“STORIES IN SONG” SERIES 2019 – By Des Kelly

I wouldn’t call him a great singer, especially as he was surrounded by some of the greatest “voices” in history, during this genre’ of Country Music, but Kris Kristofferson made up for this by being one of the greatest Country Music Songwriters of all time. Born on the 22nd of June 1936, into a military family (his father was once an Air Force General), and Kristoffer (naturally), also served as a helicopter pilot, after graduating as an Oxford Scholar, he decided that songwriting was his “calling”, came to Nashville and the rest is history.

Tall, ruggedly good-looking, with what is known as a gravelly voice, Kris was also an “Actor” in great demand

(It seems, that even in America, one needs more than a single string to their bow), or, in a word, “multi-talented”, and Kris Kristofferson was surely one who was. He “acted”, sang, played a good guitar, wrote World famous songs like “Me & Bobbie McGee” “For the good times”, “Help me make it thru the night”, many others that were grabbed by various other Country Artistes, as recording material, and the you-tube “clip” that introduces this story, “Sunday morning coming down”, which I chose especially as I would swear that the “Bass-player” in his backing group here, is a Sri Lankan (& good luck to him. He is one fortunate guy).

Kris Kristofferson (83, this year), has not been making ONLY Music. He has been making babies too. He married three times, has eight fine children (all, now adults, of course) & the finishing “clip” features one of his beautiful wives, Rita Coolidge, who sings the way she feels about her famous husband, the “Outlaw” Kris Kristofferson. She tells us that she is “The jealous kind” , which she quite probably was, and believe me folks, this writer knows all about them, too. Ladies & Gentlemen, I am proud to present both Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge on Stories in Song.