Thank you Tom for that great tribute. I was a huge fan of his and just had to watch a Highway Men video. Brought tears to my eyes. But have to admit his name given to him on the set of A Star is Born “Kris Pissed- offerson” gave me a chuckle. RIP and thank you for sharing your talent with us Kris Kristofferson. ❤️
Given the way that production was, and him having to put up with uber-fuckheaded moron Jon Peters who was producing (I had my own run-in with Peters some ten years later - the kind of shithead who would fuck with a person just because he could - the main character in "Shampoo" is modeled on him), that he was only "pissed off" is a miracle.
There's a reason why my reputation in some quarters was "don't cross him, he'll kneecap you." Peters got extremely pissed off when I not only wouldn't do a free rewrite but turned him in to the WGA legal department for trying to get me to do so.
I'd always heard that the character in "Shampoo" started out being suggested by Jon Peters, who certainly (and ruthlessly) parlayed his "access" into quite a nice nest egg. but many people have pointed out that the "Shampoo" guy (was it "George?") is a whole lot nicer than Peters ever was. the character is actually a very sweet guy without a trace of guile. obviously very much NOT the case with Peters.
I also know that Jack Nitzsche, whose take on people could be ruled by a certain amount of self-interest (like all of us at one time or another), didn't have any unkind words for Peters (at least as of the Summer of '77). but Jack had just finished a bunch of arrangements for Streisand and wasn't very fond of having to deal with her directly. so Peters, in that particular case, served a useful function.
I always thought Kristofferson's best songs had this tossed-off, kind of inevitable feel to them (you feel like you already know it even if it's the first time you're 'hearing it), and that quality is almost impossible to achieve by calculation.
and I'm a huge fan of "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (in all of its various edits, as long as they're NOT the shitty version that was initially released). I think it's a beautiful, painfully elegiac piece of work; elegiac in a way that only Peckinpah (wild man with a genuinely sentimental core) could have gotten to.
and since I've mentioned the summer of '77, it turns out that the terrific album made at that time (which Clive Davis refused to release) is hitting the market (47 years too late, but at least people are gonna be able to hear it) later in the Fall. it's a very solid piece of work and when it's out, I'll provide details.
Of course the character in Shampoo was changed. Robert Towne (the screenwriter) said so. How else were they going to get Warren Beattie? But the original character was more like Peters in earlier drafts.
Trust me, Jon Peters was the worst asshole I met in this business, and that's saying something, considering the competition. He and Peter Guber were the two fuckheads who sold Hollywood to the intergalactic widgetmakers.
THAT much I do know. I tried once to read one of their books and it was too self-serving for me to get past the get past the first chapter.
it IS interesting speculate about what the movie would have been like with a nasty guy at the center. but you're right--nobody would have made THAT movie.
A rich, rich life indeed. Thank you for this fine narrative honoring him, his persona, his giftedness and his life journey.
My career was spent in South Palo Alto at an elementary school I first visited as a roving teacher of Spanish. Every time I hear or read the name Kris Kristofferson, a flash in my memory shows a scene of the only time I saw his beautiful daughter Tracy as she exited a third grade classroom, her teacher a man who became my mentor several years later when I went into the elementary classroom for the bulk of my career. Her eyes were those of her father. So striking, piercing, but not cold. I’ll never forget it. I even know the color of dress she was wearing. I don’t think at the time I knew who she was, but I asked somebody. It’s the only time I ever saw her. Strange anecdote to mention aside someone so so great. His first born! I hope she, her siblings and the family can experience some peace and comfort as they navigate this complicated time of his passing. (I must acknowledge that his mother disowning him resonates and is extremely jarring, in some respects generational, perhaps, but I’m not reading that any healing or reconciliation came later… That primal pain was no doubt an element in the recipes of his artistry.)
It’s amazing to me Katherine how a creative soul needs both freedom and pain living often living at the edges of society, and unfortunately lonely, self medicating w whatever substance.
