Kris Kristofferson — the tough yet weary country music singer/songwriter behind “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” as well as the rugged leading man featured in romances like “A Star is Born” (1976) and westerns like “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” — has died at 88. He passed away in his home in Maui, Hawaii.
A statement released by his family reads, “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
A proud son of South Texas, Kristofferson was also a military brat who often hopped around before finally settling in San Mateo, California. He went on to attend Pomona College where he excelled in rugby, American football, and track and field. At one point, he was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
A statement released by his family reads, “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
A proud son of South Texas, Kristofferson was also a military brat who often hopped around before finally settling in San Mateo, California. He went on to attend Pomona College where he excelled in rugby, American football, and track and field. At one point, he was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Willie Nelson is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday night, but according to his latest interview, when he got the call that he had been voted in, he “thought they had the wrong number.”
That’s what Nelson said on Thursday night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (his second appearance on the program this week). Pulling his famous tour bus up to the show’s studio on 53rd Street in Manhattan, Nelson was joined by Colbert for a chat around the bus’s table, speaking about the significance of his induction into the Rock Hall, his early days of songwriting, his new book, the upcoming screening of his 90th birthday concert film, and more. Watch the interview below.
With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Colbert hinted that Nelson would have reason to feel like “it’s...
That’s what Nelson said on Thursday night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (his second appearance on the program this week). Pulling his famous tour bus up to the show’s studio on 53rd Street in Manhattan, Nelson was joined by Colbert for a chat around the bus’s table, speaking about the significance of his induction into the Rock Hall, his early days of songwriting, his new book, the upcoming screening of his 90th birthday concert film, and more. Watch the interview below.
With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Colbert hinted that Nelson would have reason to feel like “it’s...
- 11/3/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
For a one-hit-wonder, Tommy McLain admits he has few complaints.
Back in 1966, he’d climbed into the top 15 with a swamp-lounge version of Don Gibson’s “Sweet Dreams,” which showcased the Louisiana native’s tremulous voice. Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe were fans of his work; Joe Strummer cut a cover of “Before I Grow Too Old,” a Fats Domino B-side associated with McLain (Strummer’s version was called “Silver and Gold”). The drugs and alcohol were behind him, and decades later, McLain was gigging regularly in his home state.
Back in 1966, he’d climbed into the top 15 with a swamp-lounge version of Don Gibson’s “Sweet Dreams,” which showcased the Louisiana native’s tremulous voice. Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe were fans of his work; Joe Strummer cut a cover of “Before I Grow Too Old,” a Fats Domino B-side associated with McLain (Strummer’s version was called “Silver and Gold”). The drugs and alcohol were behind him, and decades later, McLain was gigging regularly in his home state.
- 4/19/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Willie Nelson’s “Hello Walls” takes on new meaning in the age of social distancing and quarantine. The country music legend and his sons Lukas and Micah recorded an at-home version of the tune, a 1961 hit for Faron Young, for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Filmed at their Luck Ranch outside of Austin, Texas, the song begins with Nelson on the first verse and Lukas and Micah gamely reaching for sky-high notes in the echoing “hello, hello” refrain. The sons each take a verse of their own too, before...
Filmed at their Luck Ranch outside of Austin, Texas, the song begins with Nelson on the first verse and Lukas and Micah gamely reaching for sky-high notes in the echoing “hello, hello” refrain. The sons each take a verse of their own too, before...
- 4/21/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Happy 88th birthday to music icon Loretta Lynn, born this day in 1932, in the tiny coal-mining community of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Lynn, who immortalized “Butcher Holler” in her autobiographical 1970 single “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” arrived in Nashville in the early Sixties, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time 60 years ago before she eventually joined the Opry cast in September 1962.
Although she had recorded her debut single “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” in 1960 for Zero Records, an independent label based in Canada, Lynn would sign to Decca Records...
Although she had recorded her debut single “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” in 1960 for Zero Records, an independent label based in Canada, Lynn would sign to Decca Records...
