I'm gonna leave whatever's left of my luck to the losers
September 29, 2024 5:03 PM Subscribe
Kris Kristofferson, legendary songwriter, actor, and poet died today at age 88. Born in 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, Kris led a fascinating life. What I have always liked most about him, however, was how good he seemed to be.
Kris started writing at Pomona college in the mid 1950s, was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in literature. After Pomona, he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, where he boxed, played rugby, and starting writing songs.
Born into an Airforce family, Kris himself enlisted and completed ranger school in the early 1960s. Kris left the Airforce to focus on music, and was disowned by his family for it. Some of my favorite tracks from his earlier days
Border Lord
The lights of Magdala
Kiss the world goodbye
His filmography is legendary, and includes three Peckinpah films as well as a Golden Globe for A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand.
My personal favorite artist from this generation of outlaw country singers (forgive me Willy). His entire biography is fascinating, but what I admire most about him is how good a person he seems to have been.
The story that, to my mind, most demonstrates how great he was concerns Sinead O'Conner.
In 1992 Sinead played on SNL and tore up a picture of Pope Jean Paul II in protest of the abuses against children perpetrated and covered up by high-ranking members of the Catholic church. She knew, and she tried to tell the world, and the world shamed her for it. Sinead played at the Bob Dylan tribute concert that year, and she was booed by the audience. Kris introduced her as an “artist whose name has become synonymous with courage and integrity,” which she most certainly was but which did not become true in popular culture for two decades. Kris went up to Sinead on stage and told her "don't let the bastards get you down".
Rest Easy Kris.
NB: Kris and Sinead had a complicated relationship from the outside.
Kris started writing at Pomona college in the mid 1950s, was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in literature. After Pomona, he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, where he boxed, played rugby, and starting writing songs.
Born into an Airforce family, Kris himself enlisted and completed ranger school in the early 1960s. Kris left the Airforce to focus on music, and was disowned by his family for it. Some of my favorite tracks from his earlier days
Border Lord
The lights of Magdala
Kiss the world goodbye
His filmography is legendary, and includes three Peckinpah films as well as a Golden Globe for A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand.
My personal favorite artist from this generation of outlaw country singers (forgive me Willy). His entire biography is fascinating, but what I admire most about him is how good a person he seems to have been.
The story that, to my mind, most demonstrates how great he was concerns Sinead O'Conner.
In 1992 Sinead played on SNL and tore up a picture of Pope Jean Paul II in protest of the abuses against children perpetrated and covered up by high-ranking members of the Catholic church. She knew, and she tried to tell the world, and the world shamed her for it. Sinead played at the Bob Dylan tribute concert that year, and she was booed by the audience. Kris introduced her as an “artist whose name has become synonymous with courage and integrity,” which she most certainly was but which did not become true in popular culture for two decades. Kris went up to Sinead on stage and told her "don't let the bastards get you down".
Rest Easy Kris.
NB: Kris and Sinead had a complicated relationship from the outside.
Oooooofffff. This is a bad week. What a phenomenal talent.
posted by dsword at 5:10 PM on September 29
posted by dsword at 5:10 PM on September 29
On a Sunday mornin' sidewalk
I'm wishin', Lord, that I was stoned
'Cause there's somethin' in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short a' dyin'
That's half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleepin' city sidewalk
And Sunday mornin' comin' down
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posted by gwint at 5:10 PM on September 29 [4 favorites]
I'm wishin', Lord, that I was stoned
'Cause there's somethin' in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothin' short a' dyin'
That's half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleepin' city sidewalk
And Sunday mornin' comin' down
.
posted by gwint at 5:10 PM on September 29 [4 favorites]
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posted by miles per flower at 5:12 PM on September 29
posted by miles per flower at 5:12 PM on September 29
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posted by Ignorantsavage at 5:13 PM on September 29
posted by Ignorantsavage at 5:13 PM on September 29
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Highwayman gives me a lot of feelings right now.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 5:13 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Highwayman gives me a lot of feelings right now.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 5:13 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
I wrote about him in a response to an AskMe in 2011. What a list of accomplishments.
I want to be Kris Kristofferson when I grow up.
posted by 2N2222 at 5:16 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
I want to be Kris Kristofferson when I grow up.
posted by 2N2222 at 5:16 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by dogstoevski at 5:18 PM on September 29
posted by dogstoevski at 5:18 PM on September 29
He had brains, talent, drive and did so much with them.
