On May 22, 1993 CBS aired “Willie Nelson The Big Six-0: An All-Star Birthday Celebration,” featuring Ray Charles, B.B. King, Paul Simon, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Travis Tritt, Lyle Lovett, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson and more.
The video is available, from time to time, on ebay, and a fan has uploaded the entire show, in segments, to youtube. Here’s one part:
Apr 14, 1986
“Highwayman” takes Single Record of the Year honors for Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and producer Chips Moman in the 21st Academy of Country Music awards, telecast by NBC from Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.
On April 9, 1Apr 9, 1991, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson star in CBS-TV’s “Another Pair Of Aces: Three Of A Kind”.
December 14, 1990
“Aces” Sequel Draws Nelson, Kristofferson
Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson — the stars of CBS TV’s ‘A Pair of Aces’ will return to Austin, early next month for a sequel and the producers are seeking numerous extras for the filming.
A variety of ages and types are needed for several scenes in the movie, including a courtroom and press conference, and scenes at a political fundraiser garden party in which extras will need to be well-dressed, according to Helen Griffiths of Third Coast Casting.
Clean shaven men in thier 40?s are being sought to pay Texas Rangersm as well, she said. Extras are p;aid $40 a day and they could be needed on the set for several days.
A casting call for extras is scheduled Wednesday, December 19th from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Sabine Room of the Stouffer Austin Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd. Griffiths said applicants should bring a recent photograph of themselves.
The movie will be called, ‘Another Pair of Aces’ and will begin production at various locations in Austin, and Pflugerville on January 7, according to Griffiths. It will be directed by Bill Bixby, who has appeared in several movies in addition to television work in ‘My Favorite Martian,’ ‘The Courtship of Eddie’s Father’ and ‘The Incredible Hulk.’
Nelson plays Billy Ray Barker, a con man and Texas Ranger Rip Metcalf is portrayed by Kris Kristofferson. Rip Torn stars as retired Ranger Jack Parsons.
‘A Pair of Aces,’ which aired last January to excellent ratings, was written by Austinites Bud Shrake and Gary Cartwright, who are executive co-producers for the sequel.
March 14, 1992
Irving, Texas
Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid V plays to about 40,000 fans in Irving, Texas, with Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Joe Walsh, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lorrie Morgan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ricky Van Shelton, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Hal Ketchum and Paul Simon.
Economic Recovery starts in the Heartland with Family Farmers” was Farm Aid’s theme for 1992. Farmers Home Administration sent out 40,000 foreclosure notices to troubled farms. The impact of the loss of these farms on rural communities was devastating. Every five farms that closed down took one small business with them. Small towns across America were being boarded up. Schools, hospitals and farm houses were left empty.
Willie Nelson and Farm Aid helped to bring this to the attention of the new Clinton Administration. Farm Aid joined family farm organizations in expressing hope for greater access to this administration in order to change federal policies to support family farming.
Arc Angels
Asleep At The Wheel
Bandaloo Doctors
Eddie Brickell
Mary-Chapin Carpenter
Tracy Chapman
Mark Chesnutt
John Conlee
Joe Ely
Geezinslaw Brothers
Georgia Satellites
Johnny Gimble
Arlo Guthrie
Merle Haggard
John Hiatt
Waylon Jennings
Kentucky Headhunters
Kris Kristofferson
Little Village
Lynyrd Skynyrd
John Mellencamp
Lorrie Morgan
Willie Nelson
Bonnie Raitt
Michelle Shocked
Paul Simon
Petra
Texas Tornadoes
Ricky Van Shelton
Joe Walsh
Jimmy Webb
Neil Young
www.billboard.com
by: Phil Gallo
The biggest collection of Texas musicians onscreen is in, of all things, a Christmas movie.
Set in Austin and starring Harry Connick Jr., the cast of “When Angels Sing” includes Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Sarah Hickman, Ray Benson, Marcia Ball, the Trishas, Guy Forsyth, Joel Guzman, Dale Watson, Kat Edmonson, Miss Lavelle , Eloise DeJoria and others.
“We already had a great start with Harry and Willie and Kris, so I told our casting director ‘let’s put everybody who’s a musician in the movie’,” says director Tim McCanlies. “I’ve never worried about musicians as actors. They are just natural actors and I don’t know what it it is — they use the same part of the brain, but differently somehow? I just love working with these naturals.”
