<BillNo> <Sponsor>
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 24
By Clemmons
HJR0024
001351
- 1 -
A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of the legendary Kris
Kristofferson.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly were greatly saddened to learn of
the passing of Kris Kristofferson, an uncompromising artist and songwriter whose lyricism
transformed country music and ushered in a new era for the art form; and
WHEREAS, he was an important part of the Outlaw movement in country music that
changed the genre forever and inspired generations of artists; and
WHEREAS, arguably the greatest songwriter of his generation, Kris Kristofferson was
also a Renaissance man; he was a poet, a troubadour, and a storyteller, but also a Rhodes
scholar, boxer, pilot, and actor; and
WHEREAS, the son of a U.S. Air Force veteran and commercial pilot, Kris Kristofferson
grew up in California and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College; and
WHEREAS, after receiving a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, he earned a master's
degree in English literature from Oxford University; and
WHEREAS, Kris Kristofferson returned to California for a short visit, but after rekindling a
romance with his former girlfriend and future wife and then starting a family with her, he decided
to forgo future studies at Oxford in favor of the U.S. Army; and
WHEREAS, he served as a helicopter pilot in the Army and eventually earned the rank
of captain; during a three-year stint in West Germany, he formed his first band; and
WHEREAS, he scuttled his plans to teach English literature at West Point after visiting
Nashville for the first time; he became enamored with the close-knit circle of songwriters in
Music City and quickly joined their ranks; and
WHEREAS, while working as a janitor at Columbia Records, Kris Kristofferson honed his
songwriting craft and hustled demos; his compositions were soon in high demand as they
placed on the charts via recordings by diverse country music artists; perhaps most notable
- 2 - 001351
among these early songs is the iconic "Me and Bobby McGee," which would later become a
posthumous hit for Janis Joplin; and
WHEREAS, his path to stardom as a performing artist included a stint at the Bitter End in
Greenwich Village and an opening set in support of Johnny Cash at the Newport Folk Festival;
and
WHEREAS, Kris Kristofferson was signed to Monument Records in 1970 and released
more than twenty albums over the course of his illustrious career; his recording of his own
"Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)" from his second album was a top-
five adult contemporary hit and also reached the pop top thirty; and
WHEREAS, he was nominated for several Grammys and won the award three times,
including the Grammy for 1971's Best Country Song, "Help Me Make It Through the Night"; and
WHEREAS, in 1970, Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times"” was named the
Academy of Country Music's Song of the Year, while Johnny Cash's version of his "Sunday
Mornin' Comin' Down" secured the Song of the Year award from the Country Music Association;
this double win for Song of the Year marked the only time a single individual has ever won the
same award from the ACM and CMA in the same year for two different songs; and
WHEREAS, at a low point in his life, Kris Kristofferson was moved by an altar call while
visiting a church, and this spiritual experience inspired him to write and record "Why Me," which
climbed the charts to become his first number-one country song and his best-selling pop single
as a solo artist; and
WHEREAS, in 1985, he joined friends Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny
Cash to form the super group The Highwaymen, and their recording of Jimmy Webb's
"Highwayman" gave Kris Kristofferson his second number-one country single; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his phenomenal success as a singer-songwriter, Kris
Kristofferson frequently appeared on the big screen, acting in more than fifty films over four
decades; and
- 3 - 001351
WHEREAS, after making his film debut in 1971, Kris Kristofferson starred with Bob
Dylan in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, for which he earned a BAFTA nomination; he also played
the male lead in the Oscar-winning Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; the drama The Sailor Who
Fell From Grace With the Sea; and a remake of A Star Is Born, for which he won a Golden
Globe in a co-starring role alongside Barbara Streisand; and
WHEREAS, among his later films, Kris Kristofferson will be best remembered for his role
in the masterful crime drama Lone Star and his appearances in the Blade trilogy; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, he gave one of his final performances, singing "Lovin' Her Was
Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)" with Roseanne Cash at Willie Nelson's ninetieth
birthday party; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting that we should remember the bountiful life of this gifted artist and
fine human being; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor the memory of Kris Kristofferson, reflecting fondly upon his many
contributions to music as a performer and songwriter, to film as an actor, and to society as a
man of social conscience and integrity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and offer our condolences
to Kris Kristofferson's widow, Lisa Meyers, and his children and grandchildren.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.