While I was at church this morning, the worship team was warming up with a few bars of Kris Kristofferson's country gospel classic, "Why Me Lord". The drummer then told me in an aside that Kristofferson had passed away.
Confirmation came several hours later with a headline on Yahoo!, which had gotten the information nearly 24 hours after Kristofferson had passed away at 88, three months after his birthday.
Kristofferson not only scored a massive hit with "Why Me Lord", but also wrote hits for other artists, including "Me & Bobby McGee" (Roger Miller, Janis Joplin), "For The Good Times" (Ray Price, Ray Stevens), "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (Johnny Cash), and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (Sammi Smith, Gladys Knight & The Pips). He had essays published in the Atlantic Monthly that earned him his first acclaim as a writer.
Kristofferson played rugby in high school & college, and served in the Army before heading to Nashville in the 60's. He also turned to acting, with roles including "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid", "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "Convoy", "Semi-Tough", "A Star is Born", and the "Blade" trilogy with Wesley Snipes.
The following clip is of Kristofferson performing "For The Good Times".
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