Connick, the out-of-towner who also is the only musician to not perform onscreen, said he noticed more than ever during this film how differently singers deliver a line than actors. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“We’re used to telling the whole arc of a story in a lyric, so when you hear someone like Willie, there’s a different rhythm,” Connick says. “Kris can mess up a line better than I can deliver one. I think it’s about patience. I have to think about it.”
Despite having a script with no music mentioned, McCanlies saw a unique opportunity to get his cast singing Christmas carols, with Nelson performing in a church. To ensure no issues down the road, music supervisor Roanna Gillespie drew up a list of songs in the public domain and had the artists select ones they wanted to perform and gave them the option of using one of their own tunes. Kristofferson sings Nelson’s “Pretty Paper,” for example; Nelson and Connick co-wrote and duet on a song written for the film over the closing credits.
Sunday’s premiere was the launch of the film, which does not yet have distribution. Producers Elizabeth Avellán and Shannon McIntosh say they are deep into discussions for not only distribution of the Christmas-themed film, but also for a soundtrack. McCanlies had the foresight to shoot full performances of every song, so a holiday album is highly realistic.
That approach impressed Connick who told McCanlies during our interview “it was refreshing to see how you edited. I found it captivating when Kris was singing ‘Pretty Papers’ and Lyle and how the camera just stays on them.”
“I was on the set a lot. because I was in so many scenes,” Connick notes. “Watching the church scene, hearing Lyle sing. It was an amazing experience to check out these people and seeing Willie — I was starstruck.”
The hits just keep on coming! Jamey Johnson has been added to the already stellar lineup for Willie Nelson’s 2013 Fourth of July Picnic, at Billy Bob’s Texas, in Forth Worth. What a line-up! Willie Nelson and Family, Jamey Johnson, Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, Ray Wilie Hubbard, Ray Price, Ryan bingham, Justin Moore, Lukas Nelson, Paula Nelson, Amy Nelson! And more to come.
The picnic has been moved out to the ‘back 40 at famous Billy Bob’s Texas, where the picnic was for several years, before it became an an inside/outside affair for the past couple years, with two stages, one inside and one out. This one will accommodate so many more fans, for this the 40th of Willie Nelson’s picnics. The semi-airconditioning was nice, but Billy Bob’s will be open, and you can go in there for a cold drink and some a/c.
If you’ve always wanted to go to your first Willie Nelson & Family Picnic, or if you haven’t been in a while — this is your chance to hear some great music, and spend the Fourth of July with Willie Nelson and his family and friends and other fans.
Tickets are on sale Monday!
www.BillyBobsTexas.com
On March 3, 1990, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson perform at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Astrodome, kicking off their first concert tour as the Highwaymen
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On February 10 at the Four Seasons Austin, 40 stars of Texas film and music will join The Nobelity Project’s Artists & Filmmakers Dinner to celebrate the DVD release of Building Hope – the Story of Mahiga Hope High School.
At the event, the Willie Nelson “Feed the Peace” Award will be presented to Kris Kristofferson in honor of his work in film, music and social justice. An all-star musical tribute to Kris will include performances by some of the greatest names in Texas music – Pat Green, The Flatlanders, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Ray Benson, Lukas Nelson, Carolyn Wonderland and the man himself – Kris Kristofferson.
The evening – and all proceeds from the movie and book Building Hope – benefit The Nobelity Project’s work for basic rights for children everywhere, including the Kenya Schools Fund, building water systems, classrooms and libraries across rural Kenya.
More information on the event and Building Hope are online at www.nobelity.org.
Audience Award winner at SXSW, Building Hope chronicles The Nobelity Project’s construction of the first high school for a remote African community. The film includes appearances by Kenyan youth counselor Auma Obama, sister of President Barack Obama, and by Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture for Humanity.
Read more: http://www.looktothestars.org
SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Kris Kristofferson, recorded in Nashville with host Mojo Nixon, premieres this weekend on SiriusXM Outlaw Country (Channel 60), airing Saturday at 9 am & 5 pm ET, Sunday at noon & 9 pm ET. and will also be available On Demand. #SXMTownHall
photos: Dipti Vaidya
See great slide show of Dipti Vaidya’s great photos from the event here.
http://blogs.tennessean.com
by: Dave Paulson
In one respect, Sunday’s early show at the Bluebird Cafe was par for the course. A pair of country singers, songwriters and friends picked up guitars and shared the tiny stage to trade off on tunes they had written.
There was one huge difference, of course: Those songs included “Crazy,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Funny How Time Slips Away,” because the performers were Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.
