Kris Kristofferson has an unusual resumé. Brownsville, Texas-born, football star and Golden Gloves boxer in college, Rhodes scholar at Oxford, Army captain and chopper pilot, studio janitor, part-time bartender, leading man opposite Barbra Streisand and Jane Fonda. But on his passport, under “occupation,” it reads “songwriter.” And that more than anything sums up the essence of Kris Kristofferson. His songs have been recorded by at least 500 other artists, from Willie and Johnny (Cash) to Janis Joplin and Ray Charles, but only that gravelly baritone of his can truly render those songs the way they were meant to be heard, from somewhere deep down in the heart of the man himself.

This performance from September 1981 captures Kris in his prime. As he put it at the time, “the music’s a little closer to the soul because I’m creating and controlling the whole show.” Classics like “Me and Bobby McGee,” ”Loving Her Was Easier,” ”Why Me?” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” take on a whole new meaning coming from the man who wrote and lived the words. This is the show that almost wasn’t. As I was about to introduce Kris, the studio descended into total darkness. Apparently an errant rodent chewed through a major power line and the result was a black-out that lasted all night. The audience was led out by flashlight singing the ACL theme and Kris hung out on the roof with the crew. Fortunately, he came back the next night and the resulting magic is here to enjoy.

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ACL Live Music Collection

Retro Austin Koozie

Kris Kristofferson: Live From Austin, TX '81 (LP)

Waylon Jennings: Live from Austin, TX '89 2-Disc Set (LP)

Merle Haggard: Live from Austin, TX '78 (LP)