I didn’t know about him until Tom’s super tribute; recognized his mane and Janis’ Bobby Maghee. By the way, I danced right next to Janis in NYC at a fairly infamous club called The Church. She was ultra sweet and friendly, but I could see the needle marks on her young arms. What a huge loss to the world of music, then
This: "It’s amazing to me...how a creative soul needs both freedom and pain living often living at the edges of society, and unfortunately lonely, self-medicating w whatever substance" is so absolutely true.
The first step toward acting on one's creativity is when you've listened to them tell you that if you do A, and then you do B, you'll get C; only when you try, you get Q and L, and R and Z, and then you say fuck it, I'm not going to follow your rules and become a loser.
Tom, if you do A + B aiming for C… is that the industry trying to shape who you are and how you present yourself? I think of high profile artists like Prince, Taylor, Bill Withers… Bucking the music industry’s effort to control and mold whereas they want(ed) more control, autonomy to each follow his or her own muse… Perhaps at some time you might elaborate on the dynamics of winners, losers, and I guess I’ll call them independents. Of course no one‘s life is like a timeline, a straight through-line without detours, tangents, potholes, peaks, and valleys. (I’m sure your life plays out as an awesome schematic.) Just mulling over your comment. Loser is such a lightning rod term… especially in today’s political climate.
No, I am talking about back in childhood, when they're trying to tell you how to be a successful little boy or girl. I decided "fuck it" around 7th grade.
Got it. I understand now. A very very gracious Black man we had the privilege to know, Ron Alexander, was beloved in the Stanford Communications department. He was from Canada, a small town in the east, name starts with an S, was founded by runaway slaves, still inhabited by descendants. Ron was a porter on the railroad, was noticed for his precision by the wife of the minister of Arts. He welcomed an introduction, which led to his career in higher education, as he developed expertise in the field of documentary filmmaking. (It’s my understanding an invention of his is still used, called Cue View, coordinates soundtrack with footage (if we can call it that in this digital age). He retired as photography went digital, did not believe he was intended to be part of that chapter. Upon his passing, the accolades streamed in on his Stanford obituary page. As I shared with grandson Johnny, who loved Ron and wished he had had more time with him… When I paused, telling of the accolades, Johnny said simply: “He made them feel they were good enough.” That fits with your comment. Both my brothers have passed and while I don’t harbor blame, I know they never felt good enough in my parents’ eyes, no matter what they did. (I did not necessarily either, but somehow my path was guided to where I am today, and I’m grateful.) Throughout my teaching career, and raising Johnny, doing one’s best to reassure that each of us is good enough was and is always part of my M.O. At my age, when people play deceitfully outside decent guidelines, I increasingly work to maintain reasonable boundaries for my own health and sanity. It’s only right. To each of us, may we be free to live according to what we discern as the best mode. We can respectfully disagree. It doesn’t mean we need to maintain active relationships no matter the circumstances. Tricky, yes? Thank you again for your beautiful commentary about Artist Kristofferson.
Sámani, you say so much in your relatively brief comment. What a night dancing near Janis! Deeply poignant, the loss and the gift.
Self-medicating with whatever substance… Hits way too close to home. We once had a phenomenal speaker to kick off the school year. He had lost 100 pounds. His addiction was food. He, a psychiatrist, spoke to us about addiction, that it’s stems from being made to feel one is unfinished, not whole, not good enough…yet. As life moves forward, no grand package of completion arrives at the doorstep, does it? So, people numb themselves, intentionally or inadvertently, and it can lead them down a dark path. His point was that any life is whole, no matter how short or long. We may grieve that a life is shortened, in infancy, childhood, in the teen years or whenever. It’s true we never know when we will take our last breath. But his point was that every being - every life - is whole, and it’s up to us to be part of the support system that confirms this day to day. Thereafter, always in my back to school night presentations, I spoke of the class community, how every member was an equal stakeholder, no matter age, level of preparation, IQ, all possible variables, that we were and are in it together. I never received negative feedback, but there were parents who would come back from intermediate grades or higher and tell me they finally understood what I was doing back in second and third grade. It makes me laugh as I dictate this comment. Would world peace be attainable if every single being felt good enough? I’m not a cynical person, but I doubt I’ll live to know the answer.
