Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson | |
---|---|
Born | Kristoffer Kristofferson June 22, 1936 Brownsville, Texas, U.S. |
Education | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1959–2020 |
Spouses |
|
Children | 8 |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Formerly of | The Highwaymen |
Website | kriskristofferson |
Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an American retired
In 1985, Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, which was a key creative force in the outlaw country music movement that eschewed the traditional Nashville country music machine in favor of independent songwriting and producing.
As an actor, Kristofferson is known for his roles in
In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the
Early life and education
Kristoffer Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas, to Mary Ann (née Ashbrook) and Lars Henry Kristofferson, a U.S. Army Air Corps officer (later a U.S. Air Force major general).[2][3] Kristofferson's paternal grandfather was an officer in the Swedish Army.[4] While Kristofferson was a child, his father pushed him toward a military career.[4]
San Mateo, California
Kristofferson moved around frequently as a youth because of his father's military service, and they settled in San Mateo, California.[5] He graduated from San Mateo High School in 1954. An aspiring writer, Kristofferson immediately enrolled in Pomona College. His early writing included prize-winning essays, and "The Rock" and "Gone Are the Days" were published in The Atlantic Monthly. These early stories reveal the roots of Kristofferson's passions and concerns. "The Rock" is about a geographical feature resembling the form of a woman, while the latter was about a racial incident.[6]
At the age of 17, Kristofferson took a summer job with a dredging contractor on Wake Island in the western Pacific Ocean. He called it "the hardest job I ever had".[7]
Pomona College
Kristofferson attended
In 1973, Kristofferson received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Pomona College during Alumni Weekend, accompanied by fellow performers Johnny Cash and Rita Coolidge. His award was presented to him by his aforementioned mentor, Professor Sontag.[10]
University of Oxford
In 1958, Kristofferson was awarded a
This early phase of his music career was unsuccessful.
Career
Military service
Kristofferson, under pressure from his family, joined the
Music
After leaving the army in 1965, Kristofferson moved to Nashville. He worked odd jobs while struggling for success in music while burdened with medical expenses resulting from his son's defective esophagus. He and his wife soon divorced.
He got a job sweeping floors at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville. He met
Weeks after giving Carter his tapes, Kristofferson landed a helicopter in Cash's front yard, gaining his full attention.[26] A story about Kristofferson having a beer in one hand and some songs in the other upon arrival was reputed, but has been disproven, with Kristofferson saying, "It was still kind of an invasion of privacy that I wouldn't recommend. To be honest, I don't think he was there. John had a pretty creative memory."[27] But upon hearing "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", Cash decided to record it, and in 1970 Kristofferson won Songwriter of the Year for the song at the Country Music Association Awards.
In 1966, Dave Dudley released a successful Kristofferson single, "Viet Nam Blues." In 1967, Kristofferson signed to Epic Records and released a single, "Golden Idol/Killing Time," but the song was not successful. Within the next few years, more Kristofferson originals hit the charts, performed by Roy Drusky ("Jody and the Kid"); Billy Walker & the Tennessee Walkers ("From the Bottle to the Bottom"); Ray Stevens ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"); Jerry Lee Lewis ("Once More with Feeling"); Faron Young ("Your Time's Comin'"); and Roger Miller ("Me and Bobby McGee", "Best of all Possible Worlds", and "Darby's Castle"). He was successful as a performer following Johnny Cash's introduction of him at the Newport Folk Festival.
Kristofferson signed with
In 1971,
Kristofferson released his second album—
In 1972, Kristofferson appeared with Rita Coolidge on British TV on BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, performing a physically intimate version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night". Also in 1972, Al Green released his version of "For the Good Times" on the album I'm Still in Love with You.