The country legends made a rare appearance at the Nashville songwriters’ haven as each received a brand-new honor from the Nashville Songwriters Association International: Kristofferson is the namesake of the association’s new lifetime achievement award, and selected Nelson to be its inaugural recipient.
Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson talk on Nelson’s tour bus (photo: Dipti Vaidya/The Tennessean)
As the pair took the stage, Kristofferson said Nelson had been his and the “serious songwriters’” hero since he first came to Nashville in 1960s.
“He’s unlike anybody else, because he is one of the best songwriters who ever wrote in any language. He’s absolutely a unique singer who doesn’t sound like anybody else ever…He’s probably the funniest human being I’ve ever known. Sometimes, I try to envision who God might be, and he always comes out looking like Willie.”
“I’m really proud to be giving you this,” he told Nelson. “I’m embarrassed that my face and my name is on it.”
“We can take that right off,” Nelson replied dryly, as the packed house of friends and admirers laughed. “I thought I was coming here tonight to give you an award, so I had a great speech all lined up. It couldn’t match what you just said.”
After their performance, the pair went from swapping songs to cracking each other up with stories on Nelson’s tour bus — parked next to Kristofferson’s behind the Bluebird. Kristofferson remembered Nelson visiting him in Mexico on the set of the 1973 film “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” where Nelson picked up a guitar and made a powerful impression on one of Kristofferson’s co-stars.
“Bob Dylan was so knocked out that he made him keep playing,” Kristofferson said. “I think you played all day there by yourself (laughs), just sitting there on (director) Sam Peckinpah’s floor. Dylan was just amazed. It made me respect Dylan, too. But he’s always been a songwriter’s hero.”
Nelson remembered when Kristofferson first came on the scene in Nashville, as “a shock to a lot of people in the so-called hardcore country tradition.
”
“First of all, you got popular in the coffee shops with all the young hippies back in those days, and that was hard to digest in a lot of parts of the country. But as they learned more and more about him, they realized that he’s writing songs about us, ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night.’ It didn’t take them long to realize that this guy was the real deal.”
“I rip him off every chance I get,” Nelson joked. “If he comes up with a good melody, or a good line, look for mine (in) the next song.”
Asked if the pair were able to perform together often enough, Nelson replied. “It’s kind of rare, unfortunately, because we enjoy doing it.”
“I never see anybody else…” added Kristofferson. “But every time we get together, it’s amazing.”
Add this to the ‘wish I’d been there!’ file. What a treat!
Kris Kristofferson presented the Nashville Songwriter Association International’s inaugural Kris Kristofferson Award to longtime friend Willie Nelson during a private ceremony Sunday night (Jan. 27) at Nashville’s Bluebird Café. The new honor will be bestowed from time to time in recognition of a songwriter’s lifetime achievement in creating music which has inspired generations and touched the lives of millions of listeners worldwide. The recipients will be determined by the NSAI’s board of directors. When asked by board members who should be the first recipient of the award, Kristofferson said, “It has to be Willie. His music has touched the world.” After presenting the award, Kristofferson and Nelson performed several of their best-known songs.
www.cmt.com
Tonight in Nashville, at the Bluebird, Kris Kristofferson presented Willie Nelson with the first NSAI Kris Kristofferson Award.
You can watch the video HERE.
The Artists & Filmmakers Dinner is a fun-filled gala where there’s no back room and no black ties, just a great party celebrating and benefiting The Nobelity Project’s programs at home and abroad.
After the Patron cocktail hour every guest is seated for dinner with a Texas star of music, film, sports and letters. This year our Feed the Peace Award goes to Texas legend Kris Kristofferson. The evening concludes with a tribute concert featuring Ray Benson, Joe Ely, Pat Green, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Lukas Nelson, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, Carolyn Wonderland and the man himself–Kris Kristofferson.
Willie Nelson donated this guitar for the Nobelity Project’s fundraising efforts.
People Magazine
Feb. 13, 1984
by Chet Flippo
Is it true that when cowboys die, they go to Texas? Tonight is cowboy heaven for sure — as two forever young good ole boys named Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson smile and press the flesh and inch their way through phalanxes of ecstatic fans on their way to the bandstand. Out front, a couple thousand of the faithful are whooping it up and pouring down the Lone Star beer at Austin’s Opry House, a true shrine of C&W. It was here that Willie put modern Country on the map in the early ’70s when he gave up on Nashville’s establishment and drifted on down to Austin to forge an alliance between hippies and rednecks.
