Music legend Kris Kristofferson is back in Australia and heading for Brisbane, bringing the musical keys to unlock the memories of lifetime with his timeless hits headed by Help Me Make It Through The Night and Sunday Morning Coming Down.
After delighting enthusiastic audiences at concerts in South Australia and NSW, Kristofferson’s major appearance in Queensland will be next Saturday, October 5 at Brisbane Convention Centre, book-ended by performances at the Empire Theatre Toowoomba on October 4 and his final Australian appearance at Caloundra Events Centre on October 6
Now on his fifth or six tour of Australia as either a solo act or with the supergroup The Highwaymen (“I’m not sure how many times, I just like coming. It’s a good place.”) and his second in five years, Kristofferson is a constant reminder of what a show business phenomenon he has been.
He’s recorded more then 30 albums, written some of the greatest songs of all time, including Me and Bobby McGee, Loving Her Was Easier Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again, Help Me Make It Through the Night, Sunday Morning Coming Down and For the Good Times.
His songs have been recorded by an astonishing 450 artists ranging from country to rock to middle of the road including, Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin whose rendition of Me and Bobby McGee is acclaimed as her most memorable performance.
He’s made 70 films, won a Golden Globe as best actor in A Star Is Born, still loves touring and singing the songs that pinpoint emotional moments in the lives of his audiences.
“I’ve been writing songs since I was a little boy. You know, I think I wrote my first song when I was 11,” he has told reporters.
“I’ve come to appreciate how special a song is compared to other art forms, because you can carry it around in your head and your heart, and it remains part of you.
It just comes as natural as a bird to me, always did. It’s the way singer-songwriters make sense of our lives.
To me, the best love songs work on two – maybe three – different levels, where you’re talking about the person who you’re right opposite, and all the people like that.”
Underlining his widespread popularity and appeal, Kristofferson was given a standing ovation by the State Theatre audience in Sydney after his set of 30 songs separated by a brief interval.
All the songs were applauded. As usual audience recognition of the opening verse of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” a national anthem for the lonely and lost, was cheered for its sharp insights and revelations about being alone.
“Sunday Morning Coming Down’ is probably the most directly autobiographical thing I’d written,” Kristofferson has said about the song’s origin.
‘In those days, I was living in a slum tenement that was torn down afterwards, but it was $25 a month in a condemned building, and ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ was more or less looking around me and writing about what I was doing.”
Giving no indications of retirement, Kristofferson one of the last of country music’s legends now that Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Glenn Campbell and Merle Haggard have died.
Haggard’s former back group The Strangers – Scott Joss (fiddle and vocals), Doug Colosio (keyboards & vocals) and Jeff Ingraham (drums) support the experienced Kristofferson on stage.
“I’ve had a life of all kinds of experiences – most of them good,’ Kristofferson has said.
“And I’ve got eight kids and a wife that puts up with everything I do and keeps me out of trouble.”