Film
For the next several years, Kristofferson focused on acting. He appeared in Cisco Pike (1972) with Gene Hackman; Blume in Love (1973), directed by Paul Mazursky; three Sam Peckinpah films: Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), and Convoy (1978); and Michael Ritchie's Semi-Tough (1977) with Burt Reynolds. He continued acting in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Vigilante Force (1976), The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976), and the romantic drama A Star Is Born (1976) with Barbra Streisand, for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. At the peak of his box office power, Kristofferson turned down William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) and the romantic war film Hanover Street (1979). Despite his success with Streisand, Kristofferson's solo musical career headed downward with his non-charting ninth album, Shake Hands with the Devil. His next film, the two-part 1979 NBC-TV movie Freedom Road, did not get good ratings.
Kristofferson was next cast in the lead role as the enigmatic Sheriff James Averill in
In 1998, he took a role in the film
Mid-career
After his singing success in the early 1970s, Kristofferson met singer Rita Coolidge. They married in 1973 and released an album titled
In 1979, Kristofferson traveled to Havana, Cuba, to participate in the historic Havana Jam festival that took place on March 2–4, alongside Rita Coolidge, Stephen Stills, the CBS Jazz All-Stars, the Trio of Doom, Fania All-Stars, Billy Swan, Bonnie Bramlett, Mike Finnigan, Weather Report, and Billy Joel, plus an array of Cuban artists such as Irakere, Pacho Alonso, Tata Güines, and Orquesta Aragón. His performance is captured on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79.
On November 18, 1979, Kristofferson and Coolidge appeared on
Later work
In 1982, Kristofferson joined
Nelson and Kristofferson continued their partnership, and added
In spite of the success of Highwayman 2 in 1990, Kristofferson's solo recording career slipped significantly in the early 1990s, though he continued to record successfully with the Highwaymen. Lone Star (1996 film by John Sayles) reinvigorated Kristofferson's acting career, and he soon appeared in Blade, Blade II, Blade: Trinity, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, Fire Down Below, Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes, Chelsea Walls, Payback, The Jacket, and Fast Food Nation.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Kristofferson in 1985, as had the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier, in 1977. In 1999, The Austin Sessions, was released, an album on which Kristofferson reworked some of his favorite songs with the help of artists such as Mark Knopfler, Steve Earle, and Jackson Browne. In 2003, Broken Freedom Song was released, a live album recorded in San Francisco.
In 2003, he received the "Spirit of Americana" free speech award from The
In July 2007, Kristofferson was featured on CMT's Studio 330 Sessions where he played many of his hits.
On June 13, 2008, Kristofferson performed an acoustic in-the-round set with
Kristofferson released a new album of original songs entitled
On November 10, 2009, Kristofferson was honored as a
In December 2009, it was announced that Kristofferson would be portraying Joe on the upcoming album Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a collaboration between rock singer John Mellencamp and novelist Stephen King.[36]
On May 11, 2010, Light in the Attic Records released demos that were recorded during Kristofferson's janitorial stint at Columbia. Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends: The Publishing Demos is the first time these recordings have been released and includes material that would later be featured on other Kristofferson recordings and on the recordings of other prominent artists, such as the original recording of "Me and Bobby McGee".
On June 4, 2011, Kristofferson performed a solo acoustic show at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, showcasing both some of his original hits made famous by other artists, and newer songs.
In early 2013, Kristofferson released a new album of original songs called Feeling Mortal. A live album titled An Evening With Kris Kristofferson was released in September 2014.
Kristofferson voiced the character Chief Hanlon of the NCR Rangers in the hit 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas.