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posted by theora55 at 5:21 PM on September 29
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posted by theora55 at 5:21 PM on September 29
I always wanted to see him and Lee Marvin act in the movie. my father adored him and maintained that he was probably one of the smartest people in the business.
🌑
posted by clavdivs at 5:34 PM on September 29
🌑
posted by clavdivs at 5:34 PM on September 29
He’ll always be around
And around, and around, and around
And around, and around, and around
posted by Parasite Unseen at 5:38 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
And around, and around, and around
And around, and around, and around
posted by Parasite Unseen at 5:38 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
He's a poet and he's a picker
He's a prophet and he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher
And a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction
Partly truth and partly fiction
Takin' every wrong direction
On his lonely way back home
So many good songs.
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posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:43 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
He's a prophet and he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher
And a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction
Partly truth and partly fiction
Takin' every wrong direction
On his lonely way back home
So many good songs.
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posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:43 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Kristofferson moved to Nashville and worked odd jobs during the day while writing songs at night. One of the jobs was being a janitor at Columbia Records studios, where he witnessed some of the recording sessions for Bob Dylan’s legendary album, Blonde On Blonde.Peter Stone Brown Archives
He would also commute to Louisiana where he worked as a helicopter pilot for oil rigs. Some of his most famous songs including Me And Bobby McGhee were written in Louisiana, and Help Me Make It Through The Night was written while he was sitting on top of an oil platform. One of Kristofferson’s first outrageous acts was landing a helicopter unannounced in Johnny Cash’s yard to give him some tapes of his songs.
posted by y2karl at 5:48 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
He was also brilliant as Sheriff Charlie Wade in John Sayles' magnificent Lone Star
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posted by HillbillyInBC at 5:58 PM on September 29 [8 favorites]
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posted by HillbillyInBC at 5:58 PM on September 29 [8 favorites]
⭐
posted by HearHere at 6:01 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by HearHere at 6:01 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
He was so talented and so so beautiful when he was young. Barbra doesn't hand-pick you to be half-naked in a movie with her if you aren't. I didn't even know why he fascinated me so much when I first saw A Star Is Born, but I've since then figured it out.
posted by hippybear at 6:01 PM on September 29
posted by hippybear at 6:01 PM on September 29
One of Kristofferson’s first outrageous acts was landing a helicopter unannounced in Johnny Cash’s yard to give him some tapes of his songs.
posted by zamboni at 6:02 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
"It's a great story, and a story that good needs to be believed, even if it's not true," quips musician Rodney Crowell, who became Cash's son-in-law when he married Rosanne Cash. "But, you know, according to John, that literally happened." (quoted in the NPR obit)Another Kristofferson 'great story' is the Toby Keith apocrypha.
posted by zamboni at 6:02 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by lilywing13 at 6:04 PM on September 29
posted by lilywing13 at 6:04 PM on September 29
He was also in Blade. The man did whatever he wanted!
posted by kerf at 6:05 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by kerf at 6:05 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Rarely have I felt seen as much as I did when I first heard "Sunday Morning Coming Down," covered by (among many other excellent musicians) Brandi Carlile. So many songs about drinking, so few about being hung over, not to mention the devastating isolation of the day after.
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posted by Halloween Jack at 6:13 PM on September 29 [4 favorites]
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posted by Halloween Jack at 6:13 PM on September 29 [4 favorites]
Lone Star is on Tubi right now.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:21 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:21 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Let's just be glad we had this time to spend together...
posted by clawsoon at 6:24 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by clawsoon at 6:24 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
A man so gifted, even Leonard Cohen pretended to be him.
Godspeed.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:28 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Godspeed.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:28 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Chirp!
This is inscribed in the stone of the Pomona College gate:
posted by PresidentOfDinosaurs at 6:40 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
This is inscribed in the stone of the Pomona College gate:
They only are loyal to this college who, departing, bear their added riches in trust for mankind.Few seem to have followed it as well as him.
posted by PresidentOfDinosaurs at 6:40 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Not a fan of country music, but I was a fan of him.
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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 6:41 PM on September 29
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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 6:41 PM on September 29
Kristofferson’s first outrageous acts was landing a helicopter unannounced in Johnny Cash’s yard to give him some tapes of his songs.
and I thought doing a movie with Lee Marvin would be cool.
posted by clavdivs at 6:42 PM on September 29
and I thought doing a movie with Lee Marvin would be cool.
posted by clavdivs at 6:42 PM on September 29
He was absolutely charming in a long 1984 interview with David Letterman, where he talks about Willy Nelson, a film he just completed which he fears no one will ever see, dating Barbara Streisand, and running into Hemingway at a bull fight in Spain. He looks absolutely beautiful here and his voice is as smooth and seductive as you could ever hope to hear.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:55 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:55 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
Oh my gosh, not Kris Kristofferson! He wrote my absolute favorite song ever, Me And Bobby McGee. (My favorite version is Janis Joplin's cover.)
