But Kris Kristofferson dying last month really really sucked. He's been one of my favorites for decades, and anyone that thinks that country music today is good needs to listen to him and the other "outlaw country" folks, which is like, pretty much just Willie Nelson now.
There are 2 stories of Kris that I always loved. One, he was one of the few people to support Sinead O'Connor after her SNL bit where she ripped up a picture of the pope. She was doing this to bring attention and protest the church's enabling of child abuse and sexual molestation. Shortly after this she was at the 30th anniversay celebration for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Gardens along with Kris, and other titans of music at the time such as Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, etc. (fun fact, THAT concert was more than 30 years ago and Dylan is STILL touring and making music). Anyways, the crowd booed Sinead and Kris was sent out to help her get off stage. He leaned in and told her "Don't let the bastards get you down", because he knew then what the rest of us should have realized by now, that she was 100% right.
The second has some controversy around the events itself, but apparently at Willie Nelson's 70th Birthday bash, an "unidentified" younger country star - apparently Toby Keith. Copying it from another source to save my typing:
"... bumped into Kristofferson backstage in New York City's Beacon Theatre, where the two were taking part in "Live and Kickin'," an all-star tribute to Willie Nelson on his 70th birthday.
Keith's career was still riding high on the popularity of his post-9/11 anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." But that night, he played his smash-hit duet "Beer for My Horses" with Nelson. The story goes that he wished Nelson a happy birthday while backstage and made what was intended to be a passing remark to Kristofferson: "None of that lefty shit out there tonight, Kris."
Kristofferson, a Ranger-tabbed Army veteran and former Golden Gloves boxer who died on Sept. 28, 2024, at the age of 88, didn't like what he heard.
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Kris growled, stepping forward.
"Oh, no," groaned Willie under his breath. "Don't get Kris all riled up."
"You heard me," the Star said, walking away in the darkness.
"Don't turn your back to me, boy," Kristofferson shouted, not giving a shit that basically the entire music industry seemed to be flanking him.
The Star turned around: "I don't want any problems, Kris; I just want you to tone it down."
"You ever worn your country's uniform?" Kris asked rhetorically.
"What?"
"Don't 'What?' me, boy! You heard the question. You just don't like the answer." He paused just long enough to get a full chest of air. "I asked, 'Have you ever served your country?' The answer is, no, you have not. Have you ever killed another man? Huh? Have you ever taken another man's life and then cashed the check your country gave you for doing it? No, you have not. So shut the fuck up!" I could feel his body pulsing with anger next to me. "You don't know what the hell you are talking about!"
Comments
Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot dead at 84
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/gordon-lightfoot-dead-1.6828991
Mark
Gordon Lightfoot lead an aspiring lively life which should be celebrated not saddened by;
c'est la vie !!!
The good? Henry Kissinger dead several decades too late at 100...
The bad? Shane MacGowan dead at 65. His liver was 122.
I'm calling it now btw.. 2023 has been a worse year for celeb deaths than 2016 was.
Mark
"Non-War Criminal Shane MacGowan Dies At 65
The Pogues singer did not, to our knowledge, kill three million people."
That one sucks, always liked him.
Mark
But Kris Kristofferson dying last month really really sucked. He's been one of my favorites for decades, and anyone that thinks that country music today is good needs to listen to him and the other "outlaw country" folks, which is like, pretty much just Willie Nelson now.
There are 2 stories of Kris that I always loved. One, he was one of the few people to support Sinead O'Connor after her SNL bit where she ripped up a picture of the pope. She was doing this to bring attention and protest the church's enabling of child abuse and sexual molestation. Shortly after this she was at the 30th anniversay celebration for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Gardens along with Kris, and other titans of music at the time such as Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, etc. (fun fact, THAT concert was more than 30 years ago and Dylan is STILL touring and making music). Anyways, the crowd booed Sinead and Kris was sent out to help her get off stage. He leaned in and told her "Don't let the bastards get you down", because he knew then what the rest of us should have realized by now, that she was 100% right.
The second has some controversy around the events itself, but apparently at Willie Nelson's 70th Birthday bash, an "unidentified" younger country star - apparently Toby Keith. Copying it from another source to save my typing:
"... bumped into Kristofferson backstage in New York City's Beacon Theatre, where the two were taking part in "Live and Kickin'," an all-star tribute to Willie Nelson on his 70th birthday.
Keith's career was still riding high on the popularity of his post-9/11 anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." But that night, he played his smash-hit duet "Beer for My Horses" with Nelson. The story goes that he wished Nelson a happy birthday while backstage and made what was intended to be a passing remark to Kristofferson: "None of that lefty shit out there tonight, Kris."
Kristofferson, a Ranger-tabbed Army veteran and former Golden Gloves boxer who died on Sept. 28, 2024, at the age of 88, didn't like what he heard.
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Kris growled, stepping forward.
"Oh, no," groaned Willie under his breath. "Don't get Kris all riled up."
"You heard me," the Star said, walking away in the darkness.
"Don't turn your back to me, boy," Kristofferson shouted, not giving a shit that basically the entire music industry seemed to be flanking him.
The Star turned around: "I don't want any problems, Kris; I just want you to tone it down."
"You ever worn your country's uniform?" Kris asked rhetorically.
"What?"
"Don't 'What?' me, boy! You heard the question. You just don't like the answer." He paused just long enough to get a full chest of air. "I asked, 'Have you ever served your country?' The answer is, no, you have not. Have you ever killed another man? Huh? Have you ever taken another man's life and then cashed the check your country gave you for doing it? No, you have not. So shut the fuck up!" I could feel his body pulsing with anger next to me. "You don't know what the hell you are talking about!"
Legend.
Mark
Would read again.