Kris Kristofferson, who passed away at 88, left behind a musical legacy that stood against war and injustice, blending activism with country music classics.
There can be few things more emblematic of conservative America than country music, which conjures up images of racist white boys in pick-up trucks waving Confederate flags.
Yet, not everyone who taps their feet to country music wants to “make America great again” or vote for Donald Trump… and there are country musicians and singers from the opposite political pole entirely.
One of them was Kris Kristofferson, who died this weekend at the age of 88.
Known for the easy-listening classics like Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down and Me and Bobby McGee – which crossed over from country onto the mainstream Billboard charts – Kristofferson was also a bit of a rebel and social activist.
He once said: “I’ve been a radical for a long time. I guess it’s too bad. I’d be more marketable as a rightwing redneck. But I got into this to tell the truth as I saw it.”
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He opposed war, after growing up in a military family and despite being a US Army helicopter pilot.
But he also sang about the brutalisation of America’s farmers by rampant capitalism.
His legacy is his music.
Feeling good is easy when you hear it… and that should be good enough for all of us.