I recall being hit on by very tipsy Janis Joplin one Saturday night at Winterland in San Francisco. She was such a mess everyone she approached begged off. Sad.
This from a neighbor who knew Kris K over many years, wrote about him extensively on our local email forum. (interesting neighbor… I’m told he drove the very first Cobra sports car… I know he owns one… It’s my absolute favorite, I must confess. Once at the local shopping center a sleek muscular maroon Cobra pulled into a parking spot near us, and I was clearly oogling. It was a Sunday and Johnny had just come from Sunday school. What did he say? “Thou shalt not covet.” I tried to clarify that admiration and covetousness are not synonyms. LOL
Here’s what neighbor Gene had to say:
His mother NEVER relented. He would bring it up often and chortle over it in self deprecation. Had to have a deep emotional consequence however. Your own mother disowning you. Every family in this country would kill to have him as a son. My recollection is that it stemmed from the fact that his grandfather was a General in the Swedish army and he refused to continue to carry the mantle of the military choosing a different path. Lucky for us!
Kris’ older sister, Karen, was beautiful and taught Hula. My friend lived next door and, as kids, we would watch her through her living room window.
Wow those were the days ….
Guess that’s why I am in love with Hawaiian shirts!!!
What an incredible well lived life! I am one who likes Heaven’s Gate! Many film scholars have revisited it, and I believe it is a Masterpiece. I saw it at AFI where I was a fellow the day before it debuted, it was presented by Michael Cimino.
At 88 what a great run! His words and songs and deeds - Sinead O’Connor comes to mind - will remain in our consciousness for generations to come.
Thank you, Tom, for this tribute to the man I always called a genius. His lyrics often make me cry. I believe they touch a universal chord of truth. Your quote from Pilgrim Chapter 33 ended before the conclusion of that chorus: “Taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home.” Thanks again. What a week! Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson!
Roger Miller once said of him, "Sings like a duck." But he wrote like an angel. I'd like to recommend this. When Hank Snow celebrated 40 years on the Opry, management let him invite on who he wanted and he called the Glaser Brothers, a longtime Nashville group that broke up, came back together, broke up again, and performed on this night for Snow. The first number is a Kristofferson song that they nail. It's worth staying for the rest of the performance, which doesn't involve Kris.
“Even if someone tells him to have a good day, he’ll say, ‘Don’t tell me what to do.”
What an incredible man, what an incredible life! Thank you for this wonderful tribute to Kris Kristofferson, that befits him so well. There could be none better.
He seemed to not to dwell on setbacks, but absorbed their lessons & pain and moved on, following his nose in new directions, with faith in himself, not knowing where they’d lead. The dude abides.
He must have been sick of his military dad as well. I knew many kids of high-level military when I worked at high school. Some were definitely oppositional-defiant to the max…
He was one of us, on so many levels, I never worked with him but I’m sure I would have enjoyed it if I had. Reading this brought tears to my eyes, I hope he had an easy passing, he deserved it, RIP. 🙏
What a life. I so appreciate and admire this summary of Mr. Kristofferson's incredible journey. May his soul find glory and peace.
Thank you Tom for that great tribute. I was a huge fan of his and just had to watch a Highway Men video. Brought tears to my eyes. But have to admit his name given to him on the set of A Star is Born “Kris Pissed- offerson” gave me a chuckle. RIP and thank you for sharing your talent with us Kris Kristofferson. ❤️
Given the way that production was, and him having to put up with uber-fuckheaded moron Jon Peters who was producing (I had my own run-in with Peters some ten years later - the kind of shithead who would fuck with a person just because he could - the main character in "Shampoo" is modeled on him), that he was only "pissed off" is a miracle.