- 4/14/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
In our new series, we look at eight cities where live music has exploded — from legendary hubs like Chicago and New Orleans, to rising hot spots like Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Portland, Maine. The latest falls into the legendary category: Nashville, where the city’s growth has pushed its music scene into exciting, eccentric new directions.
After Margo Price wrapped her three-night stand at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, she celebrated by making the 20-minute drive northeast to Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, a kitschy spot behind an adult bookstore in Madison.
After Margo Price wrapped her three-night stand at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, she celebrated by making the 20-minute drive northeast to Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, a kitschy spot behind an adult bookstore in Madison.
- 2/1/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Quentin Tarantino movies may be a nightmare for some in the scoring community — who’d be out of work if every other director adopted his approach of almost exclusively using existing songs and score — but they’re a dream for just about anyone else who loves music. From Steelers Wheel in “Reservoir Dogs” to the Paul Revere & the Raiders or the Royal Guardsmen in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” he’s always had the right impulse for finding B or C-list tracks of yore and elevating them to grade-a memes via their unlikely marriage to unforgettable contemporary scenes.
His longstanding partner in this is Mary Ramos, who worked as a music coordinator on his first two features and then has been upped to music supervisor on every film since. Variety spoke with Ramos about her work on movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained” and, now, the joys of...
His longstanding partner in this is Mary Ramos, who worked as a music coordinator on his first two features and then has been upped to music supervisor on every film since. Variety spoke with Ramos about her work on movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained” and, now, the joys of...
- 7/26/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Crystal Gayle will revisit the country roots that run in her family with You Don’t Know Me, a collection of familiar country standards that includes the title track, which was penned by Hall of Fame songwriter Cindy Walker and popularized by Eddy Arnold in 1955.
Available September 6th, the LP was co-produced by Gayle and her son, Christos Gatzimos, and includes a trio performance of the Porter Wagoner-Dolly Parton classic, “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” featuring Gayle and her sisters, Loretta Lynn and Peggy Sue Wright. Her first all-new album in almost 16 years,...
Available September 6th, the LP was co-produced by Gayle and her son, Christos Gatzimos, and includes a trio performance of the Porter Wagoner-Dolly Parton classic, “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” featuring Gayle and her sisters, Loretta Lynn and Peggy Sue Wright. Her first all-new album in almost 16 years,...
- 7/19/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Just ahead of the September 15th premiere of the eight-part PBS documentary Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns, Legacy Recordings will unveil musical highlights from the 16-and-a-half-hour series with a deluxe five-cd set spanning the history of the genre.
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
In 1969, there was no bigger star in popular music than singer-guitarist Glen Campbell. Although Johnny Cash was by then a weekly TV star like his fellow Arkansan, Campbell’s broad appeal ensured chart dominance across the genres of pop, country and easy listening, and his album output was impressive by any standard. In 1968, five Campbell albums were issued, with four of them topping the country chart and one, Wichita Lineman, also hitting Number One on the multi-genre Billboard 200.
Fifty years ago on March 17th, 1969, Capitol Records released Campbell’s thirteenth album,...
Fifty years ago on March 17th, 1969, Capitol Records released Campbell’s thirteenth album,...
- 3/15/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Nashville songwriter Jerry Chesnut, whose songs were recorded by dozens of artists including Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley, as well as George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, died Saturday in Nashville. He was 87.
A native of Loyall in Kentucky’s Harlan County, Chesnut had his first hit, “A Dime at a Time,” cut by Grand Ole Opry star Del Reeves in 1958. Of his best-known songs, “A Good Year for the Roses” was a 1971 Number Two smash for George Jones and gained an entirely new audience...
A native of Loyall in Kentucky’s Harlan County, Chesnut had his first hit, “A Dime at a Time,” cut by Grand Ole Opry star Del Reeves in 1958. Of his best-known songs, “A Good Year for the Roses” was a 1971 Number Two smash for George Jones and gained an entirely new audience...
- 12/18/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
On the morning of October 30th, 1973, one day before Halloween, Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, including guitarist Don Rich, entered Owens’ Bakersfield studio to record the song that would serve as the title cut of his next Capitol LP.
