Army Ranger, Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, Rhode Scholar, Songwriter, actor...the guy achieved many accomplishments in one life.
RIP Kris
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Kris Kristofferson dead at 88
- Thread starter TexPatriot
- Start date
Army Ranger, Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, Rhode Scholar, Songwriter, actor...the guy achieved many accomplishments in one life.
RIP Kris
He turned down an appointment to teach English at West Point and instead went to Nashville with his songs.
He landed a helocopter in Johnny Cash's yard to introduce himself and listen to his songs. Cash wasn't home but Kristofferson later met him and the rest was history.
Brilliant song writer who wrote Me and Bobby McGee and Sunday Morning Coming Down.
He landed a helocopter in Johnny Cash's yard to introduce himself and listen to his songs. Cash wasn't home but Kristofferson later met him and the rest was history.
Brilliant song writer who wrote Me and Bobby McGee and Sunday Morning Coming Down.
Bobby McGee covered by Janis is one of my all time favorites.
Sunday Morning covered by Cash is both soulful and mournful. Seems so descriptive of his period of addiction.
It seemed like he would live forever. And he will, in his songs. And the life story he left behind. Any one of us could do at least one thing well, I would help. And he did so many.
My favorite story is that when he wrote "Sunday Morning Coming Down," he was cautious about recording it because of the line, "Lord, wishing I was stoned."
Johnny Cash said, "I will sing it."
I knew about the Rhodes Scholar business but I did not know of his military background. And I am usually up on that stuff. Like James Marshal "Jimi" Hendrix being in the Army for a while.
God bless Kris and his family and friends and all of us fans.
My favorite story is that when he wrote "Sunday Morning Coming Down," he was cautious about recording it because of the line, "Lord, wishing I was stoned."
Johnny Cash said, "I will sing it."
I knew about the Rhodes Scholar business but I did not know of his military background. And I am usually up on that stuff. Like James Marshal "Jimi" Hendrix being in the Army for a while.
God bless Kris and his family and friends and all of us fans.
'I fumbled through my closet for my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt.'
Whoever hasn't done that hasn't lived.
It seemed like he would live forever. And he will, in his songs. And the life story he left behind. Any one of us could do at least one thing well, I would help. And he did so many.
My favorite story is that when he wrote "Sunday Morning Coming Down," he was cautious about recording it because of the line, "Lord, wishing I was stoned."
Johnny Cash said, "I will sing it."
I knew about the Rhodes Scholar business but I did not know of his military background. And I am usually up on that stuff. Like James Marshal "Jimi" Hendrix being in the Army for a while.
God bless Kris and his family and friends and all of us fans.
My favorite story is that when he wrote "Sunday Morning Coming Down," he was cautious about recording it because of the line, "Lord, wishing I was stoned."
Johnny Cash said, "I will sing it."
I knew about the Rhodes Scholar business but I did not know of his military background. And I am usually up on that stuff. Like James Marshal "Jimi" Hendrix being in the Army for a while.
God bless Kris and his family and friends and all of us fans.
And to those who think he wasn't the greatest singer, it is not about being the greatest singer.
Ray Wylie Hubbard, during his performance of "Redneck Mothers," will often stop and speak about this.
"As a singer/songwriter, it doesn't matter how well you play guitar or whatever instrument. It doesn't matter how well you sing or how large your range is. It doesn't matter how good of a writer that you are.
What matters most is, can you sing this song for the next fifty years?"
So, yeah, Kris could sing "Sunday Morning Coming Down." But most people have heard the Johnny Cash version. Most people have not even heard the Willie Nelson version. Or the Kris version.
Ray Wylie Hubbard, during his performance of "Redneck Mothers," will often stop and speak about this.
"As a singer/songwriter, it doesn't matter how well you play guitar or whatever instrument. It doesn't matter how well you sing or how large your range is. It doesn't matter how good of a writer that you are.
What matters most is, can you sing this song for the next fifty years?"
So, yeah, Kris could sing "Sunday Morning Coming Down." But most people have heard the Johnny Cash version. Most people have not even heard the Willie Nelson version. Or the Kris version.
I went to work at Petroleum Helicopters in 1977. Somebody had told me Kris had worked there years ago as a pilot. There was a riff about him having his guitar taking up room in the aircraft. PHI told him fly or play music, he picked music and quit. Was told this was a true story! 
