Kris Kristofferson

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Birthday:

22 June 1936, Brownsville, Texas, USA

Birth Name:

Kristoffer Kristofferson

Height:

182 cm

Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas, to Mary Ann (Ashbrook) and Lars Henry Kristofferson. His paternal grandparents were Swedish, and his father was a United States Air Force general who pushed his son to a military career. Kris was a Golden Gloves boxer and went to Pomona College in California. From there, he earned a Rhodes scholarship to study literature at Oxford University. He ultimately joined the United States Army and achieved the rank of captain. He became a helicopter pilot, which served him well later. In 1965, he resigned his commission to pursue songwriting. He had just been assigned to become a teacher at USMA West Point. He got a job sweeping floors in Nashville studios. There he met Johnny Cash, who initially took some of his songs but ignored them. He was also working as a commercial helicopter pilot at the time. He got Cash's attention when he landed his helicopter in Cash's yard and gave him some more tapes. Cash then recorded Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down", which was voted the 1970 Song of the Year by the Country Music Association. Kris was noted for his heavy boozing. He lost his helicopter pilot job when he passed out at the controls, and his drinking ruined his marriage to singer Rita Coolidge, when he was reaching a bottle and half of Jack Daniels daily. He gave up alcohol in 1976. His acting career nose-dived after making Heaven's Gate (1980). In recent years, he has made a comeback with his musical and acting careers. He does say that he prefers his music, but says his children are his true legacy. Show less «

I think between us, Bill Clinton and I have settled any lingering myths about the brilliance of Rhodes scholars.

The number-one rule of the road is never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself. You will break this rule, and you will be sorry.

[on working with Barbra Streisand on A Star Is Born (1976)] Filming with Streisand is an experience which may have cured me of movies.

(on Heaven's Gate (1980)) I was real surprised to see the critics line up on the side of the philistines so fast. To me, the film was about ...Show more »

(on Heaven's Gate (1980)) I was real surprised to see the critics line up on the side of the philistines so fast. To me, the film was about the American dream, and it shows one of the basic flaws in the dream - the idea that money is more important than people. I'll be proud of that movie as long as I'm in the business. It was a work of art. Michael Cimino, the director, says he's unrepentant and plans to sin again, and I hope he gets the chance. Show less «

(on the current state of America and the world) I remember getting this creepy feeling back when I was doing "Heaven's Gate" which was about...Show more »

(on the current state of America and the world) I remember getting this creepy feeling back when I was doing "Heaven's Gate" which was about the Cattleman's Association getting government backup to go in with mercenaries and kill a bunch of civilians. I remember thinking at the time that maybe there's always been a dark part of this American dream where money was more important than people. That's exactly what's going down now. The money involved in this Iraq reconstruction is shameless. It's right in your face and everyone can see it. I don't know if its apathy or if it's more a feeling of powerlessness. What can we do? They elected Bush without him really winning the election. The Supreme Court is stacked and we're fixing to stack it worse. All this destruction is done in our name. And the simple things that Bush keeps saying are so embarrassing. He says, "These are evil people who hate peace and hate freedom and that's why they're blowing themselves up." Christ. Show less «

(on Merle Haggard) When I started getting recognized, a lot of people saw me and Merle as antagonists, because of the nature of "Okie from M...Show more »

(on Merle Haggard) When I started getting recognized, a lot of people saw me and Merle as antagonists, because of the nature of "Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me" and some of the political stuff that I had done, I guess. That was never the case. As far as I'm concerned, he's the closest thing to Hank Williams walking the streets today. Show less «

Freedom is just another word: It seems to get truer the older I get. It makes me think about the time when my apartment got robbed and every...Show more »

