October 2, 2024: A Tribute to Kris Kristofferson

In this episode of High Cotton Radio, hosts Zulu Docs and DJ Unit return to the studio for a deep dive into the life, legacy, and music of the legendary Kris Kristofferson. From his days as a Rhodes Scholar and helicopter pilot to his impact as a songwriter, actor, and country music icon, Kristofferson’s incredible journey takes center stage.

Special guest DJ Colin joins the conversation, sharing his personal connection to Kristofferson’s music and how it shaped his appreciation for country and singer-songwriters. The crew spins some of Kristofferson’s greatest hits, compares versions of his classics by other artists like Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson, and reflects on the profound storytelling in his songs.

Listeners from all over the country—including a live listening party in Utah—tune in for this heartfelt tribute, featuring stories, live recordings, and a deep appreciation for the man behind the music. Stay tuned as we close out the night with Me and Bobby McGee, Why Me, Lord, and more.

Tune in and celebrate the life and music of a true legend. 

Transcript

Zulu Docs: All right, everybody, thanks for tuning in for another episode of High Cotton Radio. We're your hosts. I'm the Zulu Docs, sitting here with DJ Unit. DJ Unit, how you feeling?

DJ Unit: Well, sua, yeah, I'm great. I'm doing beautiful.

Zulu Docs: Glad we're back in the studio together. It's been a while.

DJ Unit: Yeah, I had to go to a little place called Harvard, which is an institution of higher learning up there in Massachusetts.

Zulu Docs: Yes...

DJ Unit: A couple things I learned about Harvard. Harvard Business School, where we were kind of positioned, is across the river, and it's just a bastion of capitalism. It's all about making the buck. And then, right across the street, there’s the undergrad university. The first thing you see when you cross the river is a spray-painted sign that says Eat the Rich.

Zulu Docs: Really a different mentality there with the undergrad.

DJ Unit: And I was talking about this with the Indian fellow that was our tour guide. He was a senior in the undergrad program. He kind of pushed back a little bit. He’s like, “I’m surprised that that surprises you.” And I was like, “Why?” He’s like, “Well, you realize that Harvard predates the United States, firstly, and secondly, that the idea to overthrow the British government was started there. Apparently, it was John Adams' senior thesis that he delivered right there on campus, right in that first building on the right. It’s still there. You can actually see the room where he did it. He was the one that proposed that—the very first ones that proposed that.”

Zulu Docs: Those guys were all young at the time. They were babies.

DJ Unit: Yeah, it was like John Adams and—what’s it—Benjamin Franklin and all those guys? They were like roommates. And they were like, “You know what we should do? They’re way over there, across an ocean. There’s no airplanes, there’s no TikTok. We should just do our own thing over here.” So, of course, these radical ideas—that’s kind of how it started. So just an interesting piece. I think the reason why that’s relevant is because the guy that we’re going to be talking about tonight probably could have gone to Harvard. He went to Pomona, I think. Which is, hell, probably harder than Harvard. And he did so much else. And of course, we’re talking about the great Kris Kristofferson.

So this guy—besides being a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and besides being a helicopter pilot in the armed services—besides being an actor, a poet, and devastatingly handsome...

Zulu Docs: I mean, objectively good-looking.

DJ Unit: All those things. In addition to that, he happened to be a great country-western and Americana singer. And he lived an amazing life and recently passed away last week. So the second that happened, like you, I probably got five text messages saying, “We know what next week's theme is going to be.” And so that’s why, when I was thinking about a guest for tonight, a guy that we’ve wanted to have on for a while now, I reached out. I had talked to him a few times about coming on. Just last minute, I was like, I wonder if he would do it. He had plans with his kids for the evening to go have dinner with the family. And I said, “You need to cancel that because this is more important.” And he did. So, Colin, thank you for prioritizing this over your family.

Colin: Hello, Radio World. Happy to be here. Thank you very much. It’s an honor.

Zulu Docs: So tell us a little bit about why you were jazzed to come on and talk about Kristofferson.

Colin: Well, for me, number one—Kris Kristofferson, native Texan. Talking to a native Texan right here. Born and raised. Obviously been in Louisiana longer than I was in Texas, but still feel the roots. Kristofferson was the music that I grew up with through my father and mother. I fell away from country music through high school and college and then found it again—really through The Dead.

[Song: "Breakdown" by Kris Kristofferson plays]

Zulu Docs: So did you guys go to the Kristofferson thing at the Manship?

DJ Unit: I did not.

Colin: You weren’t there either?

Zulu Docs: I didn’t go either. Yeah, so I went to that. That was, what, last year? It wasn’t that long ago. And it was just him, and he had one or two guys behind him. And he walked out, played 10 or 15 songs. It was the coolest thing ever. He kind of spoke them more than he sang them, which is fine considering everything he had going on. But he still had it. He still had kind of a magical thing about him. Still had a light in his eyes. And I loved it—after he played his last song, he just said, “And that’s all. Thank you.” And just walked off. That was it. No encore. He didn’t tell a single story about anything.

[Song: "Loving Her Was Easier" by Kris Kristofferson plays]

Colin: I actually knew him as an actor before I knew him as a musician. A Star is Born, Convoy—great action film. Not that great of an action film, but still a film nonetheless. And again, I kind of didn’t realize until later exactly how much he did musically and in film. Just a fascinating character.

[Song: "Why Me, Lord" by Kris Kristofferson plays]

Zulu Docs: Wow, what a cool story that we just heard from Murtus Tillman Hales III, about Murtus Tillman Hales I, and his old guitar. That entire thing was pretty cool. Boys, what’d you think about that?

Colin: Fantastic story. Again, fantastic song.

Zulu Docs: Yeah, and we want to thank everybody who’s tuned in. We’ve got people listening from all over. A listening party in Utah, folks in Texas, and plenty more. We want to thank our guest DJ Colin. What did you think about tonight? You had fun?

Colin: Absolutely a blast. Would love to do it again.

Zulu Docs: Yeah, we hope you can come back on. Until next week, we say goodnight, Irene. We’ll see you in our dreams.

[Outro music plays]