My Influences - Kris Kristofferson
I see Kris Kristofferson as being a very important person in the world of music. Kris is probably my favourite songwriter of all time. He was awarded 2nd best country songwriter of the century. (No.1 being Hank Williams who is Kris's idol.)
Kris is such an amazing guy. He obtained a degree in Creative Literature at Pomona College in California and after winning short story contests, was awarded a Rhodes Scholorship in 1958 to study English Literature at Oxford University where he obtained a Ph.D. He then joined the army following his families wishes and was a helicopter pilot in Germany for 5 years. When Kris left the army he decided to pursue a career in music.
He worked as a cleaner at Columbia's Nashville recording studio until his song writing was recognised and his music career got under way. How many other country artistes have had such a wide variety of careers?!
Kris has written some of the greatest country songs of all time. All his compositions have been recorded by major artistes: 'Me and Bobby McGee', 'Help Me Make It Through The Night', 'Why Me Lord?', 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down' to name just a few of Kris' masterpieces. His songs are written from the heart. They are all so meaningful and tell a great story.
His poetry is so creative. e.g 'Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose, and nothing ain't worth nothing, but it's free'. Thats as good as Shakespeare as far as I'm concerned!
Kris once said, "It's where the stuff you feel in your heart is expressed, it's the closest thing to your soul". He says of his music "To me it's satisfying to express things that you feel and have other people say 'Right, that's exactly how I feel, too'.
Kris Kristofferson one of my influences by Scotland's No 1 boogie-woogie singer pt - the great ball of fire - Kyle Esplin!