When we first met, Andrea was a total noob with the classic rock scene. One of my favorite stories about our early relationship is us cruising around Auburn in the 'Stang when an Eagles song came on the classic rock channel out of Columbus, GA. "That's the Eagles, isn't it?" When I nodded, she was absolutely giddy with her achievement. "Hey! I recognized the Eagles!"
Looking back, I should have been more supportive, but instead I just laughed, "Andrea, everybody recognizes the Eagles."
Since those shaky early days, she's plunged wholeheartedly into the classic rock genre. Today, not only are the Eagles in permanent residence on her playlist, but you’ll also find a range of groups from Nickelback to Metallica.
When the two of us stepped into the world of ballroom dance, the best places to practice our footwork were the dance floors of country/western bars. This added country crooners such as Garth Brooks and George Strait to her music collection.
While she followed me willingly into the hallowed halls of classic rock and has even completed side quests in the country genre, Outlaw Country was just a bridge too far. It's a shame because the likes of Waylon, Willie, and the Man in Black were a big part of my childhood soundtrack. The rasp and gravel in their voices from years of hard living could have paved the highways on the many road trips Mom and Dad and I took, crisscrossing the country with Dad's deployments.
Another member of the fringe country crew was Kris Kristofferson. Writing and performing hits like "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "Me and Bobby McGee" gave him street cred as both a singer and composer. But he had yet another talent. There's a line in the Bocephus song, "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" that directly references Kristofferson, "And Kris, he is a movie star, and he's moved off to L.A." Kris Kristofferson had bona fide acting chops.
According to IMDB, Kristofferson had 118 acting credits. I am not aware of any other singer with more. The OG crooner, Bing Crosby, had 108, and even Elvis topped out at 31. The first movie of his I remember seeing was 1978's Convoy. I remember watching him in the main role of Rubber Duck with Dad and thinking, "Man, truckers are the coolest cats on the road."
Later, when I was in high school, he was in the miniseries, Amerika. The plot felt like Red Dawn, taking place in a dystopian scenario where the USSR managed to gain control over the US. The cold war was still raging in real life, and the series caused a lot of controversy with fears it would strain relations with Russia. I remember it made for some lively discussions with my classmates and me in Mrs. Ladner's senior Government class.
Probably, his most iconic role was the crusty, old codger and tinkerer, Whistler, in the Blade movie franchise. I'd always hoped for a reboot casting Snipes and Kristofferson together. Currently, this may be the easiest to find for a rewatch on streaming services.
In 1985, the four great country outlaws, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson coalesced into the country supergroup, The Highwaymen. To me, this event was akin to the formation of the 1992 US Men's Basketball Olympic "Dream Team". The amount of soul and talent contained within the group was staggering.
With Kristofferson's passing, Willie Nelson is the last of the Highwaymen standing. In one of the group's titular songs, "Highwayman", in story form, each man in turn tells of how their character met their untimely demise. But each time, they say they're not really gone. As the years roll on, more of the artists I've known from my childhood are leaving this earthly stage, but their body of work remains. They're not really gone. With Kristofferson, we're fortunate that includes his contributions to film as well as music.
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