Willie Nelson Opens up About Kris Kristofferson’s Death, and It’s Enough To Make Any True Outlaw Country Fan Cry

With over six decades in country music, Willie Nelson seems timeless as he continues to produce music. On November 1st, the legendary songwriter released his newest album Last Leaf on The Tree that featured him working alongside his son Micah Nelson. While the theme surrounding the album focused on mortality, Nelson admitted to not spending much time thinking about death. Instead, he looked ahead to working on new music. And having such a rich history in music, Nelson offered the secret to knowing a good song and declared there was no better songwriter than his late friend Kris Kristofferson. 

Outside of his own time in the studio, Nelson offered his writing services to other singers like Ray Price, Waylon Jennings, and even George Jones. Nelson was also the writer behind the popular song “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Although knowing the formula for writing a great song, the hitmaker decided to share his secret. Discussing songwriting with the Associated Press, Nelson noted, “You know it when you hear it. When you hear something and you go, ‘Damn, I wish I would’ve wrote that,’ it’s a good song.”

[RELATED: Top 3 Willie Nelson Songs Performed by Other Artists]

Willie Nelson Recalls Time Shared With Kris Kristofferson

While some spend an entire book trying to unravel the secret to great writing, Nelson simply let his own taste in music guide him. And when looking back over his career, it worked out perfectly. But even with Nelson inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame back in 2001, he considered himself behind other greats like Kristofferson. 

Sadly, Kristofferson passed away last month at the age of 88. The famed singer was showered in love and praise following his death. And while Nelson honored his friend, he took a moment to remember their time together. “There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson. He was a great songwriter. He left a lot of fantastic songs around for the rest of us to sing, for as long as we’re here. Kris was a great friend of mine. And, you know, we just kind of had a lot of fun together and made a lot of music together — videos, movies. I hated to lose him. That was a sad time.”

As for his own death, Nelson appeared to not give it much thought as he focused on his health and staying active. But he did explain, “I don’t know anybody who’s lived forever.”

(Photo by KMazur/WireImage)