Kris Kristofferson at the MACC

Kris Kristofferson will perform at the MACC on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

In 1965, Kristofferson turned down an assignment to teach at West Point and, inspired by songwriters like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, moved to Nashville to pursue his music.

Kris Kristofferson. Photo Courtesy.

After struggling in Music City for several years, Kristofferson achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s.

His songs “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and “For the Good Times,” all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting.

By 1987, it was estimated that more than 450 artists had recorded Kristofferson’s compositions. His renown as a songwriter triggered Kristofferson’s successful career as a performer and that, in turn, brought him to the attention of Hollywood, leading to his flourishing career as a film actor. Kristofferson has acted in more than 70 films.

Kristofferson has spent three decades performing concerts all over the world, in most recent years in a solo acoustic setting, which puts the focus on the songs.

“There’s an honesty in the sparseness. It feels like direct communication to the listener,” he says. He’s released several recent high watermarks including the increasingly intimate A Moment of Forever (1995), The Austin Sessions (1999) and This Old Road (2006), and he produced some of his finest work with the deeply personal Closer to the Bone (2009) and Feeling Mortal (2013). His current CD, The Cedar Creek Sessions, was recorded live at Austin’s Cedar Creek Recording Studio and was recently nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award.

Tickets are available for $30.50, $45.50, $58.50; prices increase $2 on day of show (plus applicable fees).

To purchase tickets, click here.