Product Description
A biography of the successful songwriter, singer, and actor. ... Read more

Product Description
14 favorites from one of the founders of outlaw country, including: The Best of All Possible Worlds * For the Good Times * Help Me Make It Through the Night * Just the Other Side of Nowhere * Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again) * Me and Bobby McGee * Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down * Who's to Bless, and Who's to Blame * Why Me? (Why Me, Lord?) * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kris Kritofferson Guitar Collection
Some great songs. The format, showing all the guitar parts, was a little
to complete and technical for my needs. I would have rather had a few more songs. ... Read more

Product Description
Kris Kristofferson & Sarah Miles pictorial, Jayne Mansfield pictorial ... Read more

Product Description

The Wild American is the story of Kristofferson's triumphant pursuit of a career that took an even more unlikely turn when he broke into movies and became famous all over again.

Kris Kristofferson is one of country music's most illustrious singer-songwriters. Seemingly destined for a distinguished military career, ex-Golden Gloves boxer and Rhodes scholar Kristofferson gave it all up to sweep floors in Nashville, began to pitch his songs to his musical heroes and finally became a star himself.

Customer Reviews (5)

Kris Kristofferson UNAUTHORIZED biography
I refuse to read this book.Kris Kristofferson's personal life is none of the public's business.Whether or not Kris writes his own autobiography is totally up to him.
NO one has the right to tell Kris Kristofferson to "get off his butt" and write his autobiograpy"!.Just because someone is a celebrity does NOT give the public the right to pry into a person's private life.Kris will share what he wants to IF he wants to share it.And that is totally his choice, not the public's choice. Kris has been writing his life in his songs and sharing his heart with us - what more do you want from him?
If you want to know the man's life story - Listen to the man's songs!
Have some respect for Kris's privacy - his personal life is his own, to share or not to share with a bunch of strangers.

Useful, but highly flawed
As has already been noted, Kristofferson did not participate in the creation of this biography, presumably because he was planning to write his autobiography, which has supposedly been in the works for several years now.Given this, the author relies on a few interviews he conducted, but primarily on press reports, album and movie reviews, and interviews Kristofferson has done over the years.Another review was basically right when referring to it as a "highly organized term paper".

There are a number of flaws with this approach however, the first being that it's not all that well executed.While Miller provides an impressive bibliography of sources at the end of the book, within the text, when he quotes an interview or source, he never tells the reader where it comes from.So, if one were to want to delve further into the subject by reading the original source, it would be next to impossible to locate which source a particular quote came from.There's also no index, so if you're interested in reminding yourself of a particular thing you read, you're out of luck.

A more fundamental limitation to the book is that there is no real analysis to speak of.While Miller provides an overview of almost all of Kristofferson's albums and many of his movies, the discussion included seems almost entirely derived from whatever media sources could be found to comment on each project at the time.At its best, this is an overview of the prevailing opinion at the time of each project without any sense of hindsight or context.The author mostly refrains from stating his own opinions and almost never ties events or projects together with any insight.

The few attempts at analysis Miller does make fall flat.For example, he criticizes Kristofferson for including older songs in new albums, presuming that it is due to the inability to come up with enough material at the time.What he neglects is that in many of these cases, the songs had never before appeared on a Kristofferson album, so it is only natural that he'd want it included. What comes across overall is that Kristofferson's career peaked in the early 1970s both artistically and commercially.Anyone interested enough to read the book in the first place will know that the reality is much more complex.

When discussing Kristofferson's politics, Miller is often dismissive.Again, because his sources are publicly available interviews and articles, he attempts to reflect the prevailing opinion, rather than providing any insight into Kristofferson's motives or beliefs.His inability to connect the dots is obvious when in one section he mentions Kristofferson's support for H. Ross Perot's candidacy for president in 1992.Only a few paragraphs later, he states that Kristofferson supported Bill Clinton in the same election.While it is entirely possible that Kristofferson supported both candidates in some fashion or changed his mind at some point, Miller leaves the issue unexplored and provides no comment.

Despite the meticulous "term paper" approach, there are a number of outright errors in the book.Miller states that Kristofferson wrote the title track to Willie Nelson's album "Shotgun Willie".The album's liner notes and a number of online sources show that Willie Nelson was the writer.Miller also states that the song "Pilgrim's Progress" from the album "This Old Road" (2006) originally appeared on the album "Repossessed" in 1986.It's not on that album and even Miller's own discography at the back of the book doesn't list it.(The book came out before the release Kristofferson's excellent 2009 album "Closer to the bone" so no information is included about that project.)