Another masterpiece is Sunday Morning Coming Down is both understated and heartbreaking, goes straight to the heart of a particular kind of life or maybe a particular phase of life (if we're lucky). This man was a lyrical god, in the same leagues as Leonard Cohen and Sara Bareilles and whoever else you care to name. Incredible, incredible talent.
posted by MiraK at 7:01 PM on September 29
Another masterpiece is Sunday Morning Coming Down is both understated and heartbreaking, goes straight to the heart of a particular kind of life or maybe a particular phase of life (if we're lucky). This man was a lyrical god, in the same leagues as Leonard Cohen and Sara Bareilles and whoever else you care to name. Incredible, incredible talent.
posted by MiraK at 7:01 PM on September 29
It's Barbra. Please, respect how someone spells her name.
posted by hippybear at 7:05 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 7:05 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by dannyboybell at 7:27 PM on September 29
posted by dannyboybell at 7:27 PM on September 29
The one guy who explicitly told us he was fine with us speaking ill of him if we couldn't find nobody else, and I ain't got a single bad word to say about him.
posted by MarchHare at 7:29 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
posted by MarchHare at 7:29 PM on September 29 [2 favorites]
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(On Facebook I pointed out his starring role in what he later called the career-killing "Heaven's Gate," which I said was the other great roller-skating film from 1980, with this clip.)
posted by Rash at 7:33 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
(On Facebook I pointed out his starring role in what he later called the career-killing "Heaven's Gate," which I said was the other great roller-skating film from 1980, with this clip.)
posted by Rash at 7:33 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by constraint at 7:34 PM on September 29
posted by constraint at 7:34 PM on September 29
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Both songs painful as hell, written beautifully, perfectly.
I've lived both of them. He nailed each, absolutely true.
Movies? OK, cool. But whatever. It's his writing for me.
He gave us so much. A great life. I'm grateful he was here.
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posted by dancestoblue at 7:55 PM on September 29
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Both songs painful as hell, written beautifully, perfectly.
I've lived both of them. He nailed each, absolutely true.
Movies? OK, cool. But whatever. It's his writing for me.
He gave us so much. A great life. I'm grateful he was here.
.
posted by dancestoblue at 7:55 PM on September 29
The Highwaymen singing "The Highwayman" in a 1990 concert. (That's Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson.)
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:57 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:57 PM on September 29 [1 favorite]
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Both songs painful as hell, written beautifully, perfectly.
He did also write Me And Bobby McGee. Which I only learned while reading up on him tonight.
posted by hippybear at 8:02 PM on September 29
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Both songs painful as hell, written beautifully, perfectly.
He did also write Me And Bobby McGee. Which I only learned while reading up on him tonight.
posted by hippybear at 8:02 PM on September 29
A favorite movie of mine from back when is "Payback" (despite its problematic lead). Kristofferson plays one of the heavies, and his line readings are incredible. One of my favorite bad guy lines of all time is him drawling, "Tell me where John is and I'll finish you quick. I promise you won't have to find out what your left ball tastes like."
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:04 PM on September 29
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:04 PM on September 29
Saw this via Noah Kulwin's tweet, from his biography, The Wild American:
Kristofferson's political stand helped ensure that his name received a black mark within the show-business establishment, as he said, "'Particularly in LA, I found a considerable lack of work after doing concerts for the Palestinian children and for a couple of gigs with Vanessa Redgrave and if that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be. If you support human rights, you gotta support them everywhere."
(Validated by search in Google Books preview)
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posted by cendawanita at 8:12 PM on September 29
Kristofferson's political stand helped ensure that his name received a black mark within the show-business establishment, as he said, "'Particularly in LA, I found a considerable lack of work after doing concerts for the Palestinian children and for a couple of gigs with Vanessa Redgrave and if that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be. If you support human rights, you gotta support them everywhere."
(Validated by search in Google Books preview)
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posted by cendawanita at 8:12 PM on September 29
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Feeling Mortal
posted by the primroses were over at 5:07 PM on September 29 [3 favorites]