Kris Kristofferson enjoyed a lush and successful career as a singer-songwriter in country music. However, he also wrote a few songs that were recorded by other artists with substantial success. Let’s look at just a few tunes penned by Kris Kristofferson that might always be known for being recorded by other talented musicians.
“Me And Bobby McGee”
When one thinks of this blues country rock song, one thinks of Janis Joplin. That’s because she recorded “Me And Bobby McGee” for her final album, Pearl, out in 1971. The song was a massive hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of Joplin’s most enduring hits. And the song itself was originally written by Kris Kristofferson.
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While this song had a huge impact on Joplin’s career, that impact was unfortunately posthumous. Pearl was released after Joplin had passed away the year prior from an overdose. Kristofferson did not know she even recorded the song until after her passing was announced.
“Once More With Feeling”
The title of this song has become a pop culture staple, and the song itself was a No. 1 hit for country star Jerry Lee Lewis. It was far from Lewis’ first No. 1 hit on the US Country Singles chart, but the song helped buoy his career at the top at the time, following a string of Top 10 hits in the late 1960s. A solid track from She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye, “Once More With Feeling” was a co-written effort between Kris Kristofferson and, surprisingly, children’s author Shel Silverstein. The song also went on to reach No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
“Something They Can’t Take Away”
Roy Orbison had been around for quite a while before “Something They Can’t Take Away” hit the airwaves in 1976. His career was as rich as they come. But Orbison’s Regeneration and this song, written by Kris Kristofferson, marked his return to Monument Records after more than a decade away. That was a pretty big deal, and while Regeneration was met with mixed reviews, it did have an impact on Orbison’s career in the 1970s. Orbison would later enjoy an enormous comeback in the 1980s.
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LONDON – MAY 19: (L-R) English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist George Harrison (1943-2001), English musician, singer and drummer Ringo Starr, English singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940-1980), and English singer, songwriter and bassist Paul McCartney of the Beatles attend a press party at the home of manager Brian Epstein supporting the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, May 19, 1967 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images) -
The Beatles rehearse at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool for the group's bill-topping appearance on ABC TV's Blackpool Night Out, 1 August 1965. Left to right: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images) -
The pop group 'Pilot' pictured here beside the famous supersonic airliner Concorde at RAF Fairford near Bristol January 1975. (Photo Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1980: Photo of Dead Kennedys (Photo by Anne Fishbein/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
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CANADA – OCTOBER 13: It was a family affair at Massey Hall Saturday night when Kris Kristofferson and his wife Rita Coolidge brought on a deluge of applause from the 2;716 people in the audience. Peter Goddard says everyone felt a part of the process. (Photo by Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images) -
Singer Joe Strummer (1952 – 2002, left) and bassist Paul Simonon performing with British punk group The Clash, New York, September 1979. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
