On this day (July 8) in 1973, Kris Kristofferson was at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “Why Me.” Despite writing some of the most beloved songs in country music’s canon, this was Kristofferson’s only chart-topper as a recording artist.
“Why Me” was Kristofferson’s only solo country hit. His second-highest charting solo single was “They Killed Him,” which peaked at No. 67. While he didn’t have much luck as a recording artist, he left his mark on the music world with his songwriting. Other artists took his songs to the upper reaches of the pop, country, and adult contemporary charts.
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In short, Kristofferson’s career proves that chart success and quality don’t always go hand-in-hand. The music world wouldn’t be the same without the major hits he penned for others. For instance, Janis Joplin famously took “Me and Bobby McGee” to No. 1. Johnny Cash had a No. 1 hit with “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” Ronnie Milsap topped the country chart with “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends.” Ray Price turned “For the Good Times” into an award-winning No. 1 single. Additionally, Bobby Bare, Willie Nelson, the Glaser Brothers, and Brenda Lee are among those who had top 10 hits with his compositions.
Kris Kristofferson Turned a Religious Experience Into a Hit
Kris Kristofferson’s life inspired many of his songs. “Why Me” is no different. The inspiration for the song came during an intense and unexpected religious experience, according to Songfacts.
[RELATED: 3 Songs Kris Kristofferson Wrote That Changed Other Artists’ Careers]
“The night before, we’d been in Cookeville with a bunch of people doing a benefit for Dottie West’s high school band or something, and then Connie [Smith] took me over to church the next day,” he recalled. It wasn’t just any church, though. It was the Evangel Temple in Madison, Tennessee, led by Jimmie Snow, 1950s country hitmaker and son of Hank Snow. “I had a profound religious experience during the session, something that never had happened to me before. ‘Why Me’ came out of it,” he said.
At the end of the service, Kristofferson found himself compelled to go to the altar with all the other attendees seeking salvation. When Snow asked if he was ready to accept Jesus into his heart, Kristofferson replied, “I don’t know.” Then, Snow began praying over him.
“I can’t even remember what he was saying, but whatever it was, it was such a release for me that I found myself weeping in public, and I felt this forgiveness that I didn’t know I even needed,” Kristofferson recalled.
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