Margo Price’s Kris Kristofferson Tribute: ‘He Was a Country Musician’

“I was backstage in Newport when my friends from the Texas Gentlemen called me. “Do you know the lyrics to ‘Me and Bobby McGee’?” they asked in a panic. “Like the back of my hand,” I replied,” she wrote on Instagram. “They went on to tell me that they were supporting Kris and that Patti Smith was supposed to do a Janis-inspired vocal at the end, but she got stuck in traffic. I immediately rushed to join them.”

“Kris’ memory was failing and he looked a little confused when I walked on stage. I knew he probably didn’t remember me from our brief encounter in Austin, but when I started singing the “Call him my lover, call him my friend, La-de-de-da part,” he started smiling from ear to ear,” she continued. “He came closer as I continued singing and pulled me into a tight hug at the end of the song.”

Price recalled running into Kristofferson several times over the years: at the Glastonbury Fest in England and at both the Bridgestone Arena and Basement East in Nashville.

“I have a sacred memory of the time we spent Thanksgiving at Willie & Annie’s on Maui last year. We also got to go backstage at the Hollywood Bowl at Willie’s 90th,” Price wrote. “His wife Lisa told me this when they saw me singing near the stage and Kris pointed to me on stage and then leaned over and said, ‘I feel like I know her.’ Lisa whispered to him, ‘You do.'”

Price ended her post by remembering Kristofferson’s influence on music and his truly legendary songwriting.

“Kris didn’t follow other people’s rules. “He was a country musician, but he was also a folk fan,” Price wrote. “Kris was politically active, often outspoken and sometimes misunderstood, but he navigated his songs and his career with the grace of his heart.”

“No matter what collaborations or awards lie ahead, I can say one of the greatest honors of my life has been being able to share the stage with Kris,” she added.

In the hours following news of Kristofferson’s death, other country artists including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, George Strait and Sheryl Crow shared their tributes on social media. “What a great loss, what a great writer, what a great actor, what a great friend,” Parton wrote. “I will always love you.”