Although Owens had written and recorded lighthearted songs that had been peppered throughout the nearly 50 albums he had released up to that point, two of the last three Top 10 hits he would have (until the 1988 Number One duet, “Streets of Bakersfield,” with Dwight Yoakam), were novelty tunes, including the supremely silly “(It’s a) Monsters’ Holiday.
Although Owens had written and recorded lighthearted songs that had been peppered throughout the nearly 50 albums he had released up to that point, two of the last three Top 10 hits he would have (until the 1988 Number One duet, “Streets of Bakersfield,” with Dwight Yoakam), were novelty tunes, including the supremely silly “(It’s a) Monsters’ Holiday.
- 10/31/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
I Saw the Light may have been pushed back to March of 2016, but it didn’t change the premiere plans, or dampen anyone’s spirits. The premiere, which was on the 17th at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, saw writer/director Marc Abraham and the film’s cast enjoying the scene during the red carpet and an after party, which included music by Tom Hiddleston.
In attendance: writer/director Marc Abraham, Tom Hiddleston (“Hank Williams”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Audrey Williams”), Bradley Whitford (“Fred Rose”), Maddie Hasson (“Billie Jean Jones”), and Wrenn Schmidt(“Bobbi Jett”). Also joining them on the carpet was Hank Williams’ Daughter Jett Williams, Fred Parker Jr. (“Faron Young”) and the members of the film’s musical talent known as the ‘Drifting Cowboys,’ Josh Brady, Wes Langolis, Casey Bond, Michael Rinne.
I Saw The Light Opens in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville on March 25th, 2016 (followed by nationwide...
In attendance: writer/director Marc Abraham, Tom Hiddleston (“Hank Williams”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Audrey Williams”), Bradley Whitford (“Fred Rose”), Maddie Hasson (“Billie Jean Jones”), and Wrenn Schmidt(“Bobbi Jett”). Also joining them on the carpet was Hank Williams’ Daughter Jett Williams, Fred Parker Jr. (“Faron Young”) and the members of the film’s musical talent known as the ‘Drifting Cowboys,’ Josh Brady, Wes Langolis, Casey Bond, Michael Rinne.
I Saw The Light Opens in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville on March 25th, 2016 (followed by nationwide...
- 10/20/2015
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Entertainment Legend Jerry Reed Dies
Legendary entertainer Jerry Reed has died of complications from emphysema. He was 71.
Reed began his career as a guitarist, before launching into songwriting, singing and later rising to fame as an actor with 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit, co-starring Burt Reynolds.
He later starred alongside funnyman Adam Sandler in 1998 comedy The Waterboy.
Reed also enjoyed a string of music hits during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1971 Grammy Award-winning track When You're Hot, You're Hot - the second of three Grammys for the star.
Reed signed his first recording contract at 17 with Capitol Records, after dropping out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young.
His perseverance paid off when rock legend Elvis Presley recorded two of his songs, U.S. Male and Guitar Man, in 1968.
Johnny Cash later took note of his talents, recording his hit A Thing Called Love in 1972.
The legend also wrote songs for Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Reed had quadruple bypass surgery in June 1999.
He is survived by wife Priscilla Mitchell and their two daughters.
Reed began his career as a guitarist, before launching into songwriting, singing and later rising to fame as an actor with 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit, co-starring Burt Reynolds.
He later starred alongside funnyman Adam Sandler in 1998 comedy The Waterboy.
Reed also enjoyed a string of music hits during the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1971 Grammy Award-winning track When You're Hot, You're Hot - the second of three Grammys for the star.
Reed signed his first recording contract at 17 with Capitol Records, after dropping out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young.
His perseverance paid off when rock legend Elvis Presley recorded two of his songs, U.S. Male and Guitar Man, in 1968.
Johnny Cash later took note of his talents, recording his hit A Thing Called Love in 1972.
The legend also wrote songs for Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Reed had quadruple bypass surgery in June 1999.
He is survived by wife Priscilla Mitchell and their two daughters.
- 9/2/2008
- WENN
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