From the Vault: Kris Kristofferson Photos and Concerts

In remembrance of an American legend, we’ve taken a deep dive into the vault and pulled together some mementos we collected over the course of Kris Kristofferson’s storied career. This past weekend, the troubadour, actor, Army vet, human rights activist and poet passed away at the age of 88, surrounded by his family at his home in Maui.

Earlier today, Geoffrey Himes penned a a thoughtful tribute to the “Me and Bobby McGee” writer and all-around great American.

“’Me and Bobby McGee’ remains Kristofferson’s most enduring achievement,” Himes wrote. “He later admitted that Janis Joplin, his lover for a brief period, was an inspiration for the song’s heroine, the narrator’s hitchhiking buddy who was game for anything. Joplin sang the definitive version, and it became a #1 pop hit after her untimely death. Its opening lines, ‘Busted flat in Baton Rouge, heading for the trains, feeling nearly faded as my jeans, Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,’ are a miracle of alliteration, description and mood setting.

“The song begins as an ode to freedom, singing every tune they know to the rhythm of the windshield wipers,” Himes continued. “But the chorus makes the song far richer than that. It acknowledges that ‘freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.’ And when the narrator loses Bobby too, he realizes what a steep price that is. Maybe Kris Kristofferson didn’t enjoy a long, productive musical career like Nelson and Dylan, but he wrote a handful of songs that will endure forever. And that’s a kind of freedom that justifies giving up a comfortable career at West Point.”