In an interview for Las Vegas magazine Q&A by Matt Kelemen on October 23, 2015, he revealed that a new album, The Cedar Creek Sessions, recorded in Austin, would include some old and some new songs.[37] In December 2016, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.[38]
Kristofferson covered Brandi Carlile's "Turpentine" on the 2017 album Cover Stories.[39]
Kristofferson performed, with assistance from Carlile, the Joni Mitchell composition "A Case of You", from the 1971 Mitchell album Blue, on November 7, 2018, at the Both Sides Now - Joni 75 A Birthday Celebration to celebrate the 75th birthday of Mitchell.[40]
In June 2019, Kristofferson was announced as being one of the supporting artists for a Barbra Streisand "exclusive European concert" on July 7 in London's Hyde Park as part of the Barclay's Summertime Concert series.[41]
In January 2021, it was announced that Kristofferson had retired. His final performances were widely reported to be on the
Personal life
In 1961, he married his longtime girlfriend, Frances "Fran" Mavia Beer, eventually divorcing.[12][44] Kristofferson briefly dated Janis Joplin before her death in October 1970.[44] His second marriage was to singer Rita Coolidge in 1973, ending in divorce by 1980.[5][44] Kristofferson married Lisa Meyers in 1983.[44]
Kristofferson and Lisa Meyers own a home in Los Flores Canyon in Malibu, California,
Kristofferson has eight children from his three marriages: two from his first marriage to Fran Beer; one from his second marriage to Rita; and five from his marriage to his third wife, Lisa (née Meyers) Kristofferson.[46]
Kristofferson has said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" on his tombstone:[47][48]
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Awards and nominations
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Country Music Association Awards | Song of the Year | "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" | Won |
1973 | "Why Me" | Nominated | ||
Single of the Year | Nominated | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
BAFTA Awards
|
Best Newcomer
|
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid | Nominated | |
1974 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Song of the Year | "One Day at a Time" | Nominated |
1976 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Musical
|
A Star Is Born | Won |
1980 | Academy Awards | Best Original Score | Songwriter
|
Nominated |
1985 | Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year | "Highwayman" | Nominated |
Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
Academy of Country Music Awards | Single of the Year | Won | ||
Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
Album Of The Year | Nominated | |||
2003 | Americana Music Honors & Awards | Free Speech Award | Himself | Won |
2005 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award | Won | |
2013 | Poets Award | Won | ||
2019 | Country Music Association Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | Himself | Won |
Grammy Awards
Kristofferson has won three competitive Grammys from thirteen nominations. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.[49]
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | Song of the Year | "Me and Bobby McGee" | Nominated |
"Help Me Make It Through the Night" | Nominated | ||
Best Country Song | Won | ||
"Me and Bobby McGee" | Nominated | ||
"For the Good Times" | Nominated | ||
1973 | "Why Me" | Nominated | |
Best Male Country Vocal Performance | Nominated | ||
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group | "From The Bottle To The Bottom" (with Rita Coolidge) | Won | |
1974
|
"Loving Arms" (with Rita Coolidge) | Nominated | |
1975
|
"Lover Please" (with Rita Coolidge) | Won | |
1985
|
"Highwayman" (with The Highwaymen) | Nominated | |
1990
|
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals | Highwayman 2 | Nominated |
2014
|
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Himself | Won |
2016
|
Best Americana Album | The Cedar Creek Sessions | Nominated |
Discography
- Studio albums
- Kristofferson (1970)
- The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971)
- Border Lord (1972)
- Jesus Was a Capricorn (1972)
- Full Moon (with Rita Coolidge) (1973)
- Spooky Lady's Sideshow (1974)
- Breakaway (with Rita Coolidge) (1974)
- Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame (1975)
- Surreal Thing (1976)
- Easter Island (1978)
- Natural Act (with Rita Coolidge) (1978)
- Shake Hands with the Devil (1979)
- To the Bone (1981)
- Repossessed (1986)
- Third World Warrior (1990)
- A Moment of Forever (1995)
- The Austin Sessions (1999)
- This Old Road (2006)
- Closer to the Bone (2009)
- Feeling Mortal (2013)
- The Cedar Creek Sessions (2016)
Filmography
References
- ^ "Progressive country". AllMusic. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- ^ "Death claims famed pilot". The Times. San Mateo, California. January 4, 1971. p. 3. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
Famed Pilot Henry C. Kristofferson, 65, famed pilot and former division for Pan American world Airways when he was a resident of San Mateo, died... two sons, Kraig and Kris who has recently found fame as a folk music and country-western singer
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson Biography (1936–)". Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Colleen. "Kris Kristofferson Following his passions – wherever they may lead". dallasnews.com – Archives. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0738529567.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson Short Stories". Kris Kristofferson by Fans, for Fans. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ interview on Hawaii Public Radio, June 2, 2011
- ^ "Kristoffer Kristofferson". Sports Illustrated. (A Pat on the Back). March 31, 1958. p. 80.