In the absence of Kristofferson's own memoirs (get off your butt, Kris!), serious fans will likely want to read this.While much of it will be a regurgitation of what you already know, there are a few details we may have all missed.That said, this could have been so much better.

The Bookschlepper Recommends
Because Kristofferson intends to write his autobiography (which I've had on order with Amazon for about ten years), he did not cooperate with the research for this book and Miller has spent a lot of time on the Internet. There is padding: I am not sure why we need an opening chapter on Swedish immigration to America since nothing else in the book or his life reflects Kristofferson's Swedish heritage. Beyond the biographical details familiar to his fans (Rhodes Scholar, Nashville janitor, etc.), Miller spend time on each album placing it chronologically into the Life and gives synapses of Kris's many films. There is nothing new here but, since there is no other biography of the singer/songwriter/actor, this compendium is handy for fans, not least for the indices. [I would suggest Kris get off his butt soon.] Kris (not to be familiar but to save typing) is not adored in this book; credit is given only where credit is due, mostly on the early music. But it is not a book of scandals, either. It would have been much longer and less interesting. Drunks are rarely amusing. The black depressions and alcohol dependence are not ignored; the analysis of his best-years-over-too-soon puts much of the blame where it belongs...on Kris...and less on his political views, although those turned away the wide audience he had built. The lyrics, none reproduced, are what have made the man so loved; the melodies are repetitive and the acting is so-so. But the man is a poet and Kristofferson may well be the Lord Byron of his age. It is interesting to ponder what would have happened to Byron had he lived in to his 70s; would he have found a woman to love and manage him as Kris has done, straightened up and flown right, as the saying goes? On the other hand, Byron was not merely out of step with his time but genuinely insane and Kristofferson was only crazy... like a lot of us. Most of us have been forgiven our excesses without having written "Loving Her Was Easier Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again." He's a fortunate, talented man.

Not a bad book but a tough one to recommend...
With no cooperation from Kris, his family, friends or colleagues the author appears to rely almost solely on previously published material to make up the bulk of this book. (If you've read or watched any interviews with Kris over the years you'll be familiar with many of the quotes and stories referenced in the book).Laid out like a well organized term paper it chronicles Kris's early years, education, military service and decades-long career in music and movies.The main focus of the book is Kris's career; the highlites of his personal life (marriages, children, etc) are mentioned but not explored in depth. The author gives even-handed reviews of the majority of Kris's albums and several of his better known films.The end of the book contains a very good discography and filmography.

Disappointingly, there's nothing new here.It is not a poorly written book but I wouldn't say you gain any insight in to this enigmatic performer's personality. It is hard to reduce such a larger-than-life and complex individual to a few dry facts and stale anecdotes. I'm not sure you can really write an engrossing biography without the cooperation of the subject or at the very least access to those close to him.Now, if the long-awaited autobiography were to be published...that would be a different story!

Well ...
this is one weird book to read. first of all it should have been called "kristofferson - songwriter". that's about the main problem. apart from kristofferson not participating in the project at all, we don't really need no book about him. kristofferson talks through his songs. knowing his music - lyrics that is - one gets (to know) the man behind the legend. so "songwriter" would have covered everything! not one other single solitary line would have been necessary. the rest could well have been a collection of photographies. somehow the author makes kris look like some ... well i don't know either. but it's funny how someone who makes a living of critizing other people's art, work or efforts whatsoever is not capable of coming up with something halfway decent himself. how can you judge an artists contibution by album cover photos or amazon reviewees' comments ... mister miller you should have listened to lisa kristofferson by all means!

one good thing tho: it delivers a pretty good overview of kris's appearances in TV shows, movies and such. saves one the trouble to search the worldwideweb for hours.

