R.I.P. Kris Kristofferson

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

A genuine legend, he's passed away at 88.

https://apnews.com/article/kris-kris...6840af2e1275db

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

He seemed like a really cool guy and I always enjoyed seeing him show up in a film. Most recent films I saw him in were CISCO PIKE, SONGWRITER and the new cut of PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

We saw him live 5 years ago, Merle Haggard's old band, The Strangers, were backing him. He was 83 at the time and clearly age was catching up with him, but he was still a really commanding presence on stage.

I still need to get that PG&BTK set.

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

Oddly enough, I probably rate Kristofferson better as an actor than as a musician.

I mean, a handful of his songs are superb (especially after a few drinks), but by and large his writing, and his performance style, has never really clicked with me.

On screen though, I’ve always thought he was great, irrespective of people frequently griping about his lack of formal acting skills, etc etc.

Huge presence, huge charisma, and as Matt says - he always just seems like a really solid guy.

‘Pat Garrett..’ of course is legendary, but I also really dig him as the lead in ‘Convoy’, and in that very divisive scene in ‘..Alfredo Garcia’.

Also, watched ‘Cisco Pike’ for the first time eartlier this year, and LOVED it - hugely underrated movie, and he’s great in it (albeit, basically playing himself).

After viewing, I mentally filed it as a “hippie movie”, but actually, cross-referencing that assumption today with the knowledge that Kristofferson was born in 1936 and put out his debut album at the age of 34…. there are very few actual hippies in it. Both Kris and Harry Dean’s characters are old enough to belong to an earlier generation of loose-living musicians, already hoovering up drugs, indulging in casual sex and living on the fringes of criminality for YEARS before the first love beads hit the Strip, and not really changing their behaviour much thereafter - just maybe going to the barbers a bit less frequently.

Sorry - bit of a digression there; no idea if that has any relevance to Kristofferson’s own life, but it was long, varied and well-lived, that’s for sure.

R.I.P.