- ^ "Acts of Will". Pomona College Magazine (Winter 2004). Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ^ "1973". Pomona College Timeline. November 7, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Kristofferson entry on Rhodes Trust database". Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Levens, R.G.C., ed. (1964). Merton College Register 1900-1964. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 505.
- ^ Schneider, Jason "Kris Kristofferson: the Pilgrim's Progress" Exclaim! October 2009.
- ^ "Oh Boy Records | Kris Kristofferson Bio". Ohboy.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ [1] Archived September 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson Bio | Kris Kristofferson Career". CMT. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ Vergun, David (March 23, 2021). "Sports Heroes Who Served: Singer, Songwriter, Actor Kris Kristofferson Is Also an Army Veteran". www.defense.gov. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ISBN 9780857121097.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson's Rock And Rules | Clash Music Exclusive Interview". Clashmusic.com. July 27, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ Cheryl McCall. "Can't Keep Kris Down". People. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson". Biography.com. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ Schrodt, Paul (January 29, 2007). "Kris Kristofferson Interview - Quotes about his Kids, Sex, and Rock and Roll". Esquire. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
- ^ "WIllie and Kris at the AVA's!". YouTube. June 23, 2011. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
- ^ "8th Annual Veterans Awards". V-r-a.org. November 26, 2002. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
- New Orleans Times-Picayune, November 29, 2006.
- ^ Hawke, Ethan (April 16, 2009). "The Last Outlaw Poet". Rolling Stone. No. 1076. p. 57. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ "Never a great singer, Kris Kristofferson has had an amazing career nonetheless". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- CMT" 2004.
- ^ "Americana Awards Honor Kristofferson, Douglas, Prine and Phillips". BMI. October 8, 2003. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ GEROME, JOHN (March 12, 2007). "Kris Kristofferson to Receive CMT Award". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson". newwestrecords.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson to be Honored as Icon at 57th Annual BMI Country Awards". bmi.com. June 30, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ 'I never doubted once', country icon says. CNN. November 11, 2009. Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson on being an aging heartthrob, singer and actor". The Washington Post.
- ^ "John Mellencamp Official Site | A Year-End Conversation with John". Mellencamp.com. December 15, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "Q&A: Kris Kristofferson". Las Vegas Magazine. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
- ^ "2017 Grammy Awards: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ "Cover Stories: Brandi Carlile Celebrates 10 Years of the Story (An Album to Benefit War Child) by Various Artists". iTunes. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "Column: Jeff Simon: An all-star birthday party for Joni Mitchell and others". Buffalo News. April 4, 2019.
- ^ "British Summertime Festival: Only Barbara Streisand could sing Silent Night in mid-Summer". kcwlondon.co.uk. KCW Today. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson Camp Confirms He Has Retired: 'It Just Felt Very Organic'". Variety. January 28, 2021.
- ^ "Sunrise Theatre". www.sunrisetheatre.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Campbell, Courtney (August 30, 2020). "Kris Kristofferson + Lisa Meyers: Inside Their 37-Year Love Story". Wide Open Country. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Strauss, Neil (June 6, 2016). "Kris Kristofferson: An Outlaw at 80 – Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ "Family for Kris Kristofferson". Tcm.com. June 22, 1936. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ Schneider, Jason. "Kris Kristofferson The Pilgrim's Progress". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- OCLC 863239766, retrieved February 12, 2023
- ^ "Kris Kristofferson". GRAMMY.com. November 19, 2019.
Further reading
- Bernhardt, Jack. (1998). "Kris Kristofferson". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 286–7.
External links
- Official website
- Kristofferson Fan Website
- The Old Oxonion Blues 1959 profile in Time
- Kristofferson at the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Kris Kristofferson at New West Records
- Kris Kristofferson at AllMusic
- Kris Kristofferson discography at Discogs
- Kris Kristofferson at IMDb
- Kris Kristofferson at the TCM Movie Database
- Kris Kristofferson at AllMovie
- Kris Kristofferson at Broadcast Music, Inc.