"wild american" ... i don't believe it! even "native american" would have been more appropriate ...

well, as i said, kris talks through his music if you're willing to read between the lines as well. he doesn't even has to write an autobiography himself. we won't learn nothing we don't know already. ... Read more

Product Description
An act of kindness by a roadside waitress allows two poor children to purchase some candy. Inspired by an episode from John Steinbeck's novel The grapes of wrath. Includes ideas for student discussions of both the novel and song, as well as the Great Depression in American history. ... Read more

Product Description
Commentary (music and lyrics not included).Chapters: Me and Bobby Mcgee, Help Me Make It Through the Night, Why Me, One Day at a Time, Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down, for the Good Times, Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends, They Killed Him. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 36. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller, and later by Janis Joplin, who topped the U.S. singles charts with the song in 1971. Some sources state that Gordon Lightfoot issued the first recorded version. Another story tells how Kristofferson popped his head into the studio with freshly written verses as Roger Miller was recording the song. Regardless, Miller was the first artist to have a hit with the song, peaking with it at #12 on the US country charts in 1969. Lightfoot's version hit #13 pop, and #1 country in his native Canada in 1970. In a 2008 autobiography, Don Reid and Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers say Kristofferson promised it to them, but when they later inquired about recording it, they learned Miller had already cut the song. The Reids say there were no hard feelings, and were happy about Miller's success with the song. The song was later included on a Statler Brothers album, but was not released as a single. Janis Joplin also covered the song for inclusion on her Pearl album only a few days before her death in October 1970. Kristofferson had sung the song for Joplin, and singer Bob Neuwirth taught it to her. Kristofferson, however, did not know she had covered it until after her death (the first time he heard it was the day after she died). Joplin's version topped the charts to become her only number one single and only the second posthumous number one single in rock & roll history (the firs...http://booksllc.net/?id=502303 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Why Me, Lord Story - Told and Sung By Kris Kristofferson
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2U0NEEQDS5QGS "Why Me, Lord" The Story Told and Sung By Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. This sheet music is a complete arrangement for voice (lyrics) with piano accompaniment and guitar chords in the key of G-Major. Cover features Kris Kristopherson. This song is dedicated to survivors and Veterans of the Vietnam War.

Sheet Music featuring Kris Kristopherson:
For the Good Times

Sheet music of the 60s and 70s, Christian Devotional, Gospel compositions:
Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul and Other Gospel Favorites
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Feeling At Home In The Presence Of Jesus
Words & Music Gospel's Best Vol.3
If It Keeps Gettin' Better
Best of Sacred Songs: 1970 Edition
Bill Carle's Sacred Selections
Faith, Only Faith
100 Favorite Songs of Inspiration ... Read more

Product Description
11" x 17" 10-page pressbook. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Kris Kristofferson, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1442 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
Chapters: Robert Towne, Roy E. Disney, Art Clokey, Kris Kristofferson, Jason Beghe, William Irwin Thompson, Robert Taylor, Joel Mccrea, Roger Revelle, Seraphim Rose, Alan Cranston, Don Daglow, John V. Lombardi, James Turrell, Richard Chamberlain, David Keirsey, Robert Shaw, Mary Grandpré, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, George C. Wolfe, Vijay Prashad, Bill Keller, Chris Burden, Paul Fussell, Stephen Zetterberg, Douglas Preston, David Murray, Doug Mcconnell, Ellen Bard, Cruz Reynoso, Richard Preston, Garrett Hongo, Kimberly J. Mueller, Louis Menand, Kerby A. Miller, Vikram Chandra, Brian E. Schatz, Alex Linder, Ved Mehta, Charles E. Fuller, Mary Schmich, M. Frederick Hawthorne, Henry D. Sokolski, James Marshall Galbraith, R. Stanton Hales, Bernard Chan, Julian Nava, Vladimir Ussachevsky, David S. Ward, Will Hutchins, Barbara T. Smith, Mark Wyland, Denise Moreno Ducheny, Brian Tucker, Thomas E. Crow, Verlyn Klinkenborg, Eddie Dombrower, H. Arnold Barton, Jonathan Singer, Joe Menosky, Edward Alan Knapp, James Strombotne, Stanley S. Ballard, Lynda Obst, Kent Cullers, Frederick Sumner Brackett, Chris Cain, Hugo Benioff, James Marshall Carter, Jay Bernstein, Keith Murray, Sharon Inkelas, Esther Brimmer, Sylvain White, Gladwyn M. Childs, Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Kelly Perine, J. Andrew Mccammon, Donald H. Pflueger, Ronald Phillip Tanaka, Viveca Paulin, Chen Han-Seng, Alexander Gonzalez, Lynn Walford, Jim Taylor, Charles Scripps, Renee Marlin-Bennett, Mary Lindenstein Walshok, Jack Barchas, Christina A. Snyder, David D. Keck, Kenneth P. Miller, Donald Mckenna, Josh Resnick. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 331. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jason Beghe (born March 12, 1960) is an American film and television actor and critic of Scientology. As a young man he attended the Collegiate Scho...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=10166400 ... Read more