greats — Kristofferson’s prints are notably absent. Whether that was a choice of his or the venue’s, we can’t say. But handprints or not, there’s little doubting the (yes, we’ll say it) Texas native’s impact on country music.