Indeed true. And you are right about Heaven’s Gate too. As a film it has aged well. As did Kristofferson R.I.P.
Great to hear that he didn’t bow to “Uber-fuckheaded morons.” Bet you didn’t either…
There's a reason why my reputation in some quarters was "don't cross him, he'll kneecap you." Peters got extremely pissed off when I not only wouldn't do a free rewrite but turned him in to the WGA legal department for trying to get me to do so.
I was right…
prick.
I'd always heard that the character in "Shampoo" started out being suggested by Jon Peters, who certainly (and ruthlessly) parlayed his "access" into quite a nice nest egg. but many people have pointed out that the "Shampoo" guy (was it "George?") is a whole lot nicer than Peters ever was. the character is actually a very sweet guy without a trace of guile. obviously very much NOT the case with Peters.
I also know that Jack Nitzsche, whose take on people could be ruled by a certain amount of self-interest (like all of us at one time or another), didn't have any unkind words for Peters (at least as of the Summer of '77). but Jack had just finished a bunch of arrangements for Streisand and wasn't very fond of having to deal with her directly. so Peters, in that particular case, served a useful function.
I always thought Kristofferson's best songs had this tossed-off, kind of inevitable feel to them (you feel like you already know it even if it's the first time you're 'hearing it), and that quality is almost impossible to achieve by calculation.
and I'm a huge fan of "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (in all of its various edits, as long as they're NOT the shitty version that was initially released). I think it's a beautiful, painfully elegiac piece of work; elegiac in a way that only Peckinpah (wild man with a genuinely sentimental core) could have gotten to.
and since I've mentioned the summer of '77, it turns out that the terrific album made at that time (which Clive Davis refused to release) is hitting the market (47 years too late, but at least people are gonna be able to hear it) later in the Fall. it's a very solid piece of work and when it's out, I'll provide details.
Of course the character in Shampoo was changed. Robert Towne (the screenwriter) said so. How else were they going to get Warren Beattie? But the original character was more like Peters in earlier drafts.
Trust me, Jon Peters was the worst asshole I met in this business, and that's saying something, considering the competition. He and Peter Guber were the two fuckheads who sold Hollywood to the intergalactic widgetmakers.
THAT much I do know. I tried once to read one of their books and it was too self-serving for me to get past the get past the first chapter.
it IS interesting speculate about what the movie would have been like with a nasty guy at the center. but you're right--nobody would have made THAT movie.
A rich, rich life indeed. Thank you for this fine narrative honoring him, his persona, his giftedness and his life journey.
My career was spent in South Palo Alto at an elementary school I first visited as a roving teacher of Spanish. Every time I hear or read the name Kris Kristofferson, a flash in my memory shows a scene of the only time I saw his beautiful daughter Tracy as she exited a third grade classroom, her teacher a man who became my mentor several years later when I went into the elementary classroom for the bulk of my career. Her eyes were those of her father. So striking, piercing, but not cold. I’ll never forget it. I even know the color of dress she was wearing. I don’t think at the time I knew who she was, but I asked somebody. It’s the only time I ever saw her. Strange anecdote to mention aside someone so so great. His first born! I hope she, her siblings and the family can experience some peace and comfort as they navigate this complicated time of his passing. (I must acknowledge that his mother disowning him resonates and is extremely jarring, in some respects generational, perhaps, but I’m not reading that any healing or reconciliation came later… That primal pain was no doubt an element in the recipes of his artistry.)
It’s amazing to me Katherine how a creative soul needs both freedom and pain living often living at the edges of society, and unfortunately lonely, self medicating w whatever substance.
I didn’t know about him until Tom’s super tribute; recognized his mane and Janis’ Bobby Maghee. By the way, I danced right next to Janis in NYC at a fairly infamous club called The Church. She was ultra sweet and friendly, but I could see the needle marks on her young arms. What a huge loss to the world of music, then
and now. And what huge gifts then and now.