Hordes of both — now almost indistinguishable, what with their pierced ears and long hair and pounds of silver and gold jewelry and flowered shirts and skintight jeans (and that’s only the men) — are starting their “Willie” chant. Even though the concert footage has already been shot at the Opry House for Songwriter, the movie that Willie and Kris are filming here, Willie got cabin fever after awhile and decided he just had to do a show. Since he now owns the Opry House, along with a lot of other prime Austin real estate, it wasn’t too hard to set up. Austin can never get enough of Willie, especially since he now spends most of his time in Colorado or on the road. He is still a holy man in Texas.
Backstage, Willie, still in his “Doc Jenkins” black garb from the day’s shooting, smiles his guru smile and shakes the hands of preppies in blazers and bikers in leather and grandmothers in shawls and little children and clean-cut jocks and guys who look suspiciously like dope dealers and businessmen wearing suits and left-over ’60?s hippies and farmers and former University of Texas coach Darrell Royal. They are smiling at each other so much that, if you didn’t know better, you might think this is a mob of some kind of babbling religious freaks. But no, they’re just Willie fanatics.
Willie embraces Kristofferson, who is still wearing the black outfit of the “Blackie Buck” character in the movie. Kris and Willie are the old pros of progressive C&W and their lined faces and salt-and-pepper bears show a lot of years of being rode hard and put up wet. But, as a bystander points out, they fearlessly — and recklessly — went up against heavy odds in fighing Nashville’s establishment.
“And, bah Gahd, we won, didn’t we, Willie?” rasps Kris in his window-rattling rumble of a voice, hugging Willie amid the chaos. “Yeah, Kris, I guess we did,” Willie says quietly. Then he and his band hit the stage to plead: “Whiskey river, take my mind.”
The crowd erupts and doesn’t stop. It’s an old-fashioned hoedown with dancers and drinkers twirling and swirling thorugh hours of Willie and Kris, and Kris and Willie stripping down to black T-shirts and dripping with sweat by the time they turn Amazing Grace into a Country Mass — hundreds of europhoric worshipers jumping to their feet and pointing their fingers heavenward and singing along witha Texas sermon from Matthew, Mark, Kris and Willie. And not one fight. Remarkable for a honky-tonk.
“God, Willie’s great,” Kris says a few minutes after the show, back in his modest suite at the Ramada Inn, as he picks his way through stacks of toys for his children and calls room service to order himself some rabbit food and volcano water.
Ten years ago, when they were really living the lives of Doc and Blackie, Kris and Willie existed on shots of tequila and more shots of tequila, with the occasional night out on shots of Jack Daniel’s. They were living right out there “on the border,” as Kris sings in this movie. And they were slogging through the drugs-and-alcohol diet thought essential to capture the exquisite pain of country music.
No longer. Kris pulls off his T-shirt to reveal that he’s healthy now, rippling muscles and all that. Coherent. Sane. Everything that he is not in Songwriter. Doesn’t drink or drug anymore. Runs 10 miles a day. Plays golf with Willie. Eats right. Is writing songs again after a long drought.
“Yeah, things are going real good,” he says with a satisfied sigh from his easy chair, boots up on the table. “I got married. Wasn’t no big thing, but yeah, we got a little boy now. My wife’s named Lisa. She’s a lawyer. She was in law school at Pepperdine when I met her. We had a little boy on the seventh of October — Jesse Turner Kristofferson. ‘Jesse’ for an old football coach I had and ‘Turner’ for [band member] Turner Stephen Bruton.
“Wille’s got a great philosphy — about running, about golf, about everything. Kick it back to where you can enjoy it, you know? I’t like, if youre’ running too hard and you’re miserable, then ease off a little bit. He runs for pleasure, not to drive himself. I swear to God” — he laughts at the notion — “being around Willie is like being around Buddah. He gives off these positive attitudes. Next thing you know, you’re acting like him.”
He laughs again, shaking his head in wonderment as he pushes his room service tray aside. He turns and trains the full force of his intense, sky-blue deep-set eyes on his visitor and says seriously, “I’ll never be like him. I’ll never be able to walk directly from the golf cart to the stage. But I’ll never again put myself through the angst I used to. This film as changed my life as much as A Star is Born did. That was a real turning point because I saw that I had potential as an actor. It was enough to clean me up, to quit drinking, you know. And this move has justified my getting cleaned up. You always hope that working with friends will work, but working with Willie is a real bonus because the chemistry on the screen is so good. This has turned out to be the best experience of my life.”