Freedom is just another word: It seems to get truer the older I get. It makes me think about the time when my apartment got robbed and everything was gone and I was disowned by my family. I owed money to a hospital and I owed my wife five hundred a month for child support and I thought, "I'm losing my job." I hadn't any money, I hadn't anything going for me, but it was liberating. I was in this Evangeline Motel, like something out of "Psycho", a filthy place, just sitting there with this neon Jesus outside the door, in the swamps outside of Lafayette, Louisiana, and I thought, "Fuck. I'm on the bottom, can't go any lower" -- and from then on, man, I drove my car to the airport, left it there, and never went back to get it. Went to Nashville and called this friend of mine, Mickey Newberry, and told him I'd just got fired, and he said, "Great. Johnny Cash is shooting a new TV show. Come up, and we can pitch him some songs." The next moment, they cut three of my songs, and they were hits. I never had to go back to work again. Show less «

The desire to be fucked-up probably leaves you, but the desire to be high never does.

I was a slow starter. I mean, I grew up in the fifties, and, jeez, I wasn't even laid in high school. Looking back on it, I didn't know anyt...Show more »

I was a slow starter. I mean, I grew up in the fifties, and, jeez, I wasn't even laid in high school. Looking back on it, I didn't know anything, which was kind of unfortunate for my first couple of wives. When I found out that girls like sex as much as guys, I was, for many years, feeling like that was my function. I mean, I wasn't as bad as Clinton, but I was led by the pecker. Show less «

Never give up, which is the lesson I learned from boxing. As soon as you learn to never give up, you have to learn the power and wisdom of u...Show more »

Never give up, which is the lesson I learned from boxing. As soon as you learn to never give up, you have to learn the power and wisdom of unconditional surrender, and that one doesn't cancel out the other; they just exist as contradictions. The wisdom of it comes as you get older. Show less «

[on A Star Is Born (1976)] (Filming) It was like Ranger School.

I grew up in a time when people believed in duty, honor and country. My grandfathers were both officers. My father was a General in the Air ...Show more »

I grew up in a time when people believed in duty, honor and country. My grandfathers were both officers. My father was a General in the Air Force. My brother and I were both in the Army. I've always felt a kinship with soldiers; I think it's possible to support the warrior and be against the war. Show less «

I think I'm a much better father as an older man than I was with my first kids. Occasionally, I have to yell at the little guys, but they do...Show more »

I think I'm a much better father as an older man than I was with my first kids. Occasionally, I have to yell at the little guys, but they don't take me seriously. 'Listen to the old guy,' they say. 'Isn't he great? He's mad.' Show less «

Recently, my oldest son, Kris, and I were coming out of an airport, and I saw this little kid I'd seen back at the gate with his mother, and...Show more »

Recently, my oldest son, Kris, and I were coming out of an airport, and I saw this little kid I'd seen back at the gate with his mother, and I said, 'Look-that's the kid who was coming out of the gate with us.' And Kris said, 'Dad, you're getting old. You noticed the little kid and I was looking at his mother. Show less «

I should have been dead many times over. The way I used to fly attack-choppers I should have died. When I got numerous concussion from footb...Show more »

I should have been dead many times over. The way I used to fly attack-choppers I should have died. When I got numerous concussion from football I should have died. When I continued to box even after loosing my memory I should have died - they're trying to tear your head off for Christ sake. I've rolled cars many times, been drunk on a motorcycle too often. It's embarrassing now, sitting here, knowing you took all the good things for granted, that I didn't cherish my life a bit more. Show less «

(on Retired General Wesley Clark's bid for the Democratic nomination in 2004) Just when the world is being dragged into the death spiral of ...Show more »

(on Retired General Wesley Clark's bid for the Democratic nomination in 2004) Just when the world is being dragged into the death spiral of an unending cycle of violence by a visionless, coldblooded collection of think-tank warriors goose-stepping their way into the new millennium with a stunning lack of respect for human rights, the environment, or international law, along comes a man with the proven credentials of intelligence, integrity, and courage singularly equipped by his spirit and experience to lead us out of this mess. Don't listen to what the lying liars say about him; listen to what he says. Wesley Clark is a prayer answered. Show less «