This: "It’s amazing to me...how a creative soul needs both freedom and pain living often living at the edges of society, and unfortunately lonely, self-medicating w whatever substance" is so absolutely true.
The first step toward acting on one's creativity is when you've listened to them tell you that if you do A, and then you do B, you'll get C; only when you try, you get Q and L, and R and Z, and then you say fuck it, I'm not going to follow your rules and become a loser.
Tom, if you do A + B aiming for C… is that the industry trying to shape who you are and how you present yourself? I think of high profile artists like Prince, Taylor, Bill Withers… Bucking the music industry’s effort to control and mold whereas they want(ed) more control, autonomy to each follow his or her own muse… Perhaps at some time you might elaborate on the dynamics of winners, losers, and I guess I’ll call them independents. Of course no one‘s life is like a timeline, a straight through-line without detours, tangents, potholes, peaks, and valleys. (I’m sure your life plays out as an awesome schematic.) Just mulling over your comment. Loser is such a lightning rod term… especially in today’s political climate.
No, I am talking about back in childhood, when they're trying to tell you how to be a successful little boy or girl. I decided "fuck it" around 7th grade.
Got it. I understand now. A very very gracious Black man we had the privilege to know, Ron Alexander, was beloved in the Stanford Communications department. He was from Canada, a small town in the east, name starts with an S, was founded by runaway slaves, still inhabited by descendants. Ron was a porter on the railroad, was noticed for his precision by the wife of the minister of Arts. He welcomed an introduction, which led to his career in higher education, as he developed expertise in the field of documentary filmmaking. (It’s my understanding an invention of his is still used, called Cue View, coordinates soundtrack with footage (if we can call it that in this digital age). He retired as photography went digital, did not believe he was intended to be part of that chapter. Upon his passing, the accolades streamed in on his Stanford obituary page. As I shared with grandson Johnny, who loved Ron and wished he had had more time with him… When I paused, telling of the accolades, Johnny said simply: “He made them feel they were good enough.” That fits with your comment. Both my brothers have passed and while I don’t harbor blame, I know they never felt good enough in my parents’ eyes, no matter what they did. (I did not necessarily either, but somehow my path was guided to where I am today, and I’m grateful.) Throughout my teaching career, and raising Johnny, doing one’s best to reassure that each of us is good enough was and is always part of my M.O. At my age, when people play deceitfully outside decent guidelines, I increasingly work to maintain reasonable boundaries for my own health and sanity. It’s only right. To each of us, may we be free to live according to what we discern as the best mode. We can respectfully disagree. It doesn’t mean we need to maintain active relationships no matter the circumstances. Tricky, yes? Thank you again for your beautiful commentary about Artist Kristofferson.
Sámani, you say so much in your relatively brief comment. What a night dancing near Janis! Deeply poignant, the loss and the gift.
Self-medicating with whatever substance… Hits way too close to home. We once had a phenomenal speaker to kick off the school year. He had lost 100 pounds. His addiction was food. He, a psychiatrist, spoke to us about addiction, that it’s stems from being made to feel one is unfinished, not whole, not good enough…yet. As life moves forward, no grand package of completion arrives at the doorstep, does it? So, people numb themselves, intentionally or inadvertently, and it can lead them down a dark path. His point was that any life is whole, no matter how short or long. We may grieve that a life is shortened, in infancy, childhood, in the teen years or whenever. It’s true we never know when we will take our last breath. But his point was that every being - every life - is whole, and it’s up to us to be part of the support system that confirms this day to day. Thereafter, always in my back to school night presentations, I spoke of the class community, how every member was an equal stakeholder, no matter age, level of preparation, IQ, all possible variables, that we were and are in it together. I never received negative feedback, but there were parents who would come back from intermediate grades or higher and tell me they finally understood what I was doing back in second and third grade. It makes me laugh as I dictate this comment. Would world peace be attainable if every single being felt good enough? I’m not a cynical person, but I doubt I’ll live to know the answer.
