Kris Kristofferson, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of music, possesses a diverse set of skills. He has made an everlasting impression on the music industry with hits like “For the Good Times” and “Why Me Lord,” both of which have become household names. Over the course of his career, which has spanned more than half a century, this captivating artist has had an impact that has been felt by followers from every region of the world.
In addition to his accomplishments in the field of music, Kris Kristofferson was also unwittingly a pioneer in the field of fashion. He related a humorous tale from his past in which, while he was being treated for pneumonia at a hospital, he was unable to have his beard clipped since he was had to stay in bed the entire time. As a result of this, a publication referred to him as “the new face of country music.” The untamed and wild appearance that Kris Kristofferson sported accidentally served as the inspiration for a fashion style that even his close buddy Willie Nelson embraced.
The path that Kristofferson took to become a musical superstar was everything but typical. After receiving his degree from Oxford in 1960 and completing his time in the service, he began working as a commercial pilot for Petroleum Helicopters International in Louisiana. In his spare time while working on oil platforms, he would write songs that would go on to become famous, such as the timeless masterpieces “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”
While he was working as a janitor at a recording studio, he happened to meet Johnny Cash, and this chance encounter catapulted his singing career in a completely new direction. Later on, Cash reflected on the experience, saying, “I discovered him, and a lot of other people discovered him around the same time.” This is how I obtained several of Kris’s songs; nevertheless, he eventually became so impatient that one day he flew a helicopter into my backyard and handed me a cassette tape including ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down.’ After giving it some thought, I decided that “well, it’s about time to really give this guy a listen.” This defining moment catapulted Kris Kristofferson into celebrity, and he shot to notoriety almost immediately, even commanding the spotlight at the Newport Folk Festival.
The recording studio where Kris Kristofferson worked as a janitor was frequently visited by Bob Dylan, another of Kris’s musical heroes. When asked about the event, Kristofferson recalled it and said, “It was a real eye-opener to see the way he worked.” When I was around him, I couldn’t help but be intimidated by him. But we never exchanged words or anything like that. Because I didn’t want to be a nuisance to him. I did nothing but clean out the garbage cans and watch him. Even in modern times, Kris Kristofferson continues to honor Bob Dylan by paying homage to him by singing many of Dylan’s songs live on stage.
Kris Kristofferson’s life has been defined not just by his work as a musician, but also by the joys of parenthood that come with his eight children and three marriages. His health began to deteriorate in the late 1990s, which brought about an unanticipated change in the trajectory of his journey. After undergoing heart bypass surgery, he subsequently suffered from a wide variety of debilitating symptoms, which ultimately led to the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and fibromyalgia in the year 2004.
Because of the intense nerve contractions, these disorders caused terrible pain as well as spasms that felt like knots the size of golf balls. In spite of trying a wide variety of drugs and treatments, she was unable to get relief. “He had painful knees and annual knee shots, a pacemaker for arrhythmias – which we now know could be from Lyme disease,” Lisa Meyers, Kris’s wife of 40 years, remembered. “He took so much Advil for headaches that he got anemic.” After seeing a hematologist and taking iron supplements for an entire year, he still did not have the appearance of being healthy.
In 2016, he was finally given the correct diagnosis, which was Lyme disease. This was a significant step forward. The results of the Lyme disease treatment program that Kris Kristofferson undertook can best be described as nothing short of amazing. Lisa Meyers revealed that after undergoing treatment for a period of three weeks, her husband made a miraculous recovery. “All of a sudden, he was in the room. “There are days when he seems completely healthy, and it’s easy to forget that he is struggling with anything at all,” she said.
Today, at the age of 86, Kris Kristofferson leads a life free of pain and savors every minute to the fullest. This is a monument to his resilient spirit as well as the power of locating the appropriate diagnosis and therapy for his condition.