Kris Kristofferson

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
 
 
Kris Kristofferson  (born June 22, 1936) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and former soldier.  He is known for writing and recording such hits as “Me and Bobby McGee”, “For the Good Times”, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, and “Help Me Make It Through the Night”.  In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  He is also known for his acting work, including starring roles in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and A Star Is Born, the latter for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

 

 

“Why me Lord what have I ever done / To deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known / Tell me, Lord, what did I ever do / That was worth lovin’ you or the kindness you’ve shown / (chorus) Lord help me, Jesus, I’ve wasted it so / Help me Jesus I know what I am / But now that I know that I’ve needed you so / Help me, Jesus, my soul’s in your hand”.  

 

I cannot remember ever hearing such heartfelt Christian lyrics coming from a mainstream popular musician than these from Kris Kristofferson.  Why Me was released in April 1973 and featured background vocals from Rita Coolidge (whom he would shortly marry) and a future country star, Larry Gatlin.  “Why Me” (also known as “Why Me, Lord?”) is often regarded as the biggest gospel song of the 1970’s

 

The unusual charting history of Why Me is related by Wikipedia:  “‘Why Me was [Kris] Kristofferson’s lone major country hit as a solo recording artist, reaching No. 1 of Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles chart in July 1973.  The song, despite peaking only at No. 16 of the Billboard Hot 100, had, to that time, one of the longer runs (19 weeks) in the Top 40 and the most chart reversals (6) in one run on the Hot 100.  As a result, ironically, the song managed to be ranked as the second most popular Hot 100 single of 1973.” 

 

Kris Kristofferson is probably better known as a songwriter – such as Janis Joplin’s posthumous hit song, “Me and Bobby McGee”, plus “For the Good Times” (a hit by Ray Price, among others), “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” (recorded by Johnny Cash) and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (Sammi Smith’s version being the most successful), which were all #1 hits on one Billboard or Canadian chart or other – or as an actor in dozens of films, such as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, A Star Is Born, the Blade films, and The Motel Life.  He has a rough-and-tumble reputation as a hard-liver, and in part, that fuels his interest in spiritual matters.  Jesus has clearly been on his mind over the years; his album names include Jesus Was a Capricorn (simply an observation that Christmas Day falls within that astrological sign). 

 

Why Me was recorded by many others, among them Johnny CashElvis PresleyGeorge JonesDavid Allan CoeMerle Haggardand Cliff Richard.  

 

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Kris Kristofferson also co-wrote another major gospel hit song in the 1970’s, “One Day at a Time” (also the motto of Alcoholics Anonymous and other similar organizations).  He co-wrote the song with a Nashville songwriting legend, Marijohn Wilkin.  With Danny Dill, Wilkin co-wrote “The Long Black Veil” for Lefty Frizzell – this standard is such a cultural touchstone that it was even mentioned in an opinion by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1979.  Other songs that Marijohn Wilkin wrote or co-wrote include “Waterloo”, a #1 hit for Stonewall Jackson; “Cut Across Shorty”, which was recorded by Eddie CochranRod StewartFaces, and Freddie and the Dreamers; and “I Just Don’t Understand” that was covered by Ann-Margret and the Beatles

 

One Day at a Time” reached the Country Top 20 in the version by Marilyn Sellars in 1974 and also made #37 on the Billboard Hot 100.  One Day at a Time” was given a Dove Award by the Gospel Music Association in 1975.  Her success with writing One Day at a Time gave Marijohn Wilkin a gospel music career, and she released several albums on Word Records

 

At the urging of her husband Lee StollerCristy Lane made several attempts to launch a music career from the late 1960’s through the end of the 1970’s, with only minimal success.  After releasing her third album in 1979Simple Little WordsUnited Artists Records balked at Cristy Lane’s plans to release a remake of One Day at a Time, even though Lena Martell had a No. 1 hit in Great Britain with her version of “One Day at a Time” in 1979.  Instead, Liberty Records released the song and the accompanying album, Ask Me to Dance.  One Day at a Time hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles, and the song became the cornerstone of a television and Internet marketing juggernaut for Cristy Lane’s music. 

 
(July 2014)
 
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Last edited: April 3, 2021