I recall being hit on by very tipsy Janis Joplin one Saturday night at Winterland in San Francisco. She was such a mess everyone she approached begged off. Sad.
My “🤍” is a commisaration sad face but Substack does not yet offer emoji options. So very sad.😞
This from a neighbor who knew Kris K over many years, wrote about him extensively on our local email forum. (interesting neighbor… I’m told he drove the very first Cobra sports car… I know he owns one… It’s my absolute favorite, I must confess. Once at the local shopping center a sleek muscular maroon Cobra pulled into a parking spot near us, and I was clearly oogling. It was a Sunday and Johnny had just come from Sunday school. What did he say? “Thou shalt not covet.” I tried to clarify that admiration and covetousness are not synonyms. LOL
Here’s what neighbor Gene had to say:
His mother NEVER relented. He would bring it up often and chortle over it in self deprecation. Had to have a deep emotional consequence however. Your own mother disowning you. Every family in this country would kill to have him as a son. My recollection is that it stemmed from the fact that his grandfather was a General in the Swedish army and he refused to continue to carry the mantle of the military choosing a different path. Lucky for us!
Kris’ older sister, Karen, was beautiful and taught Hula. My friend lived next door and, as kids, we would watch her through her living room window.
Wow those were the days ….
Guess that’s why I am in love with Hawaiian shirts!!!
g/
So she sounds like my MommieDearest.
88, he wasn't cheated.
What an incredible well lived life! I am one who likes Heaven’s Gate! Many film scholars have revisited it, and I believe it is a Masterpiece. I saw it at AFI where I was a fellow the day before it debuted, it was presented by Michael Cimino.
At 88 what a great run! His words and songs and deeds - Sinead O’Connor comes to mind - will remain in our consciousness for generations to come.
Oh, damn it. That was a nice obit, tho. Didn’t know all that about Kristofferson. Thank you.
Thank you, Tom, for this tribute to the man I always called a genius. His lyrics often make me cry. I believe they touch a universal chord of truth. Your quote from Pilgrim Chapter 33 ended before the conclusion of that chorus: “Taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home.” Thanks again. What a week! Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson!
Thanks for the heartfelt obituary, Tom. I loved his artistry.
Thank you Tom. I learned so much about him that I didn’t know before. Rest in Peace Kris. You led a full life.
One of my favorites! I saw him last at a smaller venue 5? Years ago - he had some memory issues but that Voice!
Sunday Morning Coming Down is the anthem for those lonely and far from home.
Thanks for all your enjoyable genius Kris.
Roger Miller once said of him, "Sings like a duck." But he wrote like an angel. I'd like to recommend this. When Hank Snow celebrated 40 years on the Opry, management let him invite on who he wanted and he called the Glaser Brothers, a longtime Nashville group that broke up, came back together, broke up again, and performed on this night for Snow. The first number is a Kristofferson song that they nail. It's worth staying for the rest of the performance, which doesn't involve Kris.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MFkAUy41Ig
Thank you. Always loved his music. Glad he got to spend the end of his life on beautiful Maui.
“Even if someone tells him to have a good day, he’ll say, ‘Don’t tell me what to do.”
What an incredible man, what an incredible life! Thank you for this wonderful tribute to Kris Kristofferson, that befits him so well. There could be none better.
He seemed to not to dwell on setbacks, but absorbed their lessons & pain and moved on, following his nose in new directions, with faith in himself, not knowing where they’d lead. The dude abides.
He must have been sick of his military dad as well. I knew many kids of high-level military when I worked at high school. Some were definitely oppositional-defiant to the max…
He was one of us, on so many levels, I never worked with him but I’m sure I would have enjoyed it if I had. Reading this brought tears to my eyes, I hope he had an easy passing, he deserved it, RIP. 🙏
Great bio about one of the best.