I read he had legendary skills as a pilot, flying crews out to offshore drilling platforms. He would also do crazy stunts like flying under bridges and flying upside down.I went to work at Petroleum Helicopters in 1977. Somebody had told me Kris had worked there years ago as a pilot. There was a riff about him having his guitar taking up room in the aircraft. PHI told him fly or play music, he picked music and quit. Was told this was a true story!
Willie Nelson also got fired from his grain elevator job for playing his guitar on the job.
He was a Captain in the US Army and helicopter pilot. Went to Ranger school.
I heard a story about him landing a helicopter at the Johnny Cash estate and came out of the helicopter with a glass full of booze shitfaced. Cash was impressed because he never spilt a drop.
I heard a story about him landing a helicopter at the Johnny Cash estate and came out of the helicopter with a glass full of booze shitfaced. Cash was impressed because he never spilt a drop.
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So, Willie Nelson is the only one left:
I don't think any of the Highway Men, with maybe the exception of Waylon Jennings, were great vocalists. It all had to do with the song and the story they told.
Bob Dylan is a perfect example.
I thought Cash butchered SMCD and Kristofferson sang his own story it better.
Walking down a sleepy city sidewalk, smelling someone frying chicken and hearing a bell tolling in the distance was Kristofferson telling firsthand about his own desolute loneliness.
I think "Hurt" was the song that was best sung by Johnny Cash and described his battle with addiction.
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Kristofferson was an enigma, a walking contridiction.
The son of an AF General, Army Ranger Capt. that flew helocopters and supposedly saw the elephant, who then turned hard left liberal to became a self-proclaimed communist, supporting Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and the doctrine of Marx.
I hope he finally found his peace.
The son of an AF General, Army Ranger Capt. that flew helocopters and supposedly saw the elephant, who then turned hard left liberal to became a self-proclaimed communist, supporting Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and the doctrine of Marx.
I hope he finally found his peace.
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We used to joke about Hank Williams, that all his records should have been called "I'm singing as best as I can." There's plenty of successful singers without "beautiful" or string voices. My dad always said Kenny Rogers "couldn't carry a tune in a pail." Never a big fan,but I didn't think he was that bad. But Kristofferson always made me cringe. Especially later in life, though to be fair that happens to a lot of people, even ones with great voices.
Yup he was in the military. So was John McCain and John Kerry.
Kris was a HARD Left liberal like Sean Penn. Only difference is that Sean Penn never served in the military
Jane Fonda might be remembered as an actress others might remember for her anti-war stance.
Kris was a supporter of the Sandinistas PRO COMMIE fighting the contras anti-commies (supported by Reagan).
"He claims his political leanings contributed to a decline in his film and music career, claiming that he did things that made him "unmarketable," like "hanging around the Sandinistas," the left-wing Nicaraguan political party."
freshairarchive.org
Like Sean and Bernie Sanders praising Hugh Chavez and Maduro.
Kris was a HARD Left liberal like Sean Penn. Only difference is that Sean Penn never served in the military
Jane Fonda might be remembered as an actress others might remember for her anti-war stance.
Kris was a supporter of the Sandinistas PRO COMMIE fighting the contras anti-commies (supported by Reagan).
"He claims his political leanings contributed to a decline in his film and music career, claiming that he did things that made him "unmarketable," like "hanging around the Sandinistas," the left-wing Nicaraguan political party."
Kris Kristofferson on His Trip to Nicaragua and His Support for the Sandinistas.
Kris Kristofferson on His Trip to Nicaragua and His Support for the Sandinistas.
Singer and actor Kris Kristofferson. His hit songs "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Help Me Make it Through the Night," earned him acclaim as a country singer. His musical success led him to films, and he went on to act in westerns ("Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid"), comedies ("Semi-Tough"), and...
Like Sean and Bernie Sanders praising Hugh Chavez and Maduro.
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I remember when an Iranian airbus, Iran Air Flight 655 full of passengers, was accidently shot down in '88 by the U.S. warship USS Vincennes, Kristofferson, at the beganning of a performance announced "Hey America, have you shot down any more innocent Iranian passenger jets?"
I don't get it. America was very very good to him.
I don't get it. America was very very good to him.
iRead his bio, its pretty wild.
This is pretty good...
And